Raw or cooked cabbage inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Well known for cleansing the intestines and feeding the correct bowel flora. Cabbage is easy to find in just about any market or supermarket. There is the green, almost white, and red cabbage all will help to cleanse your system.

Eat cabbage shredded raw in salads, steamed, in stir-fries, or in soups. Maybe you are someone who avoids eating cabbage because it causes you digestive discomfort. Cooking cabbage with spices and/or herbs can help this problem a lot, for instance dill seeds, celery seeds, or fennel seeds can all help improve digestion of cabbage.

Cauliflower contains allicin, which can improve heart health and reduce the risk of strokes. Cauliflower contains nutrients that strengthen the immune system and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Good for purifying the blood.

It is an excellent source of fiber, which helps to improve colon health and can even help prevent cancer. And most recently it has been discovered that cauliflower, as well as other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage contains indole-3-carbinol a substance that can affect the metabolism of estrogen in the body, helping to prevent breast and other female cancers.

Artichoke is a marvellous therapeutic food for the liver, helping to cleanse and support the liver. It is a fantastic diuretic (reducing fluid retention). Helps to lower cholesterol and is energizing.

Anything that has a positive effect on the liver, will improve the function of the whole body, speeding metabolism, eliminating waste more efficiently, preventing a build-up of toxins and fats.

Asparagus is a powerful stimulant for the liver and kidneys. Asparagus contains a compound called asparagine. It helps with water retention and bloating. They can be steamed lightly, do not overcook them. Eat them lightly cooked but cold in salads or as a hot vegetable. This is a slow release energy food, stabilizes blood sugar levels, keeping food craving to a minimum.

A tip – snap off the tough end, it will break just at the right place.

Fresh celery and the seeds are also excellent cleansers. They are truly excellent for reducing fluid retention. This food has earned a reputation for being a wonderful diet food. The fresh celery has a slightly salty taste, good to add to salads and reduce salt intake. Celery can be used raw with dips, cut and stuffed for hors d’ourves, steamed, added to stir-fries etc.

The seeds help to cleanse joints, as well as having a powerful diuretic effect, and anti-spasmodic.

Herbal salt – recipe under basis recipes is an excellent substitute for normal salt, contains celery seeds

The vegetable, leaves and seeds taste a little like aniseed or licorice. Fennel is a fat digester, stimulates the metabolism, and regulates blood fats. It has properties that are cleansing especially to the liver and the digestive system. Fennel is renowned as a diuretic (relieving fluid retention) releasing water stored in fat cells.

In days gone by people would take fennel seeds to church, they would chew on them during very long church services to stave off hunger. So they are good for slimming and curbing the appetite.

Fennel can help with all sorts of menstrual problems, and menopausal problems due to the phyto-estrogens, natural plant compounds.