Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

The body has a very sophisticated and complex detoxification system that is working on your behalf all the time so do you need to bother with programs and plans that tell you how to detox the human body?

Researchers are noting that in spite of advances in medical treatment people are getting diseases at younger ages for which there appears to be no answers at the moment. People are surviving longer but they are in the main not healthier. Diabetes, heart disease and cancer are all on the increase. Many scientists are questioning why this is happening. There is little research into what is the underlying cause of these and other degenerative disease.

There is no doubt that we are all constantly bombarded with toxins that our detoxification systems were not designed for. Although our bodies seem to have an amazing capacity for developing pathways or routes to get rid of some of these chemicals researchers have discovered that we are all now contaminated with chemicals that can persist for years interfering with how our bodies work. The more pronounced the build up the greater the capacity to disrupt the intricate and delicate mechanisms that keep the body functions running smoothly.

So how do you detox the human body and does it work? There is no doubt that it does work in spite of some very skeptical recent media reports based on some very poorly designed research on only 10 relatively young people without any particular health problems. The 9/11 New York Rescuers Detox Program has shown that a properly designed program can indeed detox the human body and improve symptoms.

Researchers have learned a lot about the how the detox system works.They have discovered specific foods, vitamins and minerals that rev up the different pathways in the liver that is main organ responsible for disarming the toxic chemicals so they can safely leave our bodies.

Naturopathic doctors and proponents of natural healing have long been advocates of cleansing or detoxifying by reducing the amounts of food eaten. They argue that resting the digestive system from the burden of dealing with three or more meals a day enables more energy to be directed towards the body’s natural cleansing function.

They recommend eating only fruit or vegetable meals or freshly pressed juices and never mixing the two. The vegetables can be eaten raw, lightly steamed or made into a soup. This can be done for 2 days every week or two or for 3-4 days every 3 - 4 weeks.

The foods that you eat to help detox your body should be organically produced to avoid pesticide residues. Fruit and fresh fruit juices are generally considered to be more aggressive than vegetables for cleansing so go easy on these until you are have some experience with detoxing.

1) Include plenty of the following vegetables both raw and lightly steamed: broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, kale, bok choy, cress, mustard, turnips, rutabagas (swede), kohlrabi, red beets and avocados.

2) Eat at least 4 pieces of fruit a day if tolerated but in particular watermelon, papaya, oranges, tangerines but not grapefruit which inhibits liver detoxification.

3) Protein foods are needed to supply amino acids to detox chemicals. Choose 300gms a day of organic lean beef, venison, chicken, turkey, eggs or grain and bean combinations.

4) Include at least 1 tbsp a day of the following cold pressed and unheated vegetable oils on salads or vegetables: flax, walnut, pumpkin seed, olive oil or 1 tbsp of a balanced blend of oils. Vary the oils you use rather than using one exclusively. Small amounts of nuts and seeds can be eaten instead but too many can hinder the detoxification effect.

5) Drink 8 glasses of pure filtered water a day.

6) Avoid alcohol, smoking, regular tea, coffee, sugar, dairy products, wheat, the hardest grain to digest, excessive starches, processed foods, hydrogenated oils, artificial colours and additives.

7) Use a water filter and consider a shower filter or whole house filtration system.

Avoid chemicals as much as possible by using natural cleaning products in the home and garden. Use only natural non-chemical products on your skin. The skin absorbs a surprising amount of toxic substances from personal care products and make up.

9) Limit fish especially oily fish such as tuna , swordfish and eel which are likely to contain mercury as well as other toxic pollutants from the sea.

10) Do not run or exercise near traffic.

11) Take a good multivitamin mineral supplement with approximately 25 mg of the main B vitamins. A fibre supplement to ensure frequent bowel movements to eliminate toxins. Take a neutral PH or non-acidic (buffered) Vitamin C, 1 - 3 grams a day. Alternatively consider a supplement designed to support liver detoxification.

12) Do some skin brushing to help move the lymphatic circulation or consider massage to help mobilise the toxins. Far infrared saunas can help sweat out the toxins.

Periodic detoxification programs that rest the digestive system and support the detox pathways with foods and nutrients known to improve detoxification there is no doubt that you can improve your health. You should continue to follow a nutritious diet and avoid toxins as far as possible in between detoxification periods.

By: Sandy Halliday

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