Three Wonder Foods and Top Ten Detox Foods

Here's why these three foods are practically a staple among health - conscious celebs and foodies - plus how to pronounce them, so you can casually order an açaí smoothie with all the cool of George Clooney.

Açaí berries (ah-sigh-EE or ah-SIGH-ee) Brazilian surfers eat theirs with granola, and we know what their bodies look like! Packed with twice the disease-fighting antioxidants of blueberries, açaí has already made Oprah's list of Top 10 Superfoods and The Washington Post called the blackberry-flavored fruit the "new pomegranate." But you may find it easier to sip yours: Celestial Seasonings sells an açaí-green tea blend, and açaí martinis are on chic bar menus everywhere.
DIY açaí fruit soda: Just mix chilled sparkling mineral water with a few ounces of açaí juice, available at health-food stores. Sip. Look cool. Feel healthy.

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) Dry quinoa looks a bit like sesame seeds but when cooked it becomes fluffy with a hint of crunch, making it an excellent substitution for rice, cous cous, and pasta. Quinoa's major claim to food fame, however, is what RealAge researchers call its "nutritional profile." A cup of quinoa has more protein than a quarter-pound hamburger and more calcium than a quart of milk. Yowza. It's also loaded with iron, magnesium, and a bevy of other minerals and B vitamins. No wonder the Incas named it "the mother grain." Try it in this warm winter salad from our friends at Eating Well.

Quinoa and Black Beans: Stir in your favorite jarred salsa for extra zing. This is also good the next day for lunch.Makes 2 servings, about 1/2 cup each:

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed

2 tablespoons broth (or water)

1/2 cup hot quinoa (cook according to package directions)

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until almost tender. Add beans and broth (or water) to the pan. Cook until heated through. Stir in quinoa.

Per serving: 162 calories; 4 g fat (0 g sat); 0 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 60 mg sodium; 224 mg potassium.

Matcha (MAH-cha) When you drink a cuppa matcha (also spelled maccha), you're getting green tea's powerful antioxidants to the max, because you're actually consuming the whole green tea leaf in powdered form. In Japan, slightly bitter matcha is traditionally served syrupy thick. But in the US, you'll find matcha stirred into lattes, sprinkled on ice cream, and used to bolster energy drinks and turn smoothies into pick-me-ups (it's said to boost alertness). Just be respectful of matcha if you're caffeine sensitive: Ounce for ounce, it has almost as much caffeine as coffee.

Top 10 detox foods:

There's no better time to give your body a healthy, fresh start than now! Plus if you're thinking about lowering your weight - "eating clean" is a great first step. Add these 10 foods to your grocery cart and you'll get three terrific benefits:
1. Lots of super-healthy liquids to flush out the body while pouring in nutrients.
2. Fiber to keep your GI tract fit.
3. Foods that energize cleansing enzymes in the liver, your body's built-in detox center.
The top 10:
1. Green leafy vegetables. Eat them raw, throw them into a broth, add them to juices. Their chlorophyll helps swab out environmental toxins (heavy metals, pesticides) and is an all-round liver protector.
2. Lemons. You need to keep the fluids flowing to wash out the body and fresh lemonade is ideal. Its vitamin C - considered the detox vitamin - helps convert toxins into a water - soluble form that's easily flushed away.
3. Watercress. Put a handful into salads, soups, and sandwiches. The peppery little green leaves have a diuretic effect that helps move things through your system. And cress is rich in minerals too.
4. Garlic. Add it to everything - salads, sauces, spreads. In addition to the bulb's cardio benefits, it activates liver enzymes that help filter out junk.
5. Green tea. This antioxidant-rich brew is one of the healthiest ways to get more fluids into your system. Bonus: It contains catechins, which speed up liver activity.
6. Broccoli sprouts. Get 'em at your health-food store. They pack 20 to 50 times more cancer-fighting, enzyme-stimulating activity into each bite than the grown-up vegetable.
7. Sesame seeds. They're credited with protecting liver cells from the damaging effects of alcohol and other chemicals. For a concentrated form, try tahini, the yummy sesame seed paste that's a staple of Asian cooking.
8. Cabbage. There are two main types of detoxifying enzymes in the liver; this potent veggie helps activate both of them. Coleslaw, anyone?
9. Psyllium. A plant that's rich in soluble fiber, like oat bran, but more versatile. It mops up toxins (cholesterol too) and helps clear them out. Stir powdered psyllium into juice to help cleanse your colon, or have psyllium-fortified Bran Buds for breakfast.
10. Fruits, fruits, fruits. They're full of almost all the good things above - vitamin C, fiber, nutritious fluids, and all kinds of antioxidants. Besides, nothing tastes better than a ripe mango, fresh berries, or a perfect pear.