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!