Dare to Detox

Toxins are inevitable. They are found in the air we breathe, in the food we eat and in the water we drink and bathe with. To totally avoid toxins is impossible-at least on this planet. The amount of toxins however is where the difference lies. When your body is overburdened with toxins this can slow down the body, and worse. 

Ask yourself a few questions to see how much you may be exposed to. 

Do you drink unfiltered tap water or bottled water? Do you eat a lot of processed foods. Do you eat non-organic food? Do use conventional shampoos and personal products? Do you eat large seafood food like tune? Is your house moldy and musty? Do you use synthetic air fresheners at home? Do you have new products like new carpet, a new car or new mattress? Do you have silver fillings? Do you live in an area with lots of pollution? There are so many ways to get exposed to toxins and your job should be to limit that. 

Signs of toxicity are lethargy, depression, headaches, allergies, recurring infections, nervousness, memory loss and chemical sensitivities. 

   For starters you need to be careful with what you ingest. The food and drink you intake is your biggest exposure to toxins. Processed food or "fake food" has to be seriously limited. Refined food like sandwich cookies are basically just sugar and white flour. Stripped of almost all nutrition. White bread and white flour products are stripped of most nutrition and are highly glycemic. Foods like  cookies, cake, donuts, bagels etc. White rice is the same story. Too much of any sugar is unhealthy, but when using sugar try to use a healthier choice like maple syrup, honey and molasses. Most oils that are cooked at high temperatures are really bad for you. French fries and potato chips are prime examples of this. A byproduct of cooking starchy food at high temperatures is acrylamide. Many potato chips contain more than allowed by the FDA. Some were found to exceed the limit by 150 times. Many foods have chemical and artificial additives. Here are some that you may see that are unsafe, even in small amounts: Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, Yellow 6, Aspartame, Cyclamate, Olestra, Potassium Bromate, Saccharin, Sodium Nitrite. 

Our bodies are designed to eliminate toxins. The kidneys eliminate uric acid and filter out waste so it should't build up in the blood. The lymphatic system also eliminates waste. You can stimulate your lymph function by exercising (jumping is great) and by massaging or brushing the skin in the direction of lymph flow. The intestinal tract pushes out the majority of the waste from the body. Foods with high fiber content and probiotics are helpful in this area in pushing out more waste from the digestive tract. Skin, the bodies largest organ gets rid of waste via sweat. Saunas are a great method to help further facilitate this process. 

Here are a few techniques to boost your body's detoxification capacity.

1. Take a warm/hot bath with 1-2 pounds of epsom salt and a cup of baking soda. Do this once a week. Make sure you hydrate yourself before by drinking enough water. Sweat in a sauna twice a week. 

2. Get your lymphatic system moving by rebounding (jumping) 4 times a week. Also, take a hot-cold shower to stimulate your nervous system I take a hot shower and then switch to cold for the last minute. If you are willing to do more, you can alternate back and forth from hot to cold, 20 seconds each. Dry Brush before showering, going in circular motions in the direction that lymph flows. 

3. Take a kidney cleansing detox tea. You can use herbs such as dandelion, nettle and sarsaparilla root. 

   Some people see good results with liquid cleansing for a few days. This gives your body a chance to heal itself, for it is not working to break down solids. You can click below to access a smoothie detox challenge that may help you. Good Luck.