Two Weeks to Detox 2020

 

The holidays can be a wonderful, loving and joyous time of year.  Lots of cheer, laughter and plenty of tasty food. As much as we enjoy our celebratory meals, some of our menu items may have left us with more than feelings of festive contentment.  Unfortunately, in much of our food there are harmful substances or toxins that can have detrimental effects on our bodies. Toxins can create damage such as impair organ functioning, weaken bones, increase aging and cause hormonal imbalances. 

So much of what we eat can be marginally categorized as food.  Some food with toxins can be easily avoided while some cannot. It can be easier to make wise food choices if we know and understand what the contents are.  Make a habit of scrutinizing labels and bypass highly processed foods, foods with high fat, salt or sugar and anything with mysterious ingredients. Even in organic food there can be pesticides, contaminated synthetic fertilizers and herbicides that contaminate the food and environment.  It is imperative that we pay attention to what we put in our bodies, even during a fun holiday season.

Detoxification is a great post-holiday process to remove toxins from your body.  We can take safe and effective steps to remove these harmful substances by choosing the right food.  Dr Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., the author of The Toxin Solution, offers a ‘two-week jumpstart diet’ to get us on our way to detoxification.  It can be challenging to make changes to your diet and this jumpstart allows you to ease into it.  Below are of the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” described in this diet from Dr Pizzorno’s book, as well as a link to an interesting article providing more of his information on toxins. https://thewholejourney.com/a-four-step-solution-to-modern-day-toxicity/

The Do’s:

• Drink at least four quarts of clean water every day
• Take a high-quality multi strain probiotic
• Take a high-quality multivitamin and mineral supplement
• Include more fiber in your diet
• Eat half a pound of brassica-family foods every day
• East lots of these suggested vegetables (avocado, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwi fruit, eggplant, grapefruit, domestic cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes)
• Eat real, unprocessed food
• Use turmeric but not pepper
• Use oils carefully

The Don’ts – eliminate the following:

• Processed foods
• Gluten-containing foods
• Dairy products
• Beef and chicken
• Farmed fish
• The “Dirty Dozen” produce (contains most pesticide residue: strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, sweet bell peppers)
• Soy products
• Refined foods and sweeteners
• Alcohol and recreation drugs
• Salt
• Water that has not been purified or proven to be clean