On revving the engines ...

So you've explored some strategies for reducing toxic burden in your household.  Next up - revving up your detoxification and elimination capacity!  Your body knows what to do.  You are constantly processing chemicals - both those that your body produces all the time through everyday processes, and those that you take in from the outside world.  Our goal this spring is to give your body a little extra support to do what it naturally does anyway.  All of these suggestions can be safely incorporated into anyone's life - adults and kids alike!  

If you took my quiz (here it is here!), you have an idea of which of these three components is best for you to focus on.  Detox support can be highly individual, so if you're stumped on where to begin, come pay me a visit!

The first step?  Always start with food:

Your liver, kidneys, lungs, lymphatic organs - those tissues that play such an important role in detoxification - require optimal amounts of essential nutrients.   ​A "detox diet" requires a colourful, plant-based, whole-foods diet, free of artificial sweeteners, refined oils and any processed foods.  The more colourful your diet is (think red peppers, purple beets, dark green kale, orange carrots, blueberries, white onions, etc.), the more diverse and abundant your intake of vitamins and bioflavonoids - chemicals found in plants that our bodies can use to optimize natural processes.  A diet that is plant-based includes more of these nutrients AND more fibre - absolutely essential for binding and eliminating unwanted junk via our stool.  A whole-foods diet avoids processed foods that gunk up the works and lets our elimination pathways focus on clearing anything that's already in our bodies without adding more to the burden.

What does this look like?  Think homemade oatmeal with ground almonds and flax seeds for breakfast, with a green smoothie on the side.  A leafy green salad for lunch with grated beets, carrots and apple, walnuts and some wild salmon.  Homemade sushi wraps with cucumber, red pepper, avocado and organic tofu for dinner, with miso soup and seaweed on the side.  Black bean dip with carrots for snacks.  And lots of water - add some fresh lemon to it!  Herbal tea can enhance the process when made from plants that support detoxification ... stay tuned for more on this!

​Need more tips?  Bring me your diet diary and we can plan it out together.