It's hard not to indulge and overindulge in the delicious foods during the Lunar New Year. On occasion, however, having too much of a good thing can call for much needed remedial intake. To this end, you may eat clean or follow healthy recipes to detox the system quickly and effectively.

Beet Root

Having baked beetroot (40 minutes in an oven at 200 degrees Celcius) is great way to do that. Beets are newly found to drastically lower blood pressure within an hour of ingestion. The beneficent substances in this case are nitrate compounds.

As quoted by BBC News, researcher Dr. Amrita Ahluwalia said: "We were surprised by how little nitrate was needed to see such a large effect. Our hope is that increasing one's intake of vegetables with a high dietary nitrate content, such as green leafy vegetables or beetroot, might be a lifestyle approach that one could easily employ to improve cardiovascular health."

Healthy recipes that use beetroot are diverse and plentiful. Some involve adding it raw in salads, and some even use it for dessert in a chocolate mousse. A delicious Chinese style soup involving beetroot can be made with surprising ease:

Ingredients

• 200 grams of pork ribs
• Half of a carrot with its skin removed, sliced into small chunks
• 1 tomato, sliced to wedges
• 1 small beetroot with its skin removed, sliced into small chunks
• 3 celery stalks, sliced into small pieces
• 1 half of a large onion, sliced into several rings
• 1,200 milliliters of water
• (Optional) Salt as desired for boosted taste

Method

1. In boiling water, blanch pork ribs for 5 minutes.
2. Drain and then set aside for later.
3. Boil water and add the blanched pork ribs to the rest of the ingredients in the water.
4. Lower temperature and let ingredients simmer for about 40 minutes.
5. (Optional) Add salt as desired for boosted taste.

Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit including raspberries and blueberries in particular are excellent suggestions to eat clean and flush the system. Raspberries abound in fibre, while both kinds of berry are full of antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.

Lemon Water

Lemon water is a very good alternative to sweet drinks and colas. You simply squeeze fresh lemons to taste into clean, cool water, and drink. Ice is optional. This simple drink abounds in vitamin C and antioxidants and has no sugar. It hydrates well and purifies the body, given sufficient intake.

Ginger

Ginger is one of the top detoxification foods due to its natural anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger has been shown to improve digestion and ease nausea. Its gingerol compounds are remarkably effective for increasing the rate at which food moves through the system. It is very suitable to include in dinner entrees. Including it with white chicken is a tasty and relatively fat-free way to eat.

Tofu

Sautéed tofu in Hoisin sauce and fish sauce with broccoli florets is a quick detox meal that will give you lots of calcium and protein without animal fats.

Dark Rye Bread

Dark rye bread with smoked sardines in olive oil is fantastic to have for lunch, as it is relatively free of gluten (there are lots of gluten in wheat) and the sardines provide lots of omega-3 fats, which are necessary for a well-functioning brain and cardiovascular health. As sardines are young fish, they are least susceptible to accrue heavy metals such as mercury, which cannot be said of swordfish, mahimahi, or tuna. Sardines are about the best ocean fish for you.

Watercress

Watercress is also excellent to ingest, as it works to energize the enzymes within the liver to cleanse the system. This spicy, leafy green is packed with vitamins C and A and can make a great stir fry dish or an addition to any salad.

Potatoes

Baking a whole potato for 1 hour in an oven at 220 degrees Celcius and eating it complete with skin after it cools sufficiently is an excellent way to obtain potassium. If you refrain from heaping sour cream on it and instead splurge on the somewhat expensive and hard to find (but exceptionally healthy) goat yogurt, you will gain maximum benefit from this simple meal.

Broccoli

Broccoli is great for the brain in that it contains a wonderful mix of antioxidant and vitamins. A quick stir fry seals in the nutrients without leaching them out as cooking in water would.

Red Bell Pepper

Perhaps the best ingredient for detox is the red bell pepper, or paprika pod. It is about the only ingredient that is complete in all the nutrients found in vegetables. It has more vitamin C than even strawberries, and those are known to exceed citrus fruit in per serving amounts of vitamin C. The red color of the pepper tells that it also abounds in vitamin A-yielding beta carotene. The pepper can be simply cut up into strips and enjoyed in snacks. You can also put it on your pizza or include it in a stir fry. If you are more ambitious, you could stuff the red pepper with brown or unpolished rice, which is sure to make a satiating and wholesome meal.

It's important to realize that many deaths are related to what we eat (including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis). In Singapore, the second leading cause of death is coronary heart disease, impacting over 16% of the population in 2011. This can be greatly prevented by having a healthy diet, which works to decrease obesity and lowering cholesterol levels. You are what you eat, and you may cease to be on account of it, too, so be good to yourself and eat well!