White-colored foods have a generally bad reputation among health conscious people, and for very good reason: many of the most toxic and nutritionally vapid foods have had all the color beaten out of them. Bleached flour, sugar, white bread, vegetable shortening are just a few that quickly come to mind.
But not all white foods are bad, stresses nutritionist Deanna Minich, PhD. Some of them are downright healthful, especially for people on detoxification diets.
Here are a five of Dr. Minich’s favorite pale but powerful vegetables that shouldn’t be overlooked when “eating the rainbow.”
Cauliflower: One of the many cruciferous vegetables that can assist in healthy detoxification processes in the liver, cauliflower is more than half as potent as the “detox superstars,” broccoli and kale; Eating some occasional cauliflower is a good way to add some variety to your cruciferous vegetable intake. A study in 2007 (Kirsh et al.) found that “High intake of cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli and cauliflower, may be associated with reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer, particularly extraprostatic disease.” Cauliflower has a low glycemic index of 15-30. “One of my favorite ways to prepare it is to briefly sauté the florets in extra-virgin olive oil and spices and serve warm,” she says.
Onions: These gorgeous white orbs are healing and helpful for blood sugar, heart health, and, most definitely, detox; They contain at least 25 different plant compounds called flavonoids, with one of the most popular ones known as quercetin, a potent antioxidant. Red onions tend to contain just a bit more of the flavonol phytonutrients than the yellow onions, although there is some variability, based on where the onion was grown. Most of those phytonutrients are right below the skin, so do not overpeel your onions! Onions have a very low glycemic index of 10-15.
Garlic: Garlic is a detox heavy-hitter, garlic is much like the other white foods listed here. It has so many medicinal uses, from lowering cholesterol to balancing blood sugar to helping with heart health and blood pressure. When it comes to detox, its sulfur and selenium content come in handy. Let raw garlic sit after cutting it to maximize the production of protective antioxidants.
Coconut Milk: Dr. Minichs’s Whole Detox recipes emphasize coconut oil and coconut milk, primarily because of the content of short- andmedium-chain fats which are helpful for the healing of the gut, and also because they are quickly burned as fuel by the liver. Coconut products have a reputation for their anti-microbial and anti-viral effects. One recent study surprisingly showed that an extra-virgin coconut-containing diet decreased waist size and increased good cholesterol in people with coronary artery disease.
Turnips & Parsnips: Raw turnips have a low glycemic index, though that becomes pretty high when they are cooked. Parsnips have a medium to high glycemic index when cooked, but both provide great opportunities to increase fiber intake, along with a complex array of different plant nutrients that protect the body from oxidative stress damage. Often used in stews and soup, they add a lot of flavor. It is important not to overcook them because they will become mushy and higher in glycemic impact. Both turnips and parsnips can be shredded into salads as a tasty touch!
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