How I Achieved My Greatest Detox

Creating Balance

There are a few main questions that I have to ask you, if you’re reading this material. Are you feeling sick right now? If you are, how are you going about taking care of your health at the current moment?

If you keep getting sick or you continually have the same symptoms or health problems, you need to re-think why problems keep reoccurring. Are you hooked on pharmaceutical drugs that your doctor keeps prescribing? If so, you should look into some natural alternatives. Nowadays it isn’t uncommon for people to become frustrated with their medical practitioners and seek other ways to treat themselves with alternative medicine. An increasing amount of people now feel the need to make some heavy changes with their lives.

Is your pantry and refrigerator full of unhealthy foods? If so, perhaps it’s time that you re-think what food you buy and how you fill up your pantry and refrigerator. In order to make vast improvements in your life you need to have alkaline balancing foods in your diet.

If you’re like most Americans you’re probably consuming part of the Standard American Diet (SAD). Most people on this diet eat and drink straight up unhealthy garbage. The majority of Americans have been brain-washed and they eat whatever they feel like. This poor choice of eating and indulging on any foods that are put in one’s face, ends up resulting in a plethora of health problems which usually includes obesity and diabetes. All the refined, processed, packaged, and fast foods end up making your body an acidic mess. As a result of all this acidic food, it leads to a continuous circle of ill health, and reoccurring sicknesses. After some spells of sickness, most people see a doctor who prescribes pharmaceuticals, only to later learn that their symptoms were only being taken care of temporarily. The vast majorities of drugs on the market do not cure or eliminate all health problems. In fact it’s almost impossible for the body to eliminate all problems with a simple pill or medication.

Generally it takes time for health issues to be taken care of. You can try to mask certain issues, however generally at the root of every health issue, there are certain habits and foods that are consumed that lead to a toxic state.

The best analogy I can think of is to start treating your body as if it were a castle. If you think of your body as a castle you will begin to take care of your health in a whole different way. In order to have a strong foundation and not get attacked by infections or disease, you have to have a good immune system and continually clean out your system of toxins and foreign invaders. The best way to clean out your body’s systems like your colon and your digestive tract is through detoxification.

So how does one detox, you might be wondering? Well you need to create balance by detoxifying your body and ingesting the best supplements and foods that help lead to a rejuvenated healthy body.

In this book, I am going to provide everyone with a blueprint of what I’ve personally used and how it has helped me clean out the toxins in my body and feel great about my health. The key towards living healthy and staying away from a state of ill health comes down to keeping a state of alkalinity within the body. Any person can find out their personal state of pH balance with a pH test strip. When you begin to use a pH strip it will help you obtain a better vision of where your current level of health is standing.

I’ll be honest I don’t eat perfectly all the time. I fall victim to traps like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, burritos, cliff bars, power bars, and potato chips. I allow some cheating in my diet on occasion since I can’t always afford to eat extremely healthy or prepare every meal from scratch. I live a life with a busy schedule too, so I can’t always prepare everything from scratch.

Although I’m still a student learning every day, I’ve developed some expertise on certain key ways of achieving optimal health. The field of Naturopathic medicine has always been one of my greatest passions. As you read through this post, pay attention to the key advice that I give you.

The idea of healing and bringing others to good health is one thing that has always driven me forward. I’ve always wanted the best for other people and when I see other families get torn apart through health problems, it definitely hurts my feelings to know that certain conditions could be prevented. If people only had the knowledge about their health, they could take steps of preventative measure. The important part is to build up awareness. Without awareness it becomes much more difficult to obtain the knowledge needed to prevent illness. With the main source of illnesses being related to poor food choices, I now feel the need to step up and give some of my knowledgeable steps toward action for inspired readers.

Back To The Basics

When you go to your local grocery store, what isle do you spend the most time in? Do you spend most your time looking for bags of Doritos, cans of Monster, or hot pockets? I honestly hope you don’t spend most your time staring at junk food that does no good to your health, however, if you do there is hope to change your habits around. You can change your diet around, restore your health, and build up your vitality. If you are disciplined enough to follow my steps and make the right choices, you can become super healthy.

Fresh food is optimal and it is the most important factor when considering health and well-being in a balanced alkaline state. Part of getting back to the basics and getting into healthy shape is eating alkaline foods and incorporating as much fresh foods, supplements, and ingredients into your diet as possible.

Turning your health around is definitely one of the most uplifting feelings that there is. It’s best to start reorganizing your cooking space and bring out the proper supplies. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, steaming basket, blender, and juicer I would suggest that you get these supplies or slowly build your way up depending upon your current income and living standards.

Here are some links for some of the basic products:

Peter’s Do It Yourself (Kitchen Cooking Essentials)

Below I have included some products that can definitely help you achieve better health and results in the kitchen!

It makes a tremendous difference if you take the time to create meals at home and take a proactive approach towards your meal preparation. I would suggest to learn how to cook meals from scratch. It’s a very handy skill and quite worthwhile because it will help you in order to feed yourself, your family, and friends. Your microwave may appear to be handy, however it is often overused. Besides most microwave meals are mostly filled with filler ingredients that will make you feel sick and unhealthy. When you have good cooking appliances inside your household it makes a tremendous difference in both your life and your families’ lives.

Analyze Your Current Pantry and Refrigerator

What should you get out of your kitchen? Well to begin most likely a lot more items than you would like to toss or get rid of, but if you want to get healthy and see results or changes in your well-being, consider this list:

  • Pastas (Rice, noodles, angel hair, etc.)
  • Oatmeal (Use sparingly until, you can fully wean off of it.)
  • All white flour.
  • Chips of all kinds. (Kettle-cooked potato chips are okay on occasion.)
  • Granolas (Use these sparingly. If you’re on the go or eating a quick breakfast, include a little.)
  • All candy, cookies, and pastries.
  • Sugar of all kinds.
  • Artificial flavors and sweeteners.
  • All processed foods.
  • Vegetable oil.
  • Canola Oil.
  • Peanut Oil.
  • Corn Oil.
  • Soybean Oil.
  • Peanut Butter.
  • Salad dressings (Just make your own. Most dressings have way too many filler ingredients.)
  • Soy sources. (Include protein powders or protein bars on occasion when you can’t include a meal.)
  • Any condiments (Especially those full of filler ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, locust gum, xanthum gum, carrageenan.)
  • Milk and dairy items (Use organic Greek yoghurt sparingly, use ghee instead of butter.)

Replace Your Sugar and Sweeteners

Most sugars and sweeteners are full of exitotoxins (these are chemicals that overstimulate neuron receptors). These additives include synthetic fillers that are no good for the body and brain. Consider some of the following natural sweeteners for replacement of items such as aspartame or Splenda.

  • Use stevia as a sweetener (works for teas, coffee, and smoothies)
  • Use agave nectar
  • Utilize raw honey
  • Utilize Organic Maple syrup
  • Use coconut sugar (for baking)

How To Go Grocery Shopping The Right Way

  • Ignore the sweets isle.
  • Ignore all pastries.
  • Check out the foreign foods (Pick foods that suit your taste. Also be mindful of the list of foods to avoid as mentioned.)
  • Buy some beans, pick cans without any dents.
  • Buy a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in diverse color scheme.
  • Buy a good amount of frozen fruits as well as veggies.
  • Don’t buy any processed food. (The more raw fruits and veggies you include, the better.) All other filler junk food is full of unnecessary added ingredients.

Use Correct Fats In Your Diet

Incorporating the correct fats in your diet is more essential than most people realize. In fact there has been a lot of propaganda sent out over the years that has made many people believe that they needed to eliminate fat from their diet completely. The fact is that many fats are actually essential for optimal health as well as promoting conditions such as athletic performance, skin beauty, longevity, and energy levels.

As said by Nutrition researcher Udo Erasmus, “EFAs are major essential nutrients (only oxygen, water, and glucose are required in larger daily amounts). Deficiencies can result in major health problems. (Udo 316). As a result one should realize that having enough good oils included in a diet is essential for structural components such as building, repairing, and replacing cell structures.

There are some oils that are best to include and oils that are best to exclude.

Oils to include:

  • Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs)
  • Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
  • Avocado Oil
  • Hemp Oil
  • Flax Oil
  • Walnut Oil
  • Wheat Germ Oil
  • Unrefined Soybean Oil
  • Safflower Oil
  • Sunflower Oil
  • Sesame Seed Oil
  • Evening Primrose Oil- Contains 72% linoleic acid, the essential fatty acid.
  • Black Currant Oil- Contains EFA’S and up to 18% GLA. This Gamma Linolenic Acid oil is refined and deodorized.
  • Olive Oil
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Coconut Oil (Saturated Fat is plant-derived)

Good Oils For Skin:

  • Almond Oil
  • Prune Oil
  • Emu Oil
  • Neem Oil
  • Avocado Oil
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Tea Tree Oil

Oils to exclude:

  • Trans fatty acids
  • Saturated fats
  • Processed Vegetable Oils
  • Certain Monounsaturated fats

For more in depth information on Essential Fatty Acids and how fats play a pivotal role check out the book: Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill, By Udo Erasmus. Eating a more Ketogenic diet that includes proper fats and oils can help improve energy levels, mental performance, and physical performance.

My Detox Formula

In order to really upgrade your health and take your health to the next level you have to be educated on the subject and disciplined enough to follow a formula that works. The following formula is one that I created that seems to help tremendously when it comes to reaching a state of balance and amazing health.

In order to reach a state of optimal health and be well, it will take a high level of discipline and commitment. I have spent a large amount of time studying natural medicine and the topic of holistic health, so I would like to give some valuable advice for start.

To start off your Detox Formula properly, design a list of your favorite foods and what you eat on a typical week. After writing each food down on a list, grab a pen and check off each food that contributes to a healthier life or increases vitality.

When you go through your list of foods, you should gradually eliminate pre-packaged meals and begin to narrow down to simple whole foods that could be included.

Once you have checked off the foods that you feel are helping lead you to an increased state of wellness, begin to divide these check-marked foods into specific categories. Depending upon the food group that the specific food falls into, now ask yourself whether that food belongs on the list of Foods to Avoid.

My List of Foods To Avoid Includes:

  1. Foods Containing Trans Fats. (Mostly Deep Fried Fast-Food.)
  2. Foods with Excess Sugar. (Pop Tarts, Doughnuts, Pastries, Pies, Cakes.)
  3. Refined Grains. (White rice, white bread, white pasta.)
  4. Processed Foods. (Frozen Pizzas, Pre-made microwave foods for example Hot-Pockets.)
  5. Foods with Unknown Ingredients. (I call these foods chemical soups. Stay away from MSG, Aspartame, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and other preservatives.)

After you have narrowed down your food groups and identified the foods that you eat, make sure you stick with the foods that are helping to contribute to a higher level of vitality. Once you become committed to “saying goodbye”, to your unhealthy foods and bad habits of junk food consumption, you will begin to realize some major changes.

These changes will be good, since they will provide you with more energy and increased vigor.

The next step towards upgrading your health this year is to get yourself in the right frame of mind. If you are not in the right frame of mind, you won’t get fit and healthy. You need to dig deep within yourself and find a way to include the essential nutrients and supplements that your body needs. At the same time, simultaneously you need to find a way in which you can eliminate all the bad foods that are a part of the typical Standard American Diet (SAD).

My Detox Blueprint

  • Home-Made Kombucha – If you’re able to do so, I would recommend having your own private brewing area where you can make your own drink that way the quality of the ingredients will be at their greatest level. If you don’t have the time or patience to deal with making your own brew, you can buy Kombucha at your local health food store. There are some really good brands out there now, that are offered which can help you detox and stay healthy. For example GT’s Synergy.

If I had to compare all of the drinks and detox supplements, I would have to say that Kombucha has had the greatest affect in regards to upgrading my health and really cleaning out my body of toxins and chemicals.  It helps fight bacteria, fungi, and viruses in order to strengthen immune function, normalize blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and even bring hair color back. I drank the beverage for around two years and it boosted my energy levels and cleared up my skin problems. It’s a tonic that gets heads turning because most physicians and people think that it’s a fluke. If it was a fluke, I really wouldn’t be recommending the beverage. It is considered to be a miracle fungus by people. The detox drink is actually a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast or (SCOBY). Some say that it has anti-cancer fighting abilities and I believe it. With all the B vitamins and probiotics it really helps restore the body into a balanced state. Prior to using Kombucha, my body was in an unbalanced state and I was getting sick a lot. After I got my body back into a state of restoration I have been feeling great. It is important to note that not all Kombucha is treated equally. I would compare it to a fruit being picked from a tree. The fruits at your local grocery store are not as equal as a fruit picked straight off the branch. The same goes for this brew. As I mentioned before, if you can make your own brew it will be much more fresh and potent. If you purchase Kombucha brew off the shelf it will still work, however I cannot say that it will work the wonders that the fresh beverage happens to work. When a beverage or food sits on a shelf for a long time, it can lose some of its nutrient density over time. The situation with Kombucha is that it happens to be a fermented beverage that has a small percentage of alcohol. If it were to ferment or sit for too long it can become vinegary and it can lose some of the essential nutrients like its probiotics and B vitamins. (Rost 360).

  • Apple Cider Vinegar – This vinegar solution is a health tonic that I highly recommend to anybody looking to lose weight or balance their pH levels to a more alkaline state. This solutions can work wonders if you stick with a regimen and use 1-2 tablespoons per day with a glass of water or lemon juice.
  • Green Tea – This is one of the main ingredients used to brew kombucha if you do the research. If you decide to buy green tea from the store go with the organic variety and avoid any extra flavorings that may be added to the tea. Green tea has so many benefits with all the flavanols, phytochemicals, and antioxidants.
  • Dandelion Root Tea – A potent diuretic that is a liver tonic, it specializes in increasing bile production and encouraging detoxification.
  • Burdock Root Tea – Helps provide well-nourished health; it promotes healing of wounds, removes indicators of system imbalance such as low energy, ulcers, skin conditions, and dandruff. It works primarily through the liver and kidneys to protect against buildup of waste products and is considered one of the best tonic correctives of skin disorders. (Rost 51)
  • Yellow Dock Tea – A hepatic liver stimulant and laxative. This herb really assists the body in dealing with metabolic wastes often associated with low-fiber, high-fat, and high meat consumption. It seems to work through the liver and bowel to help remove metabolic wastes from the blood. By improving the livers ability to metabolize wastes and fats, it helps take the burden off of secondary pathways of elimination, such as the skin. (page 51, Natural Healing Wisdom and Know-How)
  • Lactobacillus Acidophilus – A bacteria that helps establish healthy gut flora in the colon and prevents the overgrowth of Candida. It also fights fungus, pathogenic organisms, improves digestion and absorption of nutrients.
  • Turmeric – This herbal root has many great medicinal properties. The particular properties are called curcuminoids, which produce powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection. Curcumin can help prevent neurocognitive diseases, heart disease, and even possibly prevent certain cancers. By including turmeric by incorporating it into your diet, you can begin to experience many of the benefits.
  • Cayenne Pepper – This pepper is full of capsaicin which is a very potent antioxidant that helps support circulation of blood in the body and assists with cardiovascular health. As a result of utilizing this spice, it can help alleviate bad cholesterol levels and reduce triglycerides and kick in endorphins for pain relief. It also has a use as an ointment for reducing inflammation.
  • Amazing Mean and Green Juice – I got this recipe from a juicing recipe book. Making the effort to start juicing will pay you dividends in the long run. If you make the effort to start juicing at least 2-3 days a week you will end up losing weight, become more defined and have increased energy levels. You’ll also notice much better clarity in your skin if you have had previous skin issues depending upon how much you juice and how many carotenes’s you include. The recipe consists of the following:

1 green apple

2 stalks of celery

3 leaves of kale

1 Cucumber

1 Lemon (peeled)

1 inch of ginger

½ bulb of fennel

  • Super Swish Cleanse Juice- This recipe was one that I came up with one day…

1 organic apple

1 lemon

3 limes

1 seedless cucumber

350 ml worth of carrot stalks

1 inch of ginger

  • Naleczowianka Polish Mineral Water. Personally every time I drink a cup of this water, I just can’t seem to get enough. In fact, it’s quite easy to just drink an entire 1.5 liters of this water in one sitting. This water actually makes me want to drink more water since it tastes so good and because it is so cleansing. The main reason for this amazing taste is the assortment of vitamins and minerals that happen to be available inside.
  • Evening Primrose Oil. This supplement has an active ingredient called gamma linoleic acid, which is used to produce the hormone prostaglandins for good health. It is notable for reducing blood cholesterol, reducing blood pressure, help reduce weight, relieve premenstrual pain, improve acne and eczema skin issues, and reduce menopause hot flashes.
  • Omega 3 Fish Oil (Keep your arteries clean, blood pressure balanced, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, kidney function, and immune function balanced.)
  • Ultra Man Sport Multivitamin (This supplement works great for active guy’s looking to add more nutrients that may be lacking through a regular diet.)
  • Garden of Life Multivitamin (Great whole food multivitamin that’s based off of real food rather than lab made vitamins.)
  • Spirulina Powder: Spirulina is green algae that grows in water where sunshine is abundant. It is an excellent food that contains as much as 70% protein including minerals like iron, vitamins B12, RNA and DNA and essential fatty acids. It is also high in chlorophyll which helps remove heavy metals, drugs, and radiation.
  • Organic Hemp Protein: A formula of protein that consists of all essential amino acids needed for muscle recovery.

Utilizing Nature and Your Environment as Your Friend

Creating balance in your life and feeling detoxed comes down to a lot of factors, but importantly supplements alone cannot fully provide you with sustained health. If you’re a knowledge worker, or like most people who work a 9 to 5 and spends their working hours inside or in a cubicle; you may often feel left out. I truly think Mother Nature provides some harmonious healing properties as well as resourceful vitamin D through the sunshine. I also feel that it’s critical to incorporate some fun physical activities outside or outdoors in order to fully engage your body and feel more whole and healthier overall.

Whether you choose activities like biking, canoeing, kayaking, skiing, snowboarding, dancing, scuba diving, running, or surfing to name a few. All of these activities enhance the quality of your life due to the physical exertion as well as provide the great company of sunlight and oxygen in the air.

Certain exercises stretch a wider variety of muscle groups and provide different levels of healing. Things like meditation, tai chi, martial arts and yoga all help people to achieve a greater sense of balance of oneself as well provide a strong mindset by being a positive outlet.

Establish a routine where you practice something in particular and make sure you budget your activities, so you can spend adequate time with friends and people you meet through your

The key to remember, it doesn’t matter what habit or exercises you decide to partake in. The important thing is to make sure that you actively participate in something that ultimately makes you feel more fulfilled and happy. Whether your activity is fast, goal-oriented, competitive, aggressive, or slow and deliberate just make sure you spend some quality time with the exercises that you enjoy.

The Keys To Eating Healthy

Including enough variety is crucial when it comes to eating healthy and clean.  Any high quality meal plan should contain a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, become more lean, fight off cancer risks, or upgrade your health in general. It is essential to include foods that are dense in disease fighting phytonutrients.

Consuming the right grains is also critical in addition to fruits and veggies, if you’re going to include grains as part of your carbohydrate source of energy. If you’re going to keep grains as a part of your diet make sure to include the following… Quinoa, Millet, Barley, Amaranth, Bulgur, Buckwheat, Brown rice, and Rye. (Replace your processed refined pastas with these grains) (If you want to eliminate all grains then by all means, you can do so by following the Paleo Diet).

Not all vegetables are equal in their quality of content. For example regular Idaho potatoes, sweet peas, and corn don’t have a large amount of nutrient density and are therefore better left aside, especially if you can seek out a greater variety of tubers in your grocery isle. It is essential to include foods that are diverse in color scheme since they provide a wider set of antioxidants and vitamin content from carotenoids to red lycopene’s. A fruit or vegetable’s color is a good indicator of the different vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients it contains.

In regards to color, green veggies have lutein and zeaxanthin, two powerful antioxidants. Lutein which is a carotenoid that helps scavenge harmful reactive oxygen and helps improve visual acuity. Lutein has been linked to Purple and Blue veggies have anthocyanin’s which help prevent blood clots and can improve brain functioning. Anthocyanin’s are also noted to enhance vision and blood circulation and play a large role in preventing lifestyle related diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. White vegetables are rich in allyl sulfides and they help to prevent stomach and colon cancer. Yellow and Orange colors have bioflavonoids that help protect against cancer and heart disease. (Greene 153)

The wider your variety of fruits and vegetables the more polyphenols there are bio-available for your body. The most crucial vitamins and minerals for cancer prevention are present in fruits and vegetables, full of specific phytonutrients that your body needs in order to survive and thrive beyond the free radicals that roam about in our environment affecting our health. Also don’t forget about the importance of including proper fats in your diet. For years fats have played a vital role in the health and well-being of people. Be sure to include the right ones as I mentioned above in ‘Use Correct Fats In Your Diet’.

As stated by Udo Erasmus, “In 1900, only 1 in 7 people died of cardiovascular disease, and only 1 in 30 people died of cancer. Between that time and today, something basic and critical to health has drastically changed. This span of history includes processed foods becoming mega-industry; the introduction of pesticides; the rising use of pharmaceuticals drugs; increased pollution of soil, water, and air; chlorination of water; car exhaust; tobacco smoke; and indoor pollution through use of chemicals” (Erasmus 8). Remember that you can make a difference in your health and others by making the right choices and prevent conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, lung disease, pneumonia, flu, and liver diseases. Not all diseases and health problems can be cured or fixed through foods, but you can at least improve your health and lessen your need to rely upon pharmaceutical drugs.

Conclusion

Remember that you can have a high-quality life and that maintaining your health is up to you. Whether you want to believe your farmer, grocery clerk, nutritionist, doctor, or do your own research be sure to take more of your health into your own hands. Health care and healing can be done if you incorporate the right steps and take action!

Health is more than just being active and eating right. Getting enough sunlight and enough clean oxygen in your environment is quite important as well. In addition, having a wholesome diet, getting enough rest each night, balancing stress, and getting enough essential oils to build proteins in the muscles of the body are critical. Without proper balance the membranes and structures of the body begin to degenerate and suffer illness. The usage of good oils in combination with essential vitamins and minerals are all important in the functioning of optimal health.

The more you surround yourself with a healthy lifestyle and people who live healthy the more likely it will be that you’ll overcome challenges and adversity that comes your way.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Double Check with your health professional before taking any supplement. 

References

  1. Abdel-Aal, El-Sayed M., Humayoun Akhtar, Khalid Zaheer, and Rashida Ali. “Dietary Sources of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Carotenoids and Their Role in Eye Health.” US National Library of Medicine. MDPI, 9 Apr. 2013. Web. 07 Sept. 2015.
  2. DeVito, Dominique, and Breena Johnson, Paleo Slow Cooking: Over 140 Practical, Primal, Whole-Food Recipes for the Slow Cooker. N.P.: Appleseed Book, 2014. Print.
  3. Erasmus, Udo. Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill: The Complete Guide to Fats, Oils, Cholesterol, and Human Health. Burnaby, BC, Canada: Alive, 1993. Print.
  4. Greene, Bob. The Best Life Diet, New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print.
  5. Gunnars Kris. “10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin.” Authority Nutrition. Authority Nutrition. 2012. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.
  6. Rost, Amy. Natural Healing Wisdom & Know-How: Useful Practices, Recipes, and Formulas for a Lifetime of Health. New York, NY: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. Print.
  7. Solan, Matthew. “Excitotoxins.” Experience Life. Life Time Fitness, Mar. 2003. Web. 22 Aug. 2015.
  8. Weber, Louis. The Juicing Book, Lincolnwood: Pubns Intl, 2013. Print.