Detoxification - the Why, When and How:

If you have had a chance to watch the trailer from a soon to be launched web exclusive movie titled “FoodMatters TV”, you will most probably be struck and shocked by what one wellness expert had to say. I know I was. Basically, he said that all the terrorists needed to do was to open up more and more fast food restaurants and then sit back and watch America eat itself to death. A rather flippant if not snide remark I thought, but as I pondered this I came to realize that what he was saying was based on the principle of, you are or you become, what you eat.

Daily we ingest toxins in the form of pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified and refined food, synthetic food additives, and pollutants as well as produce body waste products as a result of normal metabolic function. Purification becomes necessary when our toxic load reaches maximum levels and our body becomes overburdened and can no longer function optimally. The side effects of toxic overload are mental fog, constant fatigue, digestive problems including gas and bloating, food cravings and weight gain, and reduced libido.
Affirmative answers to questions like; do you eat or have you eaten processed foods, do you use artificial sweeteners, do you eat fast foods, or eat out regularly, do you drink soda, etc., can glean insight into your toxic load stemming from your diet. Further, external toxins in the form of household cleaners, .and pollutants, may add to your load.

Purification is the key to ridding yourself of these toxins and should be based on stimulating the organs of detoxification; the liver, kidneys, small and large intestine. Further it should be a program that helps to both nourish and maintain a healthy body and weight.
Specifically a program should include dietary modification and the use of adjunctive nutritional supplements that act as building blocks to help fulfill this task. These supplements should include those that deliver powerful antioxidant support, provide amino acids, essential fatty acids minerals and vitamins to encourage healthy organ function. They should provide dietary fiber to increase and enhance regular bowel habits and elimination, and promote a healthy gut. And they should also help combat free radical damage

Dietary modification emphasizes eating of whole “live” foods, particularly raw fruits and vegetables and eliminating high calorie refined foods and saturated fats. Unlimited quantities of green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and Swiss chard can be eaten. Asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, mushrooms, peppers, and celery, are ideas of further vegetable alternatives. Fresh or frozen fruit in the form of apples, blueberries, kiwis, pears, strawberries, and rhubarb are ideas. However, it is important that twice as many vegetables as fruit are consumed. Your body also needs to be hydrated and so the consumption of adequate water is essential. Protein sources are typically introduced mid way through the program and can include cold water wild fish, and lean meats, typically chicken, that is simply prepared.

Although challenging, a purification program that produces any significant results typically lasts for 21 days. However, one should only see this as the beginning of the process of lifelong transformation.

Before starting any diet or exercise program please consult with your health care professional.

Purify your Body, Transform your Life. The Power of Detoxification.

With Spring finally here I decided that it was time to brace myself and clean out the cupboards in my garage. It was amazing all the junk I found: a set of old keys, numerous empty paint cans, a couple of burnt out light bulbs, old newspapers, and a rusted padlock. After sorting through all this junk and throwing it away it was so freeing to have dealt with it, I was almost euphoric.

Our bodies also have a junk drawer. We accumulate this “junk” from the foods we eat, the liquids we drink, and the air we breathe. Pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, chemicals, food additives, preservatives and pollution all add to this junk. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the average American consumes four pounds of pesticides annually and more than 3000 chemical additives are found in the foods that we eat. We are chronically exposed to harmful substances and it is no longer a case of if we are toxic, but rather how toxic we are

Daily our bodies produce ammonia, carbon dioxide and free radicals as the wastes of cellular metabolism. It’s the job of your liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, lungs, intestines, blood and skin to filter out these toxins. However, when overloaded, your body becomes inefficient and clogged, and instead collects and harbors these toxins.
The result of this is compromise of your well-being. Typical symptoms of toxic overload are: weight gain, fatigue, poor digestion with bloating, irritable sleep, food cravings, mental fog, and moodiness to name just a few.

Purification of your system is the key to unlocking the internal cleansing and detoxification of your body. It’s like an internal “spring” cleaning. Unlike fad diets which typically ignore the way our body works, and where the tendency is to pack on the pounds afterwards, a purification program is geared to purify, nourish and maintain a healthy body and weight. It focuses on stimulating specific organs of detoxification – the liver, kidneys, small and large intestine. When these organs are no longer under toxic overload your body is able to focus its energy on proper function. Weight loss is an added advantage of liver detoxification as fat metabolism and toxic filtration is increased. Toxins are stored in the fat and as we eliminate these, fat is mobilized and shunted out of the body.

Purification and detoxification challenges you to make healthier food choices for yourself. It teaches you to eliminate fast foods, processed convenience foods, sugar laden drinks and snacks from your diet and instead replace these with whole, unprocessed preservative free foods, and whole food supplements. There is no caloric limit to the amount of food that you can eat; just that it has to be nutrient dense and support detoxification .Ultimately it creates a different mindset and lifestyle in the participant where you will start to enjoy “live” foods, instead of “dead” nutrient poor processed foods.

If you are looking to free yourself from your junk drawer and want to enjoy increased energy, kick start your weight loss program, get rid of all those nagging aches and pains, or generally have a goal to feel better, then a purification and detoxification program is for you.

As always before starting any diet or exercise program please consult with your health care professional.