Detoxing

Idealistically, our bodies should eliminate toxins easily. However, with the barrage of toxins we face each day (like pesticides, air pollution, skin lotion, fast food) make it hard for your body to be efficient. The solution is to detox!

Bit before you drastically alter your diet - you need to prep your body and change your habits. You will also need to prepare for the post-detox lifestyle. You absolutely CANNOT return to your old habits - as this is too harsh to your system.

Suggestions for preparations are below:

• Choose a D-Day. Pick a time when you can relax into the detox. The first few days are the hardest with tiredness, sugar cravings, and mood swings being the most common symptoms noticed.
• Gradually wean yourself off of sugar, caffeine, dairy, and other foods not "allowed" on your detox over two weeks prior to D-Day.
• Become familiar with your new foods. Try to eat more fresh foods, especially greens. Broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, collard greens, artichokes and napa cabbage all contain sulphur compounds that help boost the liver's detoxifying capabilities.
• Fiber is your friend! Your bowel is your major means of eliminating toxins. Ideally, you should have at least one, well formed bowel movement each day. 1-2 tablespoons of flax seed should help.
• Learn to love water. At the least, you need half your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you are detoxing, more is better! And don't forget that if you are adding fiber and not water - you will end up with constipation. Yikes!
• Light exercise always helps. If you aren't already exercising, now is a great time to start. Walking daily is one of the easiest ways to get started. Beginning a light yoga program is a good option as well. The daily exercise gets your blood pumping and lymph (or waste product) moving, whereby boosting your body's ability to eliminate waste.

To Detox or Not?

Ever wonder if you are a good candidate for a detox program?

Well, let's look at a list of symptoms that may clue us in:

• Constipation
• Bloating
• Excessive Gas
• Fatigue
• Breakouts (skin)
• Sweet cravings
• Chronic Headaches
• Diarrhea
• Stomach Pains
• Chronic Muscle Pains - even Fibromyalgia
• Difficulty losing weight

**You are NOT a candidate if you are currently pregnant, anemic, have an eating disorder, or are currently battling cancer.

Be aware that some herbs can speed up the clearance of some medications

While it is true that a detox program can jump start weight loss, this should not be its only intended function.

Detoxing is a wonderful way to make the body's system function optimally.

Interesting News about Colon Cancer

I was reading "Nutrition News and Views" recently and the author, Judith DeCava, was talking about Colon and Colorectal cancer. Some of the interesting things I learned in that article are listed below:

*Most colonoscopies look for polyps, which are removed during that process. However, colorectal cancers tend to arise from nonpolyp growths (flat or depressed) which are common. These flat wounds are hard to detect and may be easily missed with routine colonoscopies.

*A colonoscopy should be done by Gastroenterologist. There is also a 2-3 times greater risk of having a suspicious growth missed when performed in the doctor's office rather than a hospital. Also be sure to ask the doctor about their withdrawal method. Doctors who take their time, up to 17 minutes, to withdraw the wand detect nearly 4 times more polyps and cancers than those with fast (as little as 3 minutes) withdrawal times.

*It is well established that lifestyle factors, like diet, affect risk of colorectal cancer. Numerous studies have found that diets rich in fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of polyps and colorectal cancer.

*A diet with high intake of refined grains, sugary foods, processed and red meats, fried foods, and altered fats can lead to obesity and being overweight. Both obesity and being overweight increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

*Foods high in fiber also contain many other substances and nutrients that may help prevent colorectal cancer.

*Several studies showed that dietary synbiotics (namely prebiotics and probiotics) help reduce risk of colorectal cancer by keeping the gut flora in balance and keep the gut lining healthy.

*Calcium and Vitamin D may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. A Harvard study in 2002 found that consuming at least 700 mg of calcium daily in food was linked to reduced risk of certain types of colorectal cancer.

*Excercise can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Not only does it help to reduce excess fat and help with weight management, but improves immune function, circulation, insulin sensitivity, bone and muscle tone, and nerve function -- all important to the digestive tract.