Table of contents for The Easy Path to Body Detox

1. Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body
2. Removing Unsuspected Toxins from Your Household Part 2
3. Six Body Detox Ideas for a Safe, Easy Body Cleanse

Your body has a group of organs designed to effectively detox cleanse your body, flush out toxins, and heal itself. From this post, you can use these six body detox ideas to work with your body’s system for good health!

This is Part 3 of a 3 post series, “The Easy Path to Body Detox.” If you missed Parts 1 and 2, please click on the above links in the table of contents for this series. The post contains excerpts paraphrased from Dr. Don Colbert’s book, The Seven Pillars of Health. See the footnotes below for details on his book. (A)

I. Begin with These Tips to Detox Your Body by Drinking Healthier.

1. Drink the proper amount of water. Your weight x ½ = ounces water. For example, if you weight 200 lbs, 200 x ½ = 100 ounces of water per day to flush toxins out of your kidneys and liver.
2. Drink quality water. If you missed it, read this post for filtering your drinking water, Water Filter for Drinking Water,  (Also to reduce water toxins absorbed through the skin, read the post, Shower Filter for Pure Water )
3. Drink alkaline water. “Cells thrive in an alkaline environment but get constipated with toxins in an acidic environment.” (B) You can buy alkaline bottled water, but it is rather expensive, with brands such as Evamor, Avita, and Penta Water (The last is hexagonal water which is the best possible.) However, the most cost effective way to have alkaline drinking water is to use a product by pH Ion called pH Booster.  Use your own filtered water with this additive to make about 25 gallons of ionized water for less than $30.
4. Avoid soft drinks. They are low in pesticides, but contain too much sugar, or have aspartame which breaks down into wood alcohol (methynol).
5. Drink organic. Coffees, teas, and wines contain pesticides, wine and coffee being the highest. Drink organic brands and in moderation. (C)

II. Body Cleanse by Choosing Quality Food.

There are many reasons that toxins have found their way into our food, but here are a few that you may not have known. In 2004, rocket fuel spilled into the water supply of 20 states, including irrigation water. Pesticides used in animal feed gets stored in their body fat; when we eat meat, the toxins stored in the fat goes into our body fat, including the brain. Though some extremely toxic pesticides such as DDT and PCBs were banned in the US, main countries we import our food from still use these toxins on their crops.

In addition to those toxin sources, choosing processed food unwisely brings a host of chemical additives into your body, chemicals which are usually made from petroleum or tar products. Common toxic additives in processed foods are:

Synthetic dyes, flavoring agents, texturizers, humectants, ripening gases, chemical preservatives, emulsifiers, bleaching agents, and sugar substitutes.

To choose quality food, Dr. Colbert suggests:

1. Choose lean organic meats.
2. Choose low-fat organic dairy products.
3. Avoid sport-caught fish and shellfish.
4. Broil or bake your fish to drain off as much fat as possible.
5. Have a diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables.
6. Eat alkaline foods. (Click here to read a helpful list of alkaline foods, Balance pH with Alkaline Foods.
7. Avoid parasitic infections by learning to relax. You need to deal well with life’s stresses for your stomach to produce enough hydrochloric acid to combat parasites. (Click here to read a 3 part post on the effects of stress and how to deal effectively with it.  ) Those of us over 50 also should use digestive enzyme supplements. (D)

III. Improve Body Cleanse with Liver Health and Detox

The liver is your most important organ for body detox, cleansing both environmental toxins and those resulting from the body breaking down foods. Your liver needs to be fed to perform efficient detox.

These foods increase your liver’s ability to detox:

broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and wasabi (green paste served with sushi). Green foods such as cereal grasses, micro algae, plant greens, green vegetables, seaweed, and aqua greens are also beneficial.

These supplements are important for liver detox:

comprehensive multivitamin, milk thistle extract, grape seed extract, green tea, NAC, R-form DHLA, and curcumin. (E)

IV. A Healthy Colon Disposes of Your Body Toxins.

Many adults are constipated and do not even realize it. Bowel movements should take place 3 times a day, yet some adults only have 1 a week! Like a backed up septic system, toxins get absorbed back into the body without a healthy colon.

Follow these tips for your colon to eliminate the toxins sent to it by the liver:

1. Eat 25-30 grams of fiber per day.
2. High fiber fruits are apples, pears, and citrus.
3. High fiber vegetables are carrots, beans, lentils, legumes, and peas.
4. Whole grains are a good high fiber source. (F)

V. Your Skin is Your Largest Organ and Another Way to Body Cleanse from Toxins.

Clogged skin can lock toxins inside your body, stressing your liver and kidneys. Dr. Colbert recommends a simple process of dry brushing, using a loofah sponge or natural soft bristle brush. Make a routine of drying brushing before showering.

Dry Brush Process: Begin with the soles of your feet, working up your legs, torso, and arms, avoiding the face. Take about 5 minutes, brushing toward your heart to increase blood flow. Your skin will feel warmer due to increased circulation. (G)

VI. A Detox through Fasting Allows the Liver and Colon to Catch Up on Body Detox.

Fasting cleanses your body from built up chemicals, solvents, heavy metals, and pesticides, reviving you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Even the blood and lymphatic systems are detoxed through fasting.

Here are Dr. Colbert’s fasting tips:

1. Use fresh juiced organic fruits and vegetables instead of a water fast so that your body has an alkaline environment to detox.
2. Realize you may feel light-headed or foggy due to lower blood sugar and fat cell shrinkage.
3. Fast one day a month, or a few days per month at the most.
4. Do not overdo fasting, or you will lose muscle mass, slow down your metabolism, and compromise your immune system. (H)

A. Research is paraphrased from excerpts of The Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert. For more detailed reading, see his book, ISBN#1-59185-815-1
B. Quote is from “Where Toxins Come From,” p. 155
C. “Where Toxins Come From,” p. 155
D. “Where Toxins Come From,” p. 153-154
E. “It’s Time to Get Rid of Toxic Trash,” p. 166.
F. “It’s Time to Get Rid of Toxic Trash,” p. 167-168
G. “Dry brushing skin,” p.175
H. “Other Important Detoxifiers,” p.177

Table of contents for The Easy Path to Body Detox

1. Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body
2. Removing Unsuspected Toxins from Your Household Part 2
3. Six Body Detox Ideas for a Safe, Easy Body Cleanse

Reading Level: Gratifying

The air, household products, cosmetics, and even one’s teeth can be unsuspected sources of toxins, creating the need for body detox. The key to health is to be well informed and follow these easy steps.

In this post, we’ll cover how to detox cleanse your household by removing health risks in your household air, cleaning products, cosmetics, and teeth. The post contains excerpts paraphrased from Dr. Don Colbert’s book, The Seven Pillars of Health. See the footnotes below.

This is Part 2 of a 3 post series.   If you missed Part 1, “Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body,” please click here or use the above series link.  The third post will cover six ideas for an easy body cleanse.

Take These Simple Steps to Reduce Unsuspected Indoor Air Toxins

I do not think anyone would question the toxicity of the outdoor air we breathe. However, indoor air also has a negative effect due to chemical compounds used in construction, such as formaldehyde in carpets and pressed wood, cleaning products, second hand smoke, and paints. The chemicals are circulated throughout the house via the heating and air units.

Here are some quick tips from Dr. Colbert to help detox your indoor air:

1. Replace your air filter every month.
2. Clean your air ducts every 5 years.
3. Keep pets out of the bedroom.
4. Avoid air fresheners that are petroleum based or contain pesticides. Replace them with fragrance jars of dried botanicals or use an air freshener substitute of lemon spray or lavender essential oil. (A)
5. Unless you live near a busy road or seasonal pollen counts are high, daily open a door or window to let in fresher air.
6. Buy an air purifier for your bedroom, either a hepa filter or an ionizer. Consumer Reports recommends purifiers made by Friedrich, Kenmore, and Whirlpool.
7. Indoor plants help neutralize toxins. The best plants to fight pollution are peace lily, weeping fig, Boston fern, spider plant, mother-in-law tongue, and dracaena.
8. To lessen dust mites, consider replacing carpet with wood or tile. Also, buy hypoallergenic protective covers for your mattress and pillows and wash sheets weekly in hot water.
9. Reduce mold growth by repairing leaks and keeping outdoor plants at least 1-2 feet away from the house foundation. (B)

Cleaning Products can be Another Unsuspected Source of Toxins.

The chemicals in cleaning products which dissolve non-water soluble materials contain toxins which are absorbed into the body through contact with your skin.

Some common toxic household items are:

ammonia, bleach, glass cleaners, disinfectants, carpet cleaners, metal polish, furniture polish, stain removers, paint thinners, varnishes

Switching to natural cleaning products is another step to lessen the toxins in your environment and allow your body to detox:

Lemon Juice contains citric acid and can be used as a deodorizer, glass cleaner, and stain remover.

Vinegar contains acetic acid and will remove mineral deposits, grease, soap residue, mildew, and wax buildup. It can also be used as a glass cleaner. You can dilute it with water or use it straight. You can make an all-purpose cleaner using vinegar and salt mixture. (C)

Baking soda can also be used as straight as a non-abrasive cleanser, carpet deodorizer, and fabric softener. an all purpose cleaner by mixing 4 tablespoons to a quart of water.

Borax is a water soluble cleaner that inhibits mold and mildew.

Isopropyl alcohol is a safe disinfectant.

Seed-based mineral oil (not petroleum-based) is safe as a furniture polish or floor wax. (D)

If you must use a toxic cleaner, wear rubber gloves and work in a well ventilated area.

Heavy Metals are a Known Major Health Risk, But the Risk of Mercury Toxicity Can be Taking Place in Your Mouth.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry lists mercury as the third most toxic substance known to man. Amalgam or “silver” fillings are actually about 50% mercury. Before 1974, amalgam fillings slowly released mercury over a 30 year period. After 1974, the fillings release about 10mcg of mercury per day into the body, enough to cause health issues in 3-5 years. Hot food and drinks can increase the leaching of mercury. As the harm to the immune system occurs slowly, symptoms also increase slowly; people suffering with mercury poisoning usually say they feel poorly and weak all the time.

Consider these 2 steps to detox from mercury and other heavy metal poisonings.

1. Chlorophyll food supplements should be taken daily, such as wheat grass, barley grass, oat grass, and healthy algae. For more information on this, see Dr. Colbert’s other books, “What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You” and “Get Healthy Through Detox and Fasting.”
2. Consider having your amalgam fillings removed over time. Improper removal is dangerous. You need to have amalgam fillings removed in a proper, safe way by a biological dentist that is aware of the risks of mercury removal. Visit the website of the International College of Integrative Medicine to find a biological dentist at www.icimed.com (E)

Cosmetics are Also an Unsuspected Source of Toxins.

The wide variety of products we apply to our faces, hair, and skin can contain many harmful toxins. Even antiperspirants can contain toxins such as ammonia, formaldehyde, triclosan, and aluminum chorohydrate. The cosmetic industry is widely unregulated, with only 11% of the 10,500 ingredients assessed for safety. (F)

You have a choice for safer cosmetics.

The Environmental Working Group partnered with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to develop a free website with lists of safe cosmetics as well as a 0-10 rating for toxicity, 0 being the safest. Go to:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

If you click a category in the light blue banner across the top, such as makeup, skin care, hair care, etc., it will pull up a cosmetic listing for that topic starting with the safest products available.

Or, if you want to check on the safety of a product you are already using, go down about 3 inches below the eyeball graphic at the top of the page and you will see a search box labeled, “Search for a product, company, or ingredient.” Enter your product here. The closer to 0, the lower the hazardous rating for the product. (G)

Research is from excerpts of The Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert. For more detailed reading, see his book, ISBN#1-59185-815-1
(A) Where Toxins Come From, p. 152
(B) Other Important Detoxifiers, pp.176-177
(C) Unexpected Sources of Toxins pp. 159-161
(D) Other Important Detoxifiers, pp. 178-179
(E) Unexpected Sources of Toxins pp. 158-159
(F) http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=308
(G) Unexpected Source of Toxins, p. 161

Table of contents for The Easy Path to Body Detox

1. Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body
2. Removing Unsuspected Toxins from Your Household Part 2
3. Six Body Detox Ideas for a Safe, Easy Body Cleanse

Reading Level: Leisurely

As toxicity levels are daily increasing in our environments, now is the best time to start a detox cleanse of your body and surroundings.

Most people have given thought to a body cleanse and it is with good reason! More than 80,000 chemicals are registered for use within the US with about 2000 more being added each year. A report by the Environmental Working Group showed that the umbilical cords of 10 babies tested for an average of 287 toxins, 180 of which were carcinogenic. In North American alone, 80,000 metric tons of carcinogens are released into the air annually. Municipal water is polluted with more than 2,100 chemicals (1).

This post is the first of a 3 part series on detoxing your body.  Part 2 will cover removing unsuspected toxins from your household and Part 3 will focus on six easy ideas for a safe body cleanse.

Though we cannot completely avoid toxins, there are simple steps to reduce the toxins in both your body and environment.

Dr. Don Colbert, MD and author of The Seven Pillars of Health, compares not doing a detox cleanse to allowing the trash in your house to build up for weeks at a time. Avoiding it will not allow you to avoid the effects of it; but by taking out the house trash, your body becomes healthier and your environment a safer place. Similarly, when you do not take any steps to detoxing your body or environment, your body’s waste management system becomes overwhelmed by the toxins and is not able to function properly. Body detox allows your body’s natural systems for eliminating toxins to again begin functioning efficiently.

Here are excerpts of Dr. Colbert’s recommended steps for decreasing your exposure to toxins and beginning to cleanse your body. Please see the footnote for more information about his book.

1. Choose more organic food, including free range lean meats, and low-fat dairy.

2. Use pure spring water or filtered water. (Click  here for more information on Shower Filter for Pure Water and Water Filter for Drinking Water)

3. Breathe cleaner air by avoiding heavily polluted areas such as: walking/jogging along busy roads, waiting in airport terminal parking lots, breathing second hand smoke.

4. Wear rubber gloves when cleaning with harmful chemicals. Begin using natural cleaning alternatives.

5. Work with your doctor to reduce your medications, especially those hard on your liver.

6. Call your city’s waste management to find their safe disposal sites for toxic chemicals and clean your garage or shed of old paint, pesticides, and auto oil.

1. Statistics are from “Believe it or Not, You Are Probably Toxic,” p. 148, The Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert.  For more detailed reading, see his book, ISBN#1-59185-815-1

I recently came across a comment on someone’s webpage about olive leaf extract solving digestion issues.  After some research around the web, I wanted to post for you excerpts from 2 of those articles as I was amazed at what I found. 

According to the Nutritional Supplement Educational Centre, the use of olive leaf extract for health benefits has been common to the Mediterranean culture, though more recently popular in the nutritional supplement industry. Olive leaf extract gained international attention when studies showed it to have an antioxidant capacity almost double green tea extract and 400% higher than vitamin C. (2)

Here is a sampling of olive leaf extract benefits listed by the NSEC:

1.  Boosts weakened immune system by neutralizing free radical cell damage.

2.  Naturally kills pathogens such as bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi, by preventing them from reproducing.

3.  Lowers blood pressure.

4.  Lowers high cholesterol.

5.  Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia patients report it boosts their energy.

6.  It has been used to treat cold and flu viruses, yeast infections, Epstein-Barr disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and shingles.

7.  As with other herbal supplements, NSEC recommends not to use if pregnant or nursing. (1)

Olive Leaf Extract is also an effective detox agent.

Detoxing is a necessary and beneficial process to improve one’s health.  If one has chronic levels of harmful pathogens, a person may experience some symptoms from the detox such as fatigue, diarrhea, headaches, muscle and joint aches, pimples, rashes, and flu-like symptoms when starting on olive leaf extract. These symptoms are due to the number of dead microbes being so high that the kidneys and liver are temporarily overloaded.  If this is your situation, NSEC suggests drinking 4 glasses of water between doses. (1)   It is rare for people to have any symptoms, as Dr. Ray Sahelian states in his article (below).  I and my spouse have been on 1500mg, a high mg extract, and have not had any negative side effects.

How to choose a good quality extract

NSEC says be sure your supplement is produced using only standardized herbal olive leaf extract so it has the highest amount of oleuropein possible.  

Dr. Ray Sahelian also advocates olive leaf extract as a widely beneficial nutritional supplement.

Dr. Sahelian has numerous pages of valuable health-related research on the web; we have referenced his pages several times in past posts.  A couple of additional points that he mentions is that olive leaf extract has been tested for health benefits in studies with rats in years past but has just, in recent years, started being studied in humans.  In his research, he has not come across any side effects from olive leaf extract.

Here is a list of the main health benefits of olive leaf extract as provided by Dr. Sahelian.

1.  Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol- A 2008 study on humans receiving 1000mg per day for 20 weeks showed significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as cholesterol. 

2.  Anti-inflammatory

3.  Immune System Support

4.  Improvement for Diabetics – Studies have shown olive leaf extract to have anti-diabetic qualities at 16mg per kg of weight per day.

5.  Anti-viral benefits (inhibits reproduction of virus) (3)

Benefits We’ve Experienced

Our relatives who have recently started on olive leaf extract have noticed almost immediate benefits of:

-increased energy
-improved digestion
-less joint pain

Recommended Dosage

Dr. Sahelian offers his own line of olive leaf extract (The NSEC article has recommended brands as well.), suggesting two 835mg pills per day.  That is how we chose the dosage we are using.  The Vitamin Shoppe locally has their own brand of liquid extract for $11.99.  The eye dropper in the bottle will equal 1500mg if you take 4 a day (two in the morning and two at night).

If you know that you have chronic illnesses or have a high level of toxins, you may want to ease into the recommended dose over a period of several days due to the detox response mentioned above by the NSEC.  As with beginning any supplement, you should check with your doctor, especially if you are on prescriptions. 

 1. Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract by Nutritional Supplement Educational Centre
2.  Dr. L. Stevenson, Report on Olive Leaf Australia’s Olive Leaf Extracts, Southern Cross University, 2005 (footnote 5) 3.  Olive Leaf Extract supplement benefit and side effects by Dr. Ray Sahelian