I was honored to teach a one day workshop this past weekend for the MS society. Each participant had MS and some participants were visibly affected (in wheelchairs)…what struck me though was the courage they had in accepting their affliction while being open to new ideas and beliefs that would assist them in creating positive change and the courage with which they shared their own experiences. All the people in the workshop were incredibly open. I was sharing innovative information that required them to have flexible belief systems and an open mind. They all were awake and conscious, in their own process of evaluating their life and wanting to make it better.

One lovely woman in the workshop was lamenting that she wished she had known all this information when she was younger. What I say is you get the information you need at the right time in the right way. Everything in its own time. She was wondering if it was too late to make changes within herself and see the positive benefits. I said it is absolutely not too late to make changes, be empowered and see the positive benefits.

Many people doubt their ability to create positive change in their life…but it is the unwavering belief in your ability to improve your health that tips the balance in your favor. It is never too late to be what you might have been…there is only the present moment and you can make the most of this present moment and then watch it carry forward to influence future events. Don’t lose your momentum! I watched each participant find more of themselves as the day went on…their light started to shine brighter with new growing awareness of possibilities for transformative change.

Have courage to see new possibilities in your life and see unlimited potential in yourself. Know that this is true by your divine birthright! Always believe in your ability to heal – there is no timeline on that. Just because you are getting the information when you are 65 and not in your 20’s does not mean your potential for healing is cut short, rather it means gratitude for receiving the information when you are more open to hearing it and have opened your mind and shattered false paradigms to believe in new possibilities. I say hallelujah to that!

Always see your own beauty, the beauty of your own life path,  the perfect timing of events for you, divine intervention giving you the right information at the right time… always remember, it is never too late to be what you might have been… always be open to dreaming in even more possibilities than you would have ever imagined…thank you to all the lovely participants that came to my workshop…you are loved…

It is a well known fact that we are living in a toxic world. What can we do about it? I talked about reducing exposure to pollutants but what can assist in pulling out toxins from the body? One can’t be ignorant of the dangers lurking in our environment but one also has to be proactive yet not dwell on the negative side of what has gone on before. Each of us is waking up to our own personal responsibility and what we can do as individuals and what we can do as a group. I am going to tell you what food factors support your ability to detoxify and which ones are particularly powerful to ingest.
Green tea can help with the excretion of fat stored toxins; it assists the liver in its mission to clear toxins from the blood helping to lower rates of many different types of cancers along the way. The polyphenols in green tea can pass through the blood-brain barrier and serve as antioxidants to neurons, protecting them from oxidative stress. Other teas assisting with detoxification including rooibos tea which increases glutathione levels in the liver and nettle tea which is high in minerals and alkalinizing at the same time. Matcha tea is very high in antioxidants; just look at how bright and vibrant the color is; it can help great rid of PCB’s. I grew up drinking tea and rarely will you catch me on day where I am not drinking tea. Consuming herbal teas increases your intake of water which helps flush toxins out of your body.

As far as foods that assist with detoxification, the brassica family leads the way. I recommend eating a serving of brassica family daily in the form of broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, arugula, horseradish, kai-lan (chinese broccoli), turnips, or rutabaga daily if possible. These foods have potent detoxification ability, helping usher pesticides and solvents out of your body. Broccoli sprouts are even more potent so include some in your diet. I advocate making green smoothies to boost your antioxidant levels. You can put broccoli sprouts in your green smoothie to up the antioxidant punch. Many other foods help your body detoxify including brown rice (PCB’s), seaweeds (radiation), miso soup(radiation), onions, garlic, cilantro(metals), turmeric, berries and apples just to name a few.

Our diets give us all the substances we need in order to live in balance with so many pollutants. The trick is to eat a wide variety of colors and indulge frequently. Nine servings of vegetables and fruit (more heavy on the veggies than fruit) is recommended. When you start to feed your body’s cells with the nutrients it requires you will feel energized, you will think more clearly and will be more centered emotionally speaking. Change your diet and you will change your life!

In today’s toxic world where we are exposed to thousands of chemicals in our air, food and water, the need for detoxification is higher than ever. Rates of chronic disease, cancer, autoimmune disease and heart disease/high blood pressure are commonplace; chances are you have a close friend, coworker or family member who is dealing with a disease. Our chronic toxic exposure puts us at risk so it is prudent to be vigilant about such matters. We all have toxic chemicals in our body.The average person contains 91 toxic chemicals (this was an American study but we can ‘guesstimate’ that Canadians would have similar profiles). Chemicals that cannot be properly disposed of in the body are stored in our fat because the body does not know how else to deal with them. Some of the channels for toxic elimination include the liver, kidneys, bowel, lungs, and skin. The body needs to be able to convert the toxin into a form that is capable of being excreted. Various food substances can help with this and I will name them later in my blog. First of all we need to reduce entry into the body in the first place.

Reducing toxic substances coming into the body requires vigilance. Start with your household exposure – household cleaning supplies carry many different carcinogens and are likely your biggest exposure around your home. Switch to eco friendly cleaners which are safe for your home and body. I use shaklee cleaners (shaklee.com) and no, I don’t sell them. They are cost effective and work well to get your house clean. Leave your shoes at the door when you step in your house. Tracking debris through your house will up your exposure to chemicals, doubly so if you work on a farm or work in an environment where you are exposed to chemicals (chemical plants, mechanics, hairdressers, office workers, etc). Toss air fresheners that are marketed on tv and magazines and instead fill a container with water and add drops of essential oil like lavender or sage to scent your air safely. Sensitive to people? Bathe in a bath of 1/2 cup sea salt, 1/2 cup baking soda and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. This will clear your energy field of residue from your day.

Buy organic produce especially when you buy the dirty dozen> spinach, kale, peaches, peppers, apples, lettuce, carrots, celery, cherries, grapes, pears, nectarines, and strawberries. These are the highest in pesticides (the average peach contains 32 pesticide residues). If nothing else, decide to purchase these vegetables only if organic. The cleanest nonorganic produce (lowest in pesticides) are asparagus, onions, avocados, cabbage, eggplant, kiwi, mango, papaya, pineapple, sweet corn, sweet peas, and watermelon. These are the safest produce to buy if you are considered about the cost. They should still be washed though. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off of fruits and vegetables. A pesticide wash solution you can use is > 1 cup water, 1 cup white vinegar, 1 tbsp baking soda and 1/2 lemon (juice). Mix together and put in a spray bottle. Spray it on your produce and let it sit for 5 minutes before rinsing off with water. Use an acid wash on apples, celery and bell peppers. Fill a large container with water, add a cup of vinegar and let soak for 30 minutes; then scrub with a vegetable brush. Soak grapes and cherries for one hour.

Avoid farmed salmon which contain PCB’s, dioxins and other chlorinated contaminants at all costs and buy wild salmon instead. Avoid tuna, swordfish, shark, lobster, halibut, bass, snapper, orange roughy, and mackerel which are high in mercury. For more information on toxins in fish and our food supply in general, check out Clean, Green & Lean by Dr. Walter Crinnion. To be continued…