Every spring marks rebirth and a perfect time to cleanse both your inner and outer temples. You may ask yourself, why cleanse? Doesn’t the body, in all its infinite wisdom, do the job for us? Yes, in a perfect world – before environmental pollutants, processed foods, pesticides, antibiotics and chemicals wreaked havoc on our once perfect systems. So once a year, at least, I recommend finding a way to lighten your toxic load.

There are many variables to consider when choosing the right cleanse for my clients - lifestyle, blood type, food allergies, or other health issues draft the blueprint for the cleanse. Also, I want to stress that a healthy detox program need not include fasting and can usually be followed without any disruption to your daily life. How to begin?

Prep the Pantry

Clear out all white flour, refined wheat, high fructose corn syrup and refined sugars of all kinds (look for ingredients ending in “ose”), canola, safflower, soybean and corn oil and foods with MSG, additives, colorings or nitrates.

Free the Fridge

Remove pasteurized, low-fat dairy products, milk, butter and cheese substitutes, tofu, soymilk and other unfermented soy foods, feedlot meats, factory-farmed poultry and farmed fish.

Stock up on Super Foods

Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and miso, broccoli, kale, ginger, pomegranate, goji berries, ginger, blueberries, strawberries, coconut oil, flax seeds, raw butter, olive oil, cod liver oil and raw chocolate when included with vitamin A and D rich proteins such as grass fed/finished meats, pasture fed poultry and eggs and wild caught fish restore balance to a once toxic system.

To find out if you’re a candidate for cleansing, consult your MD, holistic practitioner or nutritionist. Please contact me with questions.

Toxic Avengers!

During your cleanse you may notice you become more sensitive to chemicals and cleaners in and around the home. In fact, before you begin your cleanse, I highly recommend that you put on your rubber gloves and remove any or all of the following “toxic avengers:”

• ammonia
• chlorine bleach
• DEA
• fragrance (phthalates)
• butyl glycol
• phosphates
• sodium hydroxide
• sodium lauryl sulfate
• nail polishes and removers containing formaldehyde
• toluene and acetone.

These powerful hormone and health disruptors are commonly found in most commercial brands of detergents, high VOC paints and varnishes, your favorite bath products and designer cosmetics. In general any products that display the words “poison”, “danger”, “warning” or “caution” should be sealed, tightly boxed, and stored for your area’s next Household Hazardous Pickup day. In my community call this number:

1 (888) CLEANLA.

By taking this action, there will be fewer toxic materials vaporizing out of landfills and washed into the wastewater stream. For more tips on non-toxic cleaning basics and cosmetics, feel free to contact me.