You Can’t Avoid It – But You Can Purge It

They’re in the air we breathe…the water we drink…and the food we eat.

They are toxins. Sadly, there’s really no way to avoid exposure to these silent, deadly health threats.

Even the Clean Air Act is just an act…

On a clear, sunny day with beautiful puffy white clouds, the mild breeze out of the northeast gently brushing against your skin carries dangerous inhalants from vehicle exhaust (particularly diesel), factories, and plenty of other toxic gases – which can kill if enough is inhaled for extended periods of time.

This silent health threat serves to damage us two-fold:

• For one, we’re breathing in airborne toxins that were never meant to inhale.
• Secondly, they deplete the oxygen in the air that we need to breathe.

Ironically, our bodies use oxygen to get rid of toxins by…you guessed it…oxygenating them.

These airborne poisons bring on restlessness, dizziness, lethargy and nausea. They shred our skin, shed our hair and affect our ability to focus, which is no surprise considering they suck the oxygen out of our blood.

Is staying inside better?

Home Sweet Work

Most of us spend the majority of our time at home, work, school or some other in-door facility.

Whew! So, we’re safe from the deceptive “Fresh Air Scare” outside, right?

You guessed it! Wrong!

Here is what you may find inside…

• Molds
• Mildew (scrubbing it from your shower wall is like freeing a violent prisoner, which becomes airborne and assaults you)
• Lead paint fumes (this admittedly archaic threat has been sponged from most of our dwellings, but it is, unfortunately, still a gross reality in some places)
• Pet dander (eww)
• Smoke

So what?

This possibly means billions of microorganisms are flowing in and out of your body at any given time, in any given place. Many of them stick around because they like you and would like nothing better than to see you die so that they may live and move on to the next sucker. As your body decomposes, they mercilessly head back into the air. Ah…the cruel circle of life!

There’s nothing you can do to stop it, though you may have been fooled into thinking there is.

“Health products” – Keep Your Armpits Dry and Hydrate Your Thirsty Skin

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The toxic chemicals in health and beauty products have been known to contain engine degreasers. So, you have to watch the labels carefully.

What’s that, you say? You use antioxidant scrubs, lotions, even eye and face creams. So you are okay?

Sorry.

Many of the products we use everyday ring the dinner bell for toxin carrying free radicals – and you find them in the darndest places.

See, the FDA doesn’t have the high standards you do regarding you or your family. So, a product can claim antioxidant goodness no matter what other garbage they pack into it. It boils down to whatever the manufacturers can get away with to satisfy the government and turn a big profit in the process.

You really should thank the FDA. If not for them, these companies would produce even more toxic junk because it is cheap to use and they can charge a lot at the market. Why do you think organic products are so much more expensive? Because the ingredients they use are not so easy to cultivate. That’s why.

So, if you use typical, store-bought anti-aging face cream, body/hand lotions, shampoos and conditioners, then you are hosting a classic toxin party. Hors d’oeuvre?

Even deodorant is a culprit. Some of the chemicals in that stuff have been linked to early onset Alzheimer’s.

You already have to worry about sickness and disease from herbicides, pesticides and antibiotic residue, which is just a fancy-shmancy phrase for antibodies found in the meat, eggs and the milk we consume. Antibiotic residue has been called a “global health hazard” and a “threat to direct toxicity in humans.” Why exacerbate the threat by using toxic chemical sweeteners and slathering yourself with a list of chemicals that takes up half the label of your lotion?

Nasty, huh?

Need A Drink?

A nice bottle of cool refreshing Evian® will flush the toxic creepiness away.

Maybe not.

See, the bottled water that’s supposed to be purified, filtered and osmosis-ized sits on shelves for who knows how long. That water can turn bad yet remain sparkling clear. Drinking tap water would be better for you, perish the thought…

Most of the plastic bottles the water comes in are made with BPA (Bisphenol A). If you know all about BPA, then you might want to skip ahead.

This stuff is an endocrine disrupter, which is another fancy term that basically means BPA can mimic your hormones and cause cancerous tumors, deformities, learning disabilities (for developing fetuses), birth defects, abnormal cell growth, abnormal brain development, sexual develop-what? Sounds like a science fiction horror flick. Had enough? Well, just know there’s a few more.

Don’t drink bottled water? Good for you! However, BPA is also used to line cans to protect us from botchullism and rears its ugly head in the many plastic containers we use to store leftovers to transport food from place to place.

Author’s note: never heat food in the microwave without removing it from the plastic container. It stirs that stuff up like gangbusters. It’s like taking a vial of toxic chemicals and mixing it with your lunch. Bad, BAD!

Where Else Is It Found?

“Just one word: plastics.” (2 points if you got the movie reference there!) Here’s a short list of other everyday-products where BPA lives (2.8 million tons of this garbage is produced annually around the globe):

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• Food processor bowls
• Baby bottles – yes, baby bottles
• Plastic food ware
• Dental sealants (resins) and appliances
• Teflon coating – yes, some manufacturers are still carelessly using it
• Small kitchen appliances

Save yourself and your family! Store food and fresh water in glass containers or check for BPA-free plastics.

Now, in just a moment, you’ll discover how to purge this stuff and get healthy pronto!

Just Eat It

Sadly, even our foods can trick us. Pesticides on fruits and veggies, mercury in fishes, toxic chemicals and foreign hormones in our meats plus a laundry list of additives and preservatives are in our meals.

Please don’t say you never eat processed foods. Always check for pesticide-free, organically grown produce and only buy meat from cage-free, grass fed, day-spa treated and pampered animals.

Really?

You know you’re fibbing!

But, the good news is there are certain foods and combinations of foods that provide fast, safe, and best of all natural opportunities to flush these toxins out of your body. When they creep back in, you just flush ‘em out again. This is your chance (and the only real way) to fight back and reclaim your body and your good health.

The Only Way To Remain Poison-Free In A Toxic World

We have seen that toxins are all around us and they love to infest your body, carrying health-threatening free radicals with them.

But, don’t fret just yet!

Here are a few things you can do to immediately begin flushing toxins from your precious body.

Smoke ‘em If You Got ‘em?

NO! If you smoke, then STOP! I know, easier said than done right? Not necessarily. Try a patch or the gum if you crave that dose of nicotine. If you continue to smoke, you are willfully inviting 69 carcinogens and 4800 chemicals into your body, not to mention, pesticides sprayed on the tobacco plants, arsenic, lead and oxygen-destroying carbon monoxide.

 

Author’s note: smoking was the last vice I had before finally cleaning up. Did I use the patch? Nicotine gum? No. Didn’t work for me. I bought a rechargeable E-Cigarette. You inhale harmless water vapor with trace amounts of nicotine and propylene glycol. Not great, but it trumps death by toxins all day long. You can get one for less than 2 packs of cigarettes and one charge lasts for about 300 puffs.

 

No Excessive Alcohol

Alcohol kills brains cells, damages the liver, kidneys, heart and stomach. If you must drink, limit your intake to 1 alcoholic beverage per day. If you need more than that, please get help. Your life is not worth a buzz.

Have A Caffeine-Free Day

Coffee causes jitters, an eventual crash (for which you drink more, right?) and is hard on your nervous system. Studies have shown that an apple with a tall glass of clean, pure drinking water gives the same effect – naturally. In fact, hydration is key here. You’ve been depriving your body of water for (hopefully) about 8 hours while you slept. The best thing for you in the morning is to replenish the fluid you missed while dreaming about firing your boss the next day!

Tea-Total

Drinking unsweetened tea is an excellent way to flush away harmful toxins. Try lemon and ginger, rosehip, green or lemongrass teas for a tasty, antibacterial tonic.

Warm Lemon Water

Squeeze some fresh lemon in a glass of warm water. It may take some getting used to, but lemon water has been proven to purge and wash away dangerous poisons and keep you in tip-top shape. Start your day with it and feel refreshed.

Gingerly

Use fresh garlic and ginger as a spice for lunches and dinners. Both ginger and garlic have proven to be reliable antidotes in the battle to remove toxic impurities from your body.

But wait, there’s more! Here’s a 7-day regimen that will blast toxins out of you just as easily as they came in.

Now, this will take a commitment on your part. You have to want to remove these threats…and here’s why:

Let’s quickly recap…

The free radicals from toxin infestation are selfish little thieves. They attack and steal energy from your healthy cells because they’re too lazy to produce their own. (Typical criminal – too lazy to do their own work!) Eventually, free radicals will cause the death of the cells they attack. At best, you’ll notice signs of premature aging: wrinkles, dry, damaged skin and lethargy. If not properly and thoroughly flushed, you are wide open to life threatening sickness and diseases. Bottom line.

Therefore, it’s important that you protect yourself against these attacks caused by the constant and unavoidable exposure to toxic chemicals, pollutants and toxins in the air and the products we use every day.

So, here’s the best regimen we’ve found to flush the toilet that used to be your clean system.

 

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The Ultimate (and Delicious) Detoxification 7-Day Program*

Day 1: 600 calories

This is a fasting day. Drink loads of water and herbal teas throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch and evening meal are the same: 1 glass of unsweetened fruit or salt-free vegetable juice, plus a carton of natural live yogurt.

Note: Try to start this diet on a non-working, quiet day.

Day 2: 1200 calories

Breakfast: This is the standard breakfast you’ll eat for the rest of the week.

• 1 portion fresh fruit (vary throughout the week between apple, pear, mango, grapes, pineapple, grapefruit)
• 2 slices of wholegrain toast spread with low fat cottage cheese
• A cup of low-fat live yogurt
• A small glass of skim milk
• A cup of herb or weak Indian tea without milk or sugar

Lunch:

• 1 kiwi fruit
• A mixed raw vegetable salad (a bed of iceberg or romaine lettuce, filled with grated carrot, celery and beetroot, with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil)
• 6 oz of any steamed vegetables, sprinkled with a chopped clove of garlic and a drizzle of olive oil
• Herb or weak Indian tea

Dinner:

• 2 oz blueberries
• 4 oz unsweetened muesli mixed with a tablespoon of orange juice and a cup of low fat live yogurt.
• Herb or weak Indian tea

Day 3: 1100 calories

Breakfast: (As on day 2)

Lunch:

• 1 large mango
• 6 oz mixed salad including watercress, fresh mint, spring onions, tomato, red and yellow peppers, chicory, baby spinach and bean sprouts drizzled with a lemon juice and olive oil dressing
• 1 large jacket potato with 2 oz low-fat cheese spread whipped with chopped chives and a clove of garlic
• Vegetable juice (low salt)

Dinner:

• 1 cup of low-fat live yogurt mixed with blackberries, blueberries and 1tsp of honey
• 1 crusty wholegrain roll with a matchbox size piece of soft cheese (brie, camembert, or similar)
• Herb or weak Indian tea

Day 4: 800 calories

This is a very special day where your main food will be rice. Start by preparing the rice for the whole day. You’ll need 9 oz dry brown rice, prepared according to the packet’s instructions. If you prefer, you can cook half the rice in water and the other half in vegetable stock for a more savory flavor. Drink only water today.

Breakfast:

• 3 oz cooked rice with 5 oz stewed apple, flavored with honey, cinnamon and grated lemon rind

Lunch:

• 3 oz cooked rice with 7 oz steamed vegetables, such as celery, leek, carrot, tomato, spinach, broccoli and shredded cabbage

Dinner:

• 3 oz cooked rice mixed with soaked dried apricots, raisins, sultanas with the flesh of a pink grapefruit

Day 5: 1100 calories

Breakfast: (As on day 2)

Lunch:

• 1 apple
• 1 pear
• 6 oz raw vegetable salad (cauliflower and broccoli florets, carrot, onion, grated red cabbage, snap peas) tossed in olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing, sprinkled with a teaspoon of raisins and 3 chopped brazil nuts
• Large jacket potato filled with 3 oz steamed spinach chopped with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, clove of garlic and a generous grating of nutmeg
• Herb or weak Indian tea

Dinner:

• 3 oz cheese spread mixed with 1 cup of low-fat live yogurt, poured over a generous bowl of mixed fruit salad, including kiwi, pineapple, orange, grapes, blueberries, apple
• Cup of herb tea

Day 6: 1300 calories

Breakfast: (As on day 2)

Lunch:

• 1 banana
• 6 oz mixed salad (shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce, tomato, olives, red pepper, carrot, onions, cucumber, a clove of garlic, fennel and watercress) with a dressing of lemon juice, walnut oil and tarragon
• 1 large jacket potato with 3 oz steamed French or runner beans with a teaspoon of sunflower oil sprinkled with finely chopped onions
• Herb or weak Indian tea

Dinner:

• 3 oz muesli mixed with lemon juice, 1tsp honey, grated apple and 1 carton of low-fat live yogurt
• 1 slice wholegrain bread with a matchbox sized piece of brie, camembert or similar soft cheese
• 1 slice wholegrain bread with honey
• Cup of tea

Day 7: 1200 calories

Breakfast: (As on day 2)

Lunch:

• 6 oz mixed salad (watercress, baby spinach, mixed lettuce leaves, parsley, celery, garlic, chives, basil and tomato with a dressing of 1/3 walnut oil, 1/3 olive oil, 1/3 apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, sprinkled with sunflower seeds)
• 3 oz boiled potatoes and trout stuffed with finely chopped parsley, onion, tomato and pine nuts, covered in thinly sliced lemon, baked in foil with a little olive oil
• · (If you’re vegetarian or don’t like fish, stir-fry tofu with shredded carrot, bean sprouts, snap peas and soy sauce or have a grilled veggie burger.)

Dinner:

• 1 pink grapefruit
• 2 poached, free-range eggs on 2 slices of wholegrain toast with a pat of butter
• Herb or weak Indian tea

Top tip:

Whatever the weather, it’s important to exercise during this week. Adding a brisk 20-minute walk three times a week will make all the difference to this plan.

If you don’t have the time or the patience for a commitment this extensive, there is some good news! Here are some foods that seem designed to help you blow the poison and free radicals right out of your body.

1. 

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   Eat fruits. Fruits have a lot of liquid and are perfect for flushing toxins. On top of that, they assist in digestion and are rich in antioxidants and fiber. You cannot go wrong with fruit!
2. Go green. Green vegetables are packed with chlorophyll, which can rid your body of the environmental toxins you’re exposed to each day: smog, exhaust pollutants and herbicides. They also help detox your liver – bonus!
3. Choppin’ broccoli…(2 bonus points if you got the SNL reference!) – Broccoli sprouts (baby broccoli) are the underdogs of detox programs. Why? Because it’s not widely known they actually stimulate the detox enzymes in your digestive tract.  Accept no substitutes; the fully grown guys aren’t nearly as effective.
4. Mung’s the word. Mung beans are super-easy to digest and are famous for one thing: they absorb toxins from your intestinal wall.
5. What’s that? Omega-3s…AGAIN?!? But, not necessarily from fish oil. Use avocado, flaxseed oil, or raw olive oil while detoxing. These will help provide necessary lubrication – ahem – down there and absorb toxins so they scoot on out during elimination.

Clearly, we can’t avoid the silent health threats all around us every day. Environmental toxins, plastic poisoning and harmful food processing will eventually get in — if they haven’t already. But, luckily there are plenty of options to flush the toxic chemicals out, fight back and reclaim our bodies in the name of food health.

So, don’t sit back and let the toxins merge.

Take control of your body and purge!

In today’s fast food culture, you are exposed to a variety of toxins and chemicals in the nutritionally unbalanced foods we eat. How do you detox from pollutants and toxic chemicals?

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Jeff Saunders is a writer and food fanatic who’s been cooking since he could identify a spatula as more than a blunt instrument of destruction. He majored in English Literature at Florida Atlantic University, and has been in marketing and advertising for 6 years. He continues to write ad copy for various clients in the U.S. and Canada but is currently working on his novel tentatively titled: The Following Pages Left Blank Intentionally. He feels that it would mean more to the reader if they wrote it themselves. Jeff’s currently nuzzled in a suburb of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with his family…and in laws.

 

*Courtesy http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/diet/139946/7-Day-Detox-Plan