First, let’s explain toxins. Toxins can come from contaminants in food and water, junk food, stress, smog, vehicle emissions, airborne fungal spores, pesticides, and pollution.
We’re exposed to them daily. Add alcohol, smoking, secondhand smoke and more exposure to cell phones and computers and you’re in Toxic City, which is why I prefer being around nature.
It’s healthy and healing. In fact, I get serious nature withdrawals if I don’t see trees or greenery.
Maybe my parents growing up on a farm in Italy is in my DNA. I don’t know, but I love nature.
Speaking of, when um, nature calls, it also eliminate toxins. But your liver and kidney need to work overtime when there are too many toxins in your body.
If you need reminding, alcohol is a major toxin as bad as soda. Yes, that includes diet soda.
I’ve never been into drinking alcohol and quit drinking diet soda (and coffee) in 2005. Amazing difference in how I feel.
Only thing I drink is alkaline water. And I don’t need coffee to wake up. I wake up naturally with energy. Imagine that.
Healthy drinking is none at all or 1 or 2 glasses of red wine with dinner. More than that and you risk brain damage, addiction, stroke, blurred vision, slurred speech, bleeding throat, breathing difficulties, stomach ulcers, liver disease, liver failure, intestinal cancer, intestinal ulcers, impotence for men, infertility for women and osteoporosis.
Even people who don’t drink can get something called “Fatty Liver Disease” when inadvertently exposed to external toxins. Pharmaceutical medications and over-the-counter medications are also toxic.
Remember, your kidneys and liver were created to naturally help your body detox. Your body is a natural healer.
But when it encounters too many man-made toxins, you could end up with cirrhosis or kidney disease. Help flush them out with daily exercise.
SWEATING through exercise, sauna, steam is great. Taking a hot bath with Epsom salt twice a week helps too. My favorite is Dr. Teal’s lavender bubble bath epsom salt. Smells nice and bubbles!
You want to avoid sugar as much as you can. Again, avoid soda at all costs.
You also want to avoid foods with refined flour, (breads, rice), junk food (yes, cakes and cookies), processed starchy (crackers), fast food, coffee, soft drinks, anything with high fructose or artificial sweeteners, saturated and trans fats, dairy and animal products.
You’re thinking OMG, nothing is left. Yes, there is…
What remains is dark green vegetables and you can toss olive oil with garlic in a pan and make string beans, Brussel sprouts, spinach, mushrooms or any veggie taste delicious.
Add a pinch of sea salt and you have a nice big heaping serving of deliciousness.
Photo above has iceberg lettuce. It’s worth noting you want to go for DARK, LEAFY, GREEN LETTUCE. That one has nutrients, not white iceberg.
Wild caught salmon and fish high in Omega 3 are healthy and real easy to cook too.
Healthy food keeps you satisfied and feeling good. No cravings. No anxiety. No depression. Junk food makes you whine about aches, pains, anxiety and cravings.
Tip: Stock your pantry and refrigerator with healthy foods, water and snacks.
Whenever I blog about favorite brands they fly off shelves and I regret it.
So, I reluctantly tell you I’m a big fan of Veggie Straws and Veggie Stix with Sea Salt. They’re so cute and look like French fries.
Hollow inside, so dip (I use Hummus) goes all the way through; clever design. Check them out at: http://www.goodhealthsnacks.com
Again, drink lots of alkaline water daily. You can search how much water you should drink daily based on your height, weight and activity level. I highly recommend alkaline water.
I have two brands I rave about. Carlsbad Alkaline Water on west coast and Essentia on east coast.
Dr. Edward Group recommends the following in terms of detoxing through food:
“When it comes to detoxing your body, there are many techniques you can follow and supplements you can take. One plan, in particular, is to eat detoxifying foods. Here is a list of 10 detox foods that are a great addition to anyone’s diet.”
10 Foods To Detox Your Body:
1. Fruit
Fruit is high in liquid-content which helps the body wash out toxins.[1]
Fruit is also easy to digest and is high in antioxidants, nutrients, fiber, and important vitamins.
2. Green Foods
Fill your refrigerator with blue-green algae, barley, wheatgrass, kale, spinach, spirulina, alfalfa, chard, arugula, and other organic leafy greens to give your digestive tract a detoxifying boost of chlorophyll.[2]
Chlorophyll rids the body of harmful environmental toxins from toxic metals, herbicides, cleaning products, and pesticides.[3]
They also aid the liver in detoxification.
3. Lemons, Oranges, and Limes
Citrus fruit aids the body by flushing out toxins and jump-starting the digestive tract with enzymatic processes.[4]
Lemon juice supports the liver and kidneys in their cleansing processes.[5]
To increase detoxification, start each morning with a warm glass of lemon water.
4. Garlic
Garlic is one of the best detoxing foods out there. It stimulates the liver into producing detoxification enzymes that filter toxic residues from the digestive system.[6] I recommend adding sliced or cooked garlic to a suitable dish, as it will help any detox diet.
5. Broccoli Sprouts
Extremely high in antioxidants, the ability for broccoli sprouts to stimulate detoxification enzymes at the cellular level is unparalleled.[7]
The sprouts are even better than the fully-grown vegetable.
6. Green Tea
Packed with antioxidants, green tea washes toxins from the system via its liquid content.
It also contains a special type of antioxidant called catechins, which are known to increase liver function.[8]
7. Mung Beans
The mighty mung bean has been used by Ayurvedic doctors for thousands of years. It is incredibly easy to digest and absorbs toxic residue from the intestinal walls.[9]
8. Raw Vegetables
Whether juiced or eaten raw, onions, carrots, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, garlic, beet, turmeric, and oregano provide a great foundation for a healthy diet.
The combination of these foods will help your liver purge toxins during the cleansing process.
They are also high in naturally occurring sulfur and glutathione—sulfur helps the liver detoxify harmful chemicals.[9, 10,11]
9. Seeds and Nuts
Incorporate more easily digestible seeds and nuts into your diet. Flax seed, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, Siberian cedar nuts, and sunflower seeds are all excellent options.
While detoxing, avoid nut butter with added sugar.
10. Omega-3 Oils
Use hemp, avocado, olive, or flaxseed oil while detoxing to help lubricate the intestinal walls. This allows toxins to be absorbed by the oil and eliminated by the body.[8
There is no way to completely avoid toxins. There are simply too many sources, as previously mentioned, such as contaminants in food and water, junk food, stress, smog, secondhand smoke, vehicle emissions, airborne fungal spores, pesticides, and pollution.
Maintaining a diet high in detox foods is one of the best ways to maintain overall health.
What are your favorite detox foods? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Remember, even if Covid-19 vanishes, you will be ready if something else pops up out of nowhere.
Be proactive about your own health.
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