There are many reasons why detoxing is so important in this day and age. There is the problem of our chemical environment due to pollutants in our air and water supply plus the majority of our food is grown with pesticides in an effort to reduce insect and bacterial infestation in order to produce a higher yield. One only needs to go down any grocery aisle and read labels to realize just how many dyes and preservatives we eat on a daily basis.
If you take a step back in time (even only 30 to 40 years) you would realize how different we ate back then. If you didn’t grow your own organic food you would probably have gone to your butcher on a daily basis and purchased fresh hormone free meat and then would have gone to the market to purchase fresh organic produce. The word organic was probably not something you would have associated with food back then.
The very air we breath constantly is somewhat polluted. We drink high fructose drinks, lots of canned goods and an incredible amount of sodium. I’m not saying never to eat this way because we all like to indulge now and again but if you eat a normal American diet high in salt, sugar and preservatives and canned goods, then you may be doing a disservice to your self because you may feel full but be severely lacking in nutrients.
There are various things you can do to undo toxicity. Liver and kidney cleanses are great but if you are not inclined to do these then there are other solutions such as taking a hot bath for a half hour or sweat out toxins in a sauna. If you do, then make sure you have eaten well and drink as many as 8 glasses of water so your blood sugar does not drop and that you stay well hydrated. Not only do you lose toxins this way but you also lose water, salt and potassium that can make you feel light headed.
There are some great herbal teas that you can drink on a regular basis that also gently cleanse the body, hydrates you, has antioxidant properties and help flush out toxins. It is a warm and refreshing way to relax and do the body good.
Juicing fruits and vegetables is a fantastic way of getting more nutrients in the body because you are maintaining the integrity of the nutrients. If you are putting vegetables in a pot to boil, then you will have nutrient loss. This is called bleaching and all the goodness goes into the water. If you over cook food and then throw out the water, then your nutrients just went down the drain and you are ingesting the remaining bleached husk. Raw or juiced is the way to go!
Because we have nutrient deficient soil it is advisable to take supplements that bolster your immune system such as Q-10, Vitamins A, D, E, C and B vitamins. Trace minerals and electrolytes are necessary to keep our systems in shape. Avoid sport drinks that are high in sugar but instead get good quality electrolytes from a health food store. If nothing else, then at least get a good multi vitamin to take every day.
Some herbs that are great for detoxifying and building the immune system are garlic, ginger, alfalfa and chlorella. Garlic especially is a useful herb not only for detoxing but it helps to lower blood pressure, aids in circulation, protects against inflammation and assists in almost all major organs like the heart, lungs, kidneys etc. It is one of nature’s perfect foods. Chlorella is an edible green algae that also has just about everything you need such as protein, vitamins E, C and all the B vitamins, especially B12, beta carotene and trace minerals. It is an excellent blood cleanser and whole food. It doesn’t get much better than that! Most health food stores will carry all of these herbs.
It’s nearly impossible to be completely free of all pollutants in our environment but anything you can do to relieve your body of toxic build up and undernourishment should be beneficial to your health.
I hope this helps!
"Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor."
