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Reduce your body's burden with
organic foods and supportive supplements
by Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD. CNS
A group of high-profile Americans‹including journalist
Bill Moyers and environmentalist Alexandra Rome‹recently
agreed to participate in a research study that measured
the levels of 210 different toxins, ranging from polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) to dioxins, in the body. Considering
that the manufacture of PCBs has been banned in the
U.S. since 1976, the results were disturbing.
Environmentalist Rome, who is "well educated and knowledgeable
about the dangers of pesticides," discovered that her
body contained measurable levels of 86 toxic chemicals,
including 27 different versions of PCBs and dioxins.
Rome realized that "we are all in this chemical soup
together. Chemicals in our environment don't discriminate."
Even more upsetting was knowing that more than 80,000
chemicals are licensed for commercial use, meaning that
the toxic burden for Americans' bodies may be far higher
than this testing revealed.
Toxins in the Body
Signs of toxic overload range from acne and itchy rashes
to hormonal imbalances (PMS and hot flashes), digestive
problems, and headaches. When so many pesticides, petroleum-based
fertilizers, additives, preservatives, antibiotics,
hormones, and environmental pollutants assault our bodies,
that's bad for our health ‹ and it also makes it much
harder to lose weight and keep it off.
Charged with neutralizing all sorts of substances ‹
from the waste products of everyday metabolism to the
ever-increasing load of toxins from our air, water,
food, cosmetics, and workplace ‹ the liver is the body's
filter. One of the most serious results of an overstressed
or toxic liver is that this organ becomes so bogged
down that it can't fully metabolize fat. If you're not
getting enough fiber (and most Americans, especially
those on low-carb diets, are not), your colon is overworked
and toxins and bile (a crucial substance produced by
the liver) can sit too long in your gut. A toxic liver
and clogged colon will sabotage a healthy eating plan
faster than a double-dip ice-cream cone!
Don't Diet without Detox
Before you begin a diet or a fast for detoxification,
consume plenty of liver-loving and colon-cleansing foods
for at least one week. In addition to fiber-rich fruits
and vegetables, colon-cleansing and liver-healing foods
(see "Ready to Detox?"), drink half your body weight
in ounces of pure, filtered water to carry away waste
products more efficiently and help your liver and digestive
system do their jobs. (For example, if you weigh 128
pounds, aim for 64 ounces of water every day.)
Also avoid excess fat (especially manufactured trans
fat and fried foods), sugar in all its forms, refined
carbohydrates, gluten (found in barley, rye, and wheat
products), soy protein isolates, artificial sweeteners,
caffeine, alcohol, and mold (found on overly ripe melons
and other fruits). These foods either lower enzyme activity
or have been linked with decreased absorption of needed
nutrients during detoxification.
One-Day Detox
After a week's preparation, fast for one day to help
rid your body of toxins you've been storing over the
years and to build up your major detox organs‹the liver
and colon‹so that they continue to filter out and eliminate
these poisons, allowing you to absorb the nutrients
you need. During this day, drink at least 72 ounces
of pure, filtered water, as well as juice, to flush
toxins from your system and keep you feeling refreshed
and full. In addition, you need colon-caring fiber to
help scrub out your system, while binding and eliminating
toxins. While no one is a bigger fan of vitamins, minerals,
and nutritional supplements than I, this is the one
day not to take them. Even the finest nutritional supplements
may make you nauseated on an empty stomach.
For your one-day detox, mix unsweetened cranberry juice
in a lot of filtered water; add some freshly squeezed
lemon juice and freshly squeezed orange juice; season
with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; and add stevia to
taste. Every hour throughout the day, you'll drink a
glass of either filtered water or this juice mixture,
alternating between the two and beginning and ending
with water.
To start your detox: Upon rising, stir a little psyllium
husk powder in a glass of water or the juice mixture,
or take milled or ground flaxseed stirred into the juice
mixture. During detox, concentrate on your breathing,
listen to your favorite relaxation tape, meditate, get
a massage, soak in a warm tub, or write in your journal.
Engage only in light exercise (a gentle stroll or a
few minutes on a rebounder). If you find difficult emotions
emerging as you turn inward, use harmonizing flower
remedies to help you cope.
One of the most powerful aspects of fasting is the
way it helps you rethink your life and clarify your
priorities. "I learned more about myself and how I can
eat to feel better about myself," says one woman after
her one-day fast. "It's a terrific detox, and my body
feels so good."
Fasting also helps jump-start weight loss, helping
you break through dieting plateaus. You'll also overcome
food cravings or addictions and regain your natural
hunger and innate appreciation for whole food. "When
I did start eating again, the food tasted so good,"
one client says.
Choose Organic
Now that you've taken your body to the cleaners, choose
organic foods. All the detox in the world can't keep
up with the load of toxic chemicals you're consuming
in conventionally farmed foods. If you want to lose
weight and keep it off, the only really effective way
to do so is to eat the organic way. Seal in the results
of your one-day fast with the same foods, preferably
organic, that you ate the week before. Then add probiotics
(friendly bacteria) by eating sauerkraut or yogurt with
"active and live cultures."
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, created the best-selling
The Fat Flush Plan and is the author of many
other books, including Hot Times: How to Eat Well,
Live Healthy, and Feel Sexy During the Change and
The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet from which
this article is drawn. Look for her books at the natural
products store that gives you Taste for Life.
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