According to scientific and medical literature, everyone is toxic. Supporting detoxing is very important. Detoxing is easy by eating the right foods. Those foods are colorful plant foods, not bacon, steak or chicken. And today it is necessary to detox from time to time.
Think about it – toxins exist in every aspect of our lives, from the air we breathe, to the food we eat, even to the thoughts we think. These toxins, range from heavy metals to persistent organic pollutants can have drastic negative effects on our health. These toxins have been linked to inflammation, oxidative damage, neurodegeneration, immune system dysfunction and skeletal degeneration. Avoiding them all is next to impossible since they permeate all aspects of our lives.
The simplest way to support your body’s natural detoxification functions is to eat more colorful plant foods! Underneath those great arrangements of colorful fruits and veggies on a platter, there are powerful compounds that have incredible health and detoxing benefits. Called phytonutrients, hundreds of these compounds support health and detox in every part of your body. Simply eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables of different colors guarantees that you’ll be reaping the benefits of a host of phytonutrients.
Here are five classes of phytonutrients that are renowned warriors in detoxing abilities.
1. Flavonoids: found in cilantro, parsley, onions, apples, oranges, and blueberries, etc. These antioxidants bind to heavy metals and help expel them from the body through urine. Eat these raw or lightly steamed to maximize your flavonoid intake.
3. Quercetin: found especially in the skin of citrus fruits, apples, onions, parsley, nuts, tea, and dark berries like blueberries, blackberries, and bilberries. Quercetin is a powerful anti-inflammatory compound and antioxidant that also binds to heavy metals and facilitates their removal from the body. It also boosts enzymes responsible for detoxification.
5. Curcumin: the active compound in turmeric is one of the most powerful spices. Called a health superstar, thanks to over 50 healing actions, curcumin is an antioxidant that also binds to heavy metals in the body and fights inflammation from toxins and increases the production of defensive enzymes. It also has cancer preventative qualities.
6. Organosulfur compounds: are found in onion, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnips, and bok choy. These compounds are antioxidant-rich and reduce inflammation, bind and excrete heavy metals and boost production of defensive enzymes. They also protect the body from cancer and liver and reproductive system toxic invaders.
Eating more of these phytonutrients supports and boosts your body’s natural detoxification systems. They help you live clean in an unclean world.
“It is a mistake to suppose that muscular strength depends on the use of animal food. The needs of the system can be better supplied, and more vigorous health can be enjoyed, without its use. The grains, with fruits, nuts, and vegetables, contain all the nutritive properties necessary to make good blood. These elements are not so well or so fully supplied by a flesh diet. Had the use of flesh been essential to health and strength, animal food would have been included in the diet appointed man in the beginning.” Ministry of Healing, page 316.
Nature Knows Best!!