Whether you decide to make eating healthier a 2012 resolution or not, you might want to spend at least a day or two focusing on these fantastic foods, to at least allow your body to recover.

Here are 5 foods that will help your body detox from all the revelry.

Daikon Radish

This radish actually helps lower your cholesterol. You may be tempted to shred some on top of your bacon cheeseburger (and hey, no judgment!) but if you try it in a salad on a regular basis, you'll help reduce that heart attack risk.


Ginger

Cleaning, stomach-settling, what can't this amazing root do? Boil some in water, add it to your fried rice, or gnaw on it. Either way, you're doing your system a big old favor.


Whole Grains

Rather it's oatmeal, quinoa, or multi-grain (and sugar-free) bread, bulking up on your whole grains will do double duty. You'll be helping to lower your cholesterol from all that fatty meat you had during the holidays, and helping move everything through the colon. Ahhh, doesn't that feel better?



Kale/Collard Greens/Spinach

Those dark and leafy greens are perfect for bulking up on your iron without adding meat to your diet. Additionally, hello good digestion!


Berries

You know fruit is good for you, but some fruit is better than others. The berry family offers up antioxidants which are crazy good for you and your blood stream, while having the added benefit of being low in sugar.

FYI

What you eat is important for your health, yes, but did you realize that what you put in your mouth can have an effect on your beauty, too? Here, we identified five foods to include in your diet for glowing skin.

Sweet Potatoes

Keep your skin silky smooth by including sweet potatoes in your diet. They are rich in beta-carotene and, when ingested, are converted into vitamin A, a prime factor in keeping skin touchably soft, says Lisa Drayer, MA, RD, and nutritionist. Not a potato person? Carrots will do the trick, too.

Kiwi

Kiwi.

Any food with lots of vitamin C, like kiwi, oranges, and grapefruit, is a big skin saver, according to Drayer. Vitamin C stimulates collagen synthesis and protects against wrinkles. In a study done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who had a diet high in vitamin C foods had noticeably less dryness and fewer wrinkles.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate.

This has to be too good to be true, right? Wrong! Drayer says enjoying a small piece of dark chocolate will provide high levels of cocoa flavanols, which have been associated with softer, more hydrated skin. Notice we said small. Eating a jumbo Hershey's bar probably won't make you look or feel very good after the fact.

Yogurt

Yogurt.

Yogurt makes your skin and nails glow, according to Paula Simpson, international nutritionist and beauty expert. It's a good source of protein and has been found in clinical studies to help stimulate fat metabolism and whittle your waistline. An added bonus: Drayer says thanks to the biotin found in yogurt, it helps increase nail strength.

Nuts and seeds.

Snack on some almonds or sunflower seeds, says Robyn Flipse, MS, RD. They contain anti-inflammatory and immunity-enhancing nutrients, including vitamin E, that help reduce skin flare-ups.

Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup brown rice
• 4 (15 ounce) cans black-eyed peas with liquid
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion, pepper, and celery until tender. Pour in the chicken broth, and mix in rice, black-eyed peas with liquid, diced tomatoes and green chiles, diced tomatoes, and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add water if soup is too thick.

OMG, this Gumbo is awesome. To my serving, I added some cornbread, onions, little chow-chow.Wow, it is delicious....