10/21/2012
The Healing Power of Detox: 10 Toxic Foods & 10 Healing Foods
By Liliya Danilyan
Springtime is the time to come out of the cold winter and into more sunshine and new life! This is when the first buds start coming out, and we as humans can come out and play! It is the time of the Spring Equinox and new beginnings. It is the time for awakenings and, in my opinion, the birth of a new year. It is “mating season” and the season to make changes in our lives. This is the time for “Spring Cleaning” and I say why not start with your precious BODY!
This is the perfect season to DETOXIFY our bodies, to get rid of the old to make space for the new. Why detox? Detoxification is the process by which our bodies rid of chemical toxins that have collected. Thanks to our amazing bodies, we already have natural ways of eliminating from our system, but many times even our elimination system gets clogged and we get constipated. NOT FUN! In order to keep our elimination system healthy and working properly we have to look at what we are putting into our system that is causing the issues. Our food is both the problem and solution.
Check out some of the AMAZING benefits of detoxing our bodies:
Gain more energy
Improve immune function
Strengthen our body’s fight against cancer cells and generate healthy cells
Improve our digestion and bowel movements
Learn how to take care of ourselves and your bodies
Open our pallet and improve our taste buds
Gain a deeper connection with our body
Get clearer skin, healthier hair, and stronger nails
Purify our blood
Increase mental clarity and clear that “fuzzy” feeling
Get that healthy “glow”
Improve function of all body organs
Reduce rashes and inflammation in our bodies
Support Your Body
Humans digest 3-5 times a day on average, usually every day for 365 days a year, for however many years we have lived -- that’s a lot of digesting and food going through us. Just like any other pipe or drainage system, after several years it needs to be unclogged and cleaned out. I hate to compare our bodies to a drainpipe, because it is so much more than that, but you get the gist. On top of it, we are on the top of the food chain and are more likely to be exposed to toxic food substances, if not all of them!
It is said that the average person has over 300 chemicals in their body, and I believe it since the United States allows for 82,000 kinds of chemicals to be made and used in our everyday products (compared to Europe at 7,000). That’s a huge difference, and one that is reflected in the health of Americans. Americans are dying at extreme rates from chronic diseases that can be prevented if they just changed their diet and lifestyle. It's time to take control of our health and bodies and start making the right changes to ensure we live a long, healthy, and abundant life!
I looked up the purpose of detoxing a while ago and was taken aback at the profound benefits it has on our bodies. The free medical dictionary states that...detoxification is helpful for people suffering from many chronic diseases and conditions including allergies, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, chronic fatigue, chronic infections, depression, diabetes, migraines and headaches, heart disease, high cholesterol, low blood pressure, low sugar levels, digestive disorders, mental illness, and obesity.
WOW! Pretty powerful stuff.
It's time to make healthier choices and live the life we all deserve, one filled with happiness, health, and abundance. So this Spring take action and DETOX your body and see how wonderful you will feel. Here is a list of foods to eliminate and a list of foods to add to our life to help support our bodies.
Top 10 Toxic Foods
Alcohol (Detox is best to begin after St. Patrick’s Day for this reason)
Caffeine
White Bread
Sugar, especially processed (like high fructose corn syrup)
Dairy Products (and yes this does unfortunately include cheese and ice cream)
Fast Food
Junk Food, or what I like to call “wanna-be food”
Corn
Soy
White Rice
Top 10 Detoxing Foods
Kale
Garlic
Onion
Blueberries
Strawberries
Collard Greens
Watercress
Broccoli
Carrots
Cabbage
Mix and match these awesome superfoods and throw in a juicer or blender to create your own super-juice or super-smoothies!
