Body Detoxify

You can use clay powder internally to remove toxins by simply mixing it with juice or water. Make sure the water is either spring water or distilled if possible. Some people like to mix the powder with water, roll it into small balls, and let them dry in the sunlight. These “pills” can be flavored or left natural, and then sucked on throughout the day, like candy. This technique works particularly well for treating problems like inflammation of the gum tissue.

Either way provides the same body detoxifying benefits. In situations where I’ve been uncertain of water quality, I’ve mixed clay with the water and then waited until the clay settled to the bottom of the glass before consuming the water. Clay is very effective at removing a long list of contaminants—along with destroying most pathogens.

When you mix clay for either oral or topical use, never let it come into contact with metal. To avoid any possible reaction with metal, always use wood utensils and glass, clay, or ceramic containers.

One of the benefits of consuming clay orally, in addition to its detoxifying effects, is the wide range of trace minerals you receive. If you look at an analysis of many “consumable” clays, the number of trace minerals present is astounding. Practically every mineral you can imagine will be there—including micro-trace amounts of some known to be toxic, such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium. This has led many people to condemn the consumption of clay.

What is often overlooked, however, is the fact that various other competing minerals in these clays are present in much larger quantities. For example, zinc and copper compete with cadmium, and when present in sufficient amounts, block its absorption. This is true of other toxins as well. Clays with the right mineral content have been consumed safely for thousands of years. The key is to limit any clay consumption to ones that are known to be safe. I don’t recommend digging up your own clay for consumption unless you have it tested.

Since clay has such strong absorptive and adsorptive properties, it is best not to take it with your vitamins or at the same time you take prescription medications. Although I haven’t seen any research specifically in this area, I imagine clay has a tendency to bind to and prevent the action of most synthetic chemicals—including drugs. As such, if you’re ingesting clay I would suggest taking it on an empty stomach and then waiting at least four hours before taking any necessary medication.

Without supervision, ingesting clay isn’t recommended for someone with an intolerance for iron or for someone with high blood pressure.

There are a few things you might experience after taking clay orally. It’s not uncommon to experience easier, more frequent bowel movements. In the beginning, stools may have a stronger odor depending on the amount of contaminants. Just remember to drink plenty of water because clay has a tendency to absorb water.

Clay also has a tendency to “scrub” and cleanse the bowel walls. This results in improved digestion and absorption, which in turn translates into increased energy. Some people even report experiencing fewer overall aches and pains, improved skin conditions, and many other benefits associated with detoxification.

For more information on how to detoxify the body and remove toxins, visit www.drdavidwilliams.com.

Clay possesses two properties that make it particularly effective at detoxification. Most people don’t realize that detoxification involves two processes: First, you have to mobilize the toxins, and second, you have to remove toxins from the body.

Chelating agents are generally thought of as complete detoxifiers. In reality, they tend to penetrate the body and bind to and mobilize toxins and heavy metals, but don’t necessarily remove toxins from the body.

On the other hand, sulfur and sulfur-containing compounds, found in glutathione (from supplements like N-acetyl cysteine and cruciferous vegetables), and alpha lipoic acid, aren’t true chelating agents, but they work to remove toxins and heavy metals from the body. The best results are obtained using a combination of both.

Clay therapy is one of the few therapies I’m aware of that has complete detoxifying abilities. It can be taken internally or applied externally. Both have their benefits.

For more information on how to detoxify the body and remove toxins, visit www.drdavidwilliams.com.

Algin—a non-digestible fiber from brown seaweeds like kelp—is a secret weapon in fighting body toxins, especially mercury.

When algin absorbs water, it expands into a gel, providing a bulk laxative effect. It also binds to various toxins like mercury, cadmium, and even radioactive materials.

Heavy metals like mercury have a half-life of 15 to 20 years in the human body, meaning it takes that long for just half the mercury to be eliminated without any help. This helps explain why symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, nerve pain, et cetera, are often the first symptoms of chronic toxicity.

Fortunately, you can fight back with algin. It is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Nature’s Sunshine makes an algin product that can be found in health food stores and or online. I recommend taking two capsules with each meal for 10 days to help detoxify the body naturally.

For more information on body toxins, how to detoxify the body, and eliminating body toxins, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

One particular supplement that has been shown to remove mercury from your body is alpha lipoic acid. This substance isn’t routinely used medically (it’s not FDA-approved as a chelating agent) but, instead, physicians resort to the prescription compounds DMPS and DMSA—both of which carry their own set of risks.

Alpha lipoic acid has the unique ability to remove mercury from inside cells and the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Although it may not be as strong or work as quickly as the above prescription items, there are benefits from working at a slower pace.

Once mercury is removed from tissues or brain cells, it enters the bloodstream and is carried to the liver where it’s mixed with bile and dumped into the intestinal tract.

Ideally, from there it should travel out of the body in the feces. However, if the natural systems are overwhelmed, some of the mercury simply gets reabsorbed and redistributed throughout the body. For this reason, it’s imperative that, if you use alpha lipoic acid to remove mercury from your body, you maintain constant levels of the supplement in your body for periods long enough that the mercury has time to be “escorted” out of your body and not reabsorbed. That’s why detoxing with alpha lipoic acid requires that doses be taken faithfully every three hours.

Alpha lipoic acid “dumps” smaller quantities of mercury into the system, making it easier to compensate for this extra toxic release. The reabsorption of mercury can be further minimized or avoided through a higher intake of sulfur-rich foods (see blog from July 26, 2010). In addition to high-sulfur foods, other known intestinal chelators include:

• blue-green algae spirulina and chlorella
• aloe gel
• algin
• various calcium bentonite clays

I’ve seen a short mercury detox program using alpha lipoic acid work wonders for many people. The program consists of taking 1/8 to ½ mg of alpha lipoic acid per every pound of body weight, every three hours for three days and two nights. (The time can be stretched to every four hours during the night to avoid interrupting sleep as much and then returning to every three hours during daytime.) This would translate to 20 to 80 mg of alpha lipoic acid every three hours for a person who weighs 160 pounds. If you want to repeat the program, you can wait for 11 days following the initial three days and two nights before starting again.

Everyone reacts differently, so dosages often have to be adjusted depending on how you feel. It’s generally better to use the lower dosages to begin with and work with a doctor familiar with this program.

To make things easier, the alpha lipoic acid can be mixed with juice or water. For example, if you were taking 25 mg doses, you could mix a 100 mg capsule in water and then drink a quarter of the liquid at a time.

For more information on body toxins, how to detoxify the body, and eliminating body toxins, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

It’s imperative that you do all you can to reduce your direct exposure to mercury. Just as important, you’ll want to implement a diet and supplement plan that will continuously help remove mercury from your body.

Nature provides various substances that help remove mercury and other heavy metals. Mercury has a strong affinity for sulfur. As such, there’s a long list of vegetables and fruits with high sulfur contents that can help remove mercury from the body. These foods do have their limitations, however. With continued exposure, your body’s natural defenses can easily be overwhelmed.

For most of us, mercury will enter our body either through our intestinal tract (water, food, or amalgam tooth fillings) or through our respiratory tract (vapor from pollution or a broken fluorescent bulb). With our food and water supplies so widely contaminated, it will be difficult to avoid mercury completely. This is where a diet high in sulfur-rich vegetables, fruits, and other foods can help. These foods can bind with the mercury while it’s still transiting the intestinal tract and carry it out of your body.

Sulfur-rich foods include:

• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, chard, and watercress
• Other vegetables: asparagus, avocado, parsley, red peppers, and tomatoes
• Root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, turnips, garlic, and onions (but not potatoes)
• Fruits like blueberries, cherries, and grapes
• Nearly all grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds
• Animal products: cheese, egg yolks, meat

Unfortunately, I don’t think these foods receive the attention or research they deserve—and probably never will. Most have strong antioxidant capability and are rich in various bioflavonoids. We now know they also have the added benefit of being able to lock on to mercury and prevent its absorption into the body.

Based on the widespread contamination levels we’re seeing today, I would highly recommend adding several of these items to your diet every day.

For more information on body toxins, how to detoxify the body, and eliminating body toxins, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

Mercury contamination is so severe in our waterways nowadays that many are thought to be contaminated forever. Sadly, most of the unwitting public will also be contaminated permanently. It’s not an exaggeration to say that every individual in this country probably has detectable levels of mercury in their system.

There are ways to check mercury levels in your body, but none are foolproof—and there’s a considerable amount of controversy over which methods work the best. The most well-known test for mercury toxicity is hair analysis.

Many doctors are of the opinion that hair analysis isn’t reliable, but that’s not the case. It can be a great tool if you know how to use it. Individuals who are mercury toxic will, in most cases, have normal readings for mercury not only in hair tests but also in blood and urine tests. To determine if mercury toxicity exists, one has to look for the biochemical aberrations that mercury causes—not just for the mercury itself.

This is far too complicated to explain here, but there’s one book all doctors should have in their offices that explains in detail how to interpret these tests. The best reference guide available is the book Hair Test Interpretation: Finding Hidden Toxicities by Andrew Cutler. Cutler also recommends specific lab tests like the “Hair Elements” test from Doctor’s Data in Chicago or Direct Lab Services.

For more information on how to detoxify the body, eliminating body toxins, or liver detoxification, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

When a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home, enough mercury vapor is released that the place should be considered a hazardous waste site to be decontaminated by experts. Obviously, that never happens. In fact, most people aren’t even aware that breathing the released vapors or coming into contact with the broken bulb are dangerous. The EPA is.

Not only did the EPA provide a special exemption to even sell mercury-containing fluorescent lamps to the public, they also have very specific guidelines for cleaning up a broken bulb. Until I researched the subject, I had no idea of just how dangerous a broken bulb could be. I doubt many people do.

According to the EPA, there are very specific guidelines you should follow to clean up a broken fluorescent light bulb:

• Open a window if there is one, and leave the room for at least 15 minutes (and restrict access to others).
• Remove all you can without using a vacuum:
  
  • Wearing disposable rubber gloves, scoop up everything you can, including the powder, using stiff paper or cardboard.
  • Use sticky tape such as duct tape to pick up the remaining small pieces and powder.
  • Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe.
  • Place all cleanup materials into a plastic bag and seal it. If your area allows it, dispose of the bag in an outdoor trash receptacle. (They don’t give any suggestions for final disposal if your local government doesn’t allow you to put CFLs in the trash.)
• Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, then remove the collector bag or wipe out the canister. Put the debris in a plastic bag, seal it, then put it in a second bag. Dispose as above.

Given the EPA’s inconsistent track record, at this point it’s hard to tell whether they’re being alarmist or conservative. Regardless, a broken bulb is something you need to take seriously.

For more information on how to detoxify the body, eliminating body toxins, or liver detoxification, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

The state of California, as well as the country of Australia, are considering banning the use of incandescent lighting and encouraging people to start using fluorescent lighting. While this move, no doubt, would save an enormous amount of energy and could substantially reduce toxic emissions, there is one concern involving fluorescent lighting that seems to have been overlooked—the issue of mercury.

Fluorescent lights are filled with argon gas and mercury vapor. It’s the photons given off when the mercury vapor is energized that produces the light. The average fluorescent light contains 20 mg of mercury. (Some of the newer CFLs contain only about 4 mg of mercury, an amount that would just cover the tip of a ball-point pen.) This may not sound like much mercury, but consider the fact that it takes only a single gram to contaminate a 2-acre pond of water. Currently, about 800 million fluorescent lamps are being produced yearly to replace those that burn out. That’s enough mercury to contaminate nearly 20 million acres of water.

And mercury contamination isn’t something new; it’s just the awareness that’s recent. I can remember that, as a child, my brother and I played with the mercury (often referred to as “quicksilver”) from broken thermometers. Those old thermometers contained 500 mg of mercury! I have no idea where that mercury eventually ended up.

The dangers of mercury contamination are well-known and documented. Mercury is the second most toxic naturally occurring substance on earth. (Plutonium is said to be the most toxic.) Mercury is recognized as one of the most hazardous substances in our food and water, and has been linked to everything from mental impairment in our children to heart disease in adults, and is a possible contributor to the growing epidemic of Alzheimer’s. (Neuroreport 1;12(4):733–737)

While a few states (California, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan) have passed laws making it illegal to throw fluorescent bulbs in the trash, I’m not convinced that it can be enforced. I doubt that most people in these states even know about the law.

There are also companies that specialize in recycling these bulbs, for a charge of anywhere from $2 to $4 per bulb. Through recycling, over 99 percent of the mercury can be reclaimed and kept out of the environment.

All of these recycling efforts are highly commendable, but I still think we’re going to see a very significant increase in mercury pollution for several years to come. And along with that we’re going to see increases in childhood mental deficiencies and cases of Alzheimer’s and other “unexplained” neurological diseases.

Don’t get me wrong—I think widespread use of fluorescent bulbs has a place in solving many of our current problems. Full-spectrum bulbs are a good choice, and even better are LED bulbs—which don’t contain toxic material, but haven’t become inexpensive enough yet for widespread use. I have no problem with the use of fluorescent bulbs. I do, however, have a problem with their potential for contamination.

For more information on how to detoxify the body, eliminating body toxins, or liver detoxification, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

If you are overrun with body toxins, one of the first places it will show up in your skin. In addition to following my previous recommendations, you can support the liver nutritionally by taking supplements that help your body detoxify waste material.

To help your liver and body detoxify, I generally recommend using milk thistle, which both protects and helps increase liver function. The active ingredient in milk thistle is a bioflavonoid complex called silymarin. Studies have shown that silymarin can prevent damage to liver cells. It also has the unique ability to stimulate regeneration of damaged liver cells.

The best products for this purpose are concentrated extracts standardized to 70 to 80 percent silymarin content. I recommend that you take 500 mg a day.

For more information on how to detoxify the body, eliminating body toxins, or liver detoxification, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Williams’ FREE eLetter or monthly newsletter.

When it comes to skin problems, most people don’t think of detoxification, but they should. In fact, one of the best ways to clear up a variety of skin conditions involves easing the load on your liver in every way possible.

To help you do a liver cleanse naturally, follow these three easy steps.

Liver Detoxification: Step 1
You must make sure your bowels are moving regularly, at least once daily. Food wastes that remain in the body over 24 hours become toxic. Your intestines continue to absorb this waste and it places an enormous burden on the liver to detoxify it.

Liver Detoxification: Step 2
You must drink at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day. This helps both the bowels and the kidneys and lightens the load on the liver. If you drink other liquids, make sure they are sugar-free, but don’t count them as part of the eight glasses of water.

Liver Detoxification: Step 3
Foods high in sugar (natural or otherwise) and high starch foods must be eliminated initially. Some products where sugar has been added are obvious, like soft drinks, candy, ice cream, cakes, pies, etc. The list below contains foods which have a high natural sugar content or an abundance of starch that can be quickly converted to sugars by the body. Eliminate or at least reduce these foods until the psoriasis patches have disappeared.

• Potatoes
• Rice
• Grapes
• Raisins
• Plums
• Figs
• Dates
• Bananas
• Spaghetti
• Macaroni
• Noodles
• Pizza
• Jams
• Jellies
• Corn
• Beans
• Rice
• Peas
• Artichokes
• Breakfast cereal

After reading this list, you may be wondering just what you can eat. Remember, the foods may later be reintroduced into the diet, but in the beginning you will get faster and better results if you stick rigidly to the program. You can eat any vegetable not listed above. You can have any meat except pork. Eggs and dairy products are allowed. But only a few kinds of fruit are allowed such as: strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon, peaches and all citrus fruit, which may be eaten if fresh or packed in water. Coffee and tea should be limited to a couple of times a day.

For more information on how to detoxify the body, eliminating body toxins, or liver detoxification, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Williams’ FREE eLetter or monthly newsletter.

The skin is the largest organ of your body. For the average adult, the surface area is about 3,000 sq. inches (or over 20 sq. ft.). It ranges from one-tenth to one-one hundredth of an inch in thickness. And, one square centimeter, you have an average of 1,000 oil glands (called sebaceous glands) and hundreds of sweat glands.

Your skin is an extremely complex organ. Besides protecting the underlying tissues from dehydration and bacteria invasion, it performs many other vital functions. It also helps control body temperature, store chemicals, synthesize several compounds such as vitamin D, receive environmental messages, and act as an elimination organ. This last function is of particular importance in dealing with skin diseases.

Waste products and body toxins that are filtered and broken down by your liver and kidneys are removed from the body by several organs. These include the bowels, the urinary tract organs, the lungs, and the skin. You use water to carry these waste products away and detoxify the body. By tracing this water loss, you can tell just how important the skin is in this cleansing process. The average water intake is about 10½ glasses a day. This includes the eight glasses of water you should be drinking and about 2½ glasses from food.

Although the skin’s primary purpose is generally said to be that of temperature regulation, the sweat it uses to cool the body is made up largely of waste material. In fact, the chemical composition of sweat is remarkably similar to urine. Sweat is a mixture of water, various salts, urea, uric acid, amino acids, ammonia, sugar, lactic acid and ascorbic acid.

As you can see, the skin is not just something to cover your organs. It is a complex organ itself, and its overall health depends on how well your body detoxifies and eliminates waste.

For more information on how to detoxify the body, eliminating body toxins, or liver detoxification, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Williams’ FREE eLetter or monthly newsletter.

If you are looking to detoxify the body naturally (especially if you are doing a colon cleanse), you’ll want to include items that will help heal any damage to the mucosal lining of the bowels. One of the most time-tested products is slippery elm powder—a favorite topical remedy of Native Americans for wounds, burns, and boils. It was also used internally for ulcers and to soothe an irritated intestinal system.

Slippery elm is very safe, and can be purchased in bulk or in capsules (I prefer the bulk product). A slippery elm drink can be made by adding a heaping teaspoon of the powder to a little cold water to make a paste, and then pouring on a cup of boiling water while constantly stirring the mixture. Let it cool and then drink it, three times a day. For a slight variation you can use boiling milk instead of water and flavor the mixture with cinnamon or nutmeg. If you take slippery elm capsules, I suggest 800–1,000 mg three or four times daily.

An alternative to slippery elm is a product called Sialex from Ecological Formulas. It contains an extract of mucin (the main component of mucus) that re-establishes the protective mucus layer in the bowel and provides a lubricating action. You shouldn’t need Sialex if you use slippery elm, but I wanted you to know about it because it is helpful in healing the most stubborn cases, particularly ulcerations in the stomach and small intestine. The recommended dosage is 1 to 3 capsules with meals.

In addition to the slippery elm, now would be a good time to begin drinking green tea. I’ve expounded on the many benefits of green tea for years. However, most people still don’t realize that green tea can have a very positive effect on bowel regularity and bowel flora. Not only does it have antimicrobial properties and inhibit the growth of many pathogenic bacteria, it encourages growth of the beneficial lactobacilli bacteria at the same time.

When you are looking to detoxify the body, you must start with the basics—your diet. To kick off a truly effective cleansing detoxification program, you should try what I call the “weed and feed” program.

The idea is to first cleanse the bowels of any harmful or large numbers of undesirable bacteria, fungi, yeast, and parasites; heal any damage that has taken place; and then re-establish a healthy population of beneficial bacteria.

Overall it’s roughly a two-week program that begins with a 24-hour fast, where ideally nothing would be consumed except purified water. (Chlorinated water is not recommended, because it is not particular about which bacteria it kills—even the beneficial types in the bowel.) If one can’t fast on water alone for 24 hours, a homemade vegetable broth or the low-sodium version of V8 juice can be included, but under no circumstances should you add any fruit, juices, or other foods or drinks.

After the first 24 hours, steamed vegetables and light salads can be gradually added to the diet. (Yeast products, sugar, and starchy foods such as potatoes and rice are not allowed.)

Days 2 and 3 begin the “weeding” of your colon as “broad spectrum” natural antimicrobials are added to the regimen. The standard antimicrobial is garlic, preferably fresh—which has been proven effective against eliminating an extremely wide variety of harmful bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses while at the same time sparing the beneficial forms of bacteria. You can achieve these effects by simply consuming two crushed garlic cloves twice daily with your meals.

Beginning on Day 4, and through the remaining two weeks, you need to heal any damage to the bowel and re-establish the growth and dominance of the beneficial bacteria. In addition to adding specific supplements (such as a good probiotic), you can now gradually begin to introduce more and more fresh foods into your diet.

During this period it is important not to consume sugar, alcohol, caffeine, wheat products, or high starch foods such as bread, potatoes, and rice. Steamed or stir-fried vegetables are highly recommended—particularly high-sulfur foods such as cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cress, kale, mustard, radish, and turnip. Cabbage is one of the most researched (and also one of my favorites)—steamed, stir-fried, or fermented as sauerkraut. Onions, asparagus, and artichokes are also good choices.

Legumes (beans and peas) may also be introduced. Keep in mind, too, that these last few items are higher in fiber—which will be  a great help for IBS and other bowel problems, but may need to be introduced later if diarrhea is an issue. The timing of when and how much can be eaten will vary from individual to individual.

Meat can also be gradually added (begin with chicken, fish, or lamb), and it is generally easier and best to do so in the form of broths, stews, or soups. Slow-cooked (not instant) oatmeal is a good addition at this point. Dairy products may also be included. Start with the fermented ones first (such as yogurt).

As you begin to re-introduce different foods, be alert to any changes in bowel changes or symptoms. You may have to discontinue certain foods and add them back later when you see improved bowel regularity.

Any steps you take to increase your glutathione levels will be an extremely worthwhile investment when trying to detoxify the body. It seems that every disease process begins with a decline in glutathione levels. And when you take a closer look at many of the "miracle" antioxidants that have become popular, much of their therapeutic effect comes from the fact that they help raise glutathione levels.

You can increase glutathione levels by taking the amino acid N-acetylcysteine. N-acetylcysteine is converted in the body to glutathione. Taking 600 milligrams daily of N-acetylcysteine has been shown to increase blood plasma levels of glutathinone by 38 percent. (Euro J Can 95;31A(6):921-923)

You can also take glutathione powder, and while it's possible that it may be one of the more reliable methods of raising glutathione levels, it's also the most expensive. Jo Mar offers glutathione in bulk powder form. In homemade capsules or with food or drink, a daily dose of 500 mg will run around 50 cents a day.

Finally, melatonin has been found to stimulate the production of glutathione peroxidase, the principle enzyme for controlling free radical damage in the brain. Plus, grape seed extract, bilberry extract, curcumin from turmeric, and Pycnogenol from pine bark have all been found to increase glutathione levels.

Glutathione (pronounced "glue-tah-thi-on") is an extremely important compound that naturally occurs in the body. It is composed of three amino acids, namely glycine, glutamic acid, and cysteine. It is particular useful in detoxifying the body.

Research has shown that glutathione levels decline as we age, and there seems to be a corresponding decline in our health and longevity. It's possible in many instances that the drop in glutathione levels may be related to exposure to heavy metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium.

These metals are sulfhydryl-reactive metals. In simple terms, this means that they steal sulfur groups from enzymes, protein compounds and/or peptides such as glutathione. Once these compounds lose their sulfur component, they lose their ability to detoxify the body.

Much of glutathione's ability to improve your longevity and overall health comes from its role in detoxifying various chemicals, thereby preventing them from damaging your cellular DNA. When you increase glutathione, you in turn increase glutathione S-transferase, a naturally occurring enzyme in the body that neutralizes several different carcinogens. It keeps these toxins from damaging the cells' DNA, thus preventing cancer and other cellular damage.

Choose Glutathione–Rich Foods

There are several ways you can help to raise your glutathione levels and help increase the production of the GST enzymes:

1. Eat cruciferous vegetables. This family of vegetables is one of the richest food sources of glutathione. The most potent vegetable is Brussels sprouts. Others include: cauliflower, broccoli (particularly the flowers, not the stem), cabbage, kale, bok choy, cress, mustard, horseradish, turnips, rutabagas, and kohlrabi.
2. Eat garlic.
3. Use rosemary when cooking. At the University of Illinois, researchers found that including the herb rosemary in the diet could increase GST enzyme activity.

A number of doctors have informed me they've been able to detoxify the body successfully  using cilantro for  removing heavy metals and other neurotoxins. I suggest consuming at least ¼ cup of tightly packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves per day during a body detoxifying regimen.

Since cilantro may release more heavy metals than the body can remove, and to prevent any metals from being deposited in the colon, I also recommend using a form of calcium bentonite clay called Pascalite. While using the cilantro for a detox period of two weeks, take 1–2 teaspoons of Pascalite mixed with water three times a day between meals. Pascalite is available at www.pascalite.com.

Tips to Keep in Mind While Detoxing

Detoxing may be a simple process, but powerful forces are at work. What an individual experiences depends on his/her level of toxicity (everyone will be different). Those who are more toxic may need to start off slowly, using smaller doses of cilantro but the same amount of Pascalite.

Signs of increased toxicity include headaches, nervousness, flu-like symptoms, or fever. Those who have taken drugs much of their lives could experience the normal effects associated with those medications or any of their side effects. You may even experience some common digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhea as your bowel adjusts to the new amount of toxins it's removing. These may be signs to slow down the detox. For some individuals, it is better to detox for only one week three or four times a year, rather than all at once. In addition to its action to remove toxins them from the body, Pascalite has a tendency to cleanse excess mucus and debris from the colon. Don’t be alarmed if this happens; it’s a good thing. But if it’s too much for you, simply reduce the dosage. 

Finally, don’t be surprised if you experience a permanent feeling of increased energy and well-being, or if any of the toxic symptoms mentioned earlier disappear. After years of  suffering from the effects of toxin exposure, most people are amazed at how effective the poor man’s chelation therapy can be.

The benefits of a good cleansing and detoxification regimen just keep coming. One you might not suspect is that getting rid of body toxins can improve your bone health.

Your bones are a storehouse for minerals, which your body uses to keep pH within a very narrow range (for most people 7.35 to 7.45, which is slightly alkaline). As I've written in my Alternatives newsletter, eating a diet high in acid-forming foods can pull minerals out of your bones. I recommend cutting out foods such as sodas and "white" foods--white flour, white rice, and white sugar--partially because they increase your body's acid levels.

But food isn't the only source of body acidity. Many metabolic wastes are acidic, as well. The most common example is carbon dioxide; the simple act of breathing helps regulate your blood pH by getting rid of acidic CO2. Sweat is acidic as well, as low-pH body toxins leave through your skin.

Many promoters of body detox regimens tout the value of removing environmental toxins. Certainly this is beneficial, but you need to keep all your body systems in top condition so they can efficiently remove metabolic waste as well. Begin with a thorough liver detoxification program, follow it with a colon detox and cleansing, and you're on your way to stronger bones.

Not all that long ago, "detoxification" was something that only alcoholics and drug addicts went through. While most of us don't need to remove toxins the way those folks do, it's still important to perform a regular cleansing & detoxification regimen regularly, at least once a year.

Even for those individuals living the "green" life, environmental toxins accumulate with every breath. We can't completely escape everything that surrounds us:

• pesticides and herbicides
• PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)
• VOCs (volatile organic chemicals)
• heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and others)

Many of those toxins end up in the liver. Continued accumulation can eventually impair function of that organ, which is why liver detoxification is so important for continued health. Even for those folks who aren't intentionally putting toxins into their bodies, it's essential to detoxify the body.

Many natural detox programs you see out there address liver detoxification. In this post I'll let you know why a natural liver cleanse is so important.

Your liver uses two process to detoxify and remove toxins from the body. In Phase 1, biological and environmental toxins are broken down into molecular fragments, a process called glucuronidation. This is where a group of enzymes known as P450 do their work, and the stage at which many drug interactions occur.

In Phase 2, the toxins are bound to other molecules, a process called conjugation. The toxins are then dumped out through the bile into the bowel for elimination. This is why cleansing the liver isn't enough on its own. The longer material sits in your gut, the more opportunity bacteria and enzymes in your gut have to break the bonds, known as deconjugation. This allows those toxins to be reabsorbed into your body, doubling (or more) the workload on your poor liver.

A thorough liver cleaning helps repair any damaged areas in your liver, as well as clearing out the toxins that have built up over time.

In an earlier post I wrote about the signs that you might need to undertake a body cleansing & detoxification program. This time around, I'll let you know what you can expect to occur.

As environmental toxins begin to leave your body, you'll notice several changes. Some of them might be surprising, but remember what's happening: you're removing toxins even faster than you were before. These conditions pass within a few days at most.

 

• Your breath could get worse. As your lungs clear waste and toxins from the bloodstream, you'll detect the evidence on your breath.
• Your skin might get itchy and red. Again, your skin is an organ your body uses to detoxify itself, so as more toxins pass through the skin it may become more irritated temporarily.
• Your digestion may temporarily get worse. Bowel problems such as constipation and diarrhea or bloating and gas may come and go.

Again, don't worry about these occurrences--they're perfectly normal, and will disappear as you continue your program. What's left behind is the benefits:

• Clearer thinking
• Easier-moving joints
• Improved digestion
• Clearer skin, brighter eyes, shinier hair

A comprehensive detox program is definitely worth the effort.