If you’re trying to improve your health, there’s nothing better than a regular detox to rid all the harmful toxins that have accumulated over time. It makes sense when you think about it. Our bodies keep going no matter what we throw at it, even during a long stint of unhealthy eating. But time does have a way of keeping score? Sure, our kidneys and liver continuously work to filter through the waste, but there’s no harm in giving our vitals organs a helping hand. No use feeling dull, sluggish and irritable when you’re fully equipped with the tools you need to feel revitalized. Here’s how you can do it.

Detox Your Body

A healthy gut isn’t accomplished through any one thing. It’s a collection of habits and lifestyle changes that enable us to balance our gut flora until it reaches optimum levels. Your body isn’t able to make massive changes quickly, but it does start to feel better over time, with loads of help from the food that you eat. If you’re looking to build a healthy resilient gut, I highly recommend being guided by the rainbow. As in, eat foods with a wide spectrum of colors to ensure you’re getting a wide range of nutrients. This will help start the natural process of detoxification.

Apple and Lemon–Detox Staple Ingredients

Apple and lemon are excellent foods to use to flush out the toxins that your body stores. I like to use them often in many of my smoothies. I was blessed with both an apple and lemon tree in my backyard so it’s as easy as plucking them when they’re almost ripe. If you don’t have access to organic produce, try to find an organic source to avoid pesticides. Another food that flies under the radar often is cinnamon. It seems to only come out over the holidays, gets sprinkled over a pie or two, and then disappears into the far recesses of the pantry until it’s needed again. To those who do this, I ask you why? Cinnamon is one of the healthiest spices you can incorporate in your diet, so use it more often. Cinnamon is known to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, immunity-boosting and potential cancer and heart disease-protecting capabilities. (1)

The other key ingredients in this detoxing smoothie are beets and acai powder. Acai has a lovely tart flavor, and it’s an excellent source of protective antioxidants, omega fatty acids, amino acids, and dietary fiber. It also provides a good amount of vitamin A–over 20 percent of the daily recommended amount. I like to use the 8-ounce serving of the Navitas range because it’s organic, non-GMO, freeze-dried, and gluten-free.

Like most of the other smoothie recipes on this website, this one doesn’t take long to make. Just throw all your ingredients–lemon juice, cinnamon, banana, beets, acai powder, apple, and raspberries–into your blender with some ice and maybe some coconut water, and blend!