Chapter 9: Detox Your Body And Build Your Immune System With Diet, Herbs, And Supplements
A Natural Process Your Body Goes Through
Detoxing is a natural process your body goes through that gets rid of debris known as toxins. Under normal conditions our bodies are designed to eliminate these toxins through the liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, skin etc.
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 there is the fact that 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.
Take A Step Back In Time
If you were to take a step back in time (even only 30 to 40 years), you would realize how differently 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 you 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. You would have associated the word with probably a class in biology.
Today We Are Severely Lacking In Nutrients
The very air we breathe constantly is somewhat polluted. We drink high fructose drinks, we eat lots of canned goods, and we consume 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 yourself. You may feel full, but be severely lacking in nutrients.
There Are Various Things You Can Do To Undo Toxicity
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.
Hot Baths Or Sauna
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 sweating out toxins in a sauna.
Cleanses
If you do feel led to do these cleanses, then make sure you have eaten well and have drunk as many as 8 glasses of water, so your blood sugar does not drop and that you stay well hydrated during the process. Not only do you lose toxins this way, but you also lose water, salt, and potassium – which can make you feel light headed.
Herbal Teas
There are some great herbal teas that you can drink on a regular basis that also gently cleanse the body, hydrate you, have 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
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!
It Is Advisable To Take Supplements That Bolster Your Immune System
Because we have nutrient deficient soil it is advisable to take supplements that bolster your immune system such as Q-10, and 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 multivitamin to take every day.