Natural Healthcare Research: Detoxification

Detox Diet: A Quick Guide to Supporting the Body's
Detoxification Systems and Promoting Optimal Health

• Symptoms of Toxicity
• Conditions Associated with Toxicity
• Behaviors That Increase Risk of Toxicity
• Detox Diet: Supporting the Body's Detoxification Systems and Promoting Optimal Health
• Nutritional Supplements
• References

Detox Diet: Supporting the Body's Detoxification Systems and Promoting Optimal Health

1. Fruit instead of sweets and whole grains instead of refined grains
   1. Most fruit are great sources of vitamin C, the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant.
   2. Vitamin C is an important nutrient for liver function, detoxification, the immune system and production of collagen, the main structural protein of the body. Collagen (and Vitamin C) help form healthy skin, connective tissues, cartilage and tendons.
   3. Many people are regularly eating refined sugar and processed foods, and not eating nearly enough fresh fruit and vegetables to keep their bodies strong and prevent illness.
      1. Fruits and vegetables are two of the best sources of another important detoxification nutrient, glutathione.
      2. Sugar depletes the body of calcium and magnesium, weakens the immune system and promotes premature aging.
   4. Half of the vitamins and minerals in food are destroyed by cooking, and many of these nutrients are essential for supporting detoxification and promoting optimal health.
   5. Try fruit as a primary source of carbohydrates and use sweet potatoes, potatoes and brown rice as additional carbohydrate sources. For grains, try unrefined, wheat/gluten-free sources: brown rice, quinoa, millet, teff, amaranth and buckwheat (which is different than wheat and gluten-free).
2. Dark greens (spinach, Swiss chard, romaine, collards, kale, parsley, cilantro, others) have more vitamins and minerals per calorie than other common foods.
   1. Chlorophyll is great for liver function and detoxification. Try to eat something green everyday.
   2. Green shakes in the morning: Any greens you like, some fruit, 1-2 TBS of flax seed oil, 1-2 TBS of protein powder. Purchase a vitamix blender if you're serious about getting more greens and raw produce every day.
   3. Guacamole/salsa: avocados, tomato, cilantro, onion/garlic/shallots/leeks or scallions, jalapeno, lime, pineapple, mango and any of the above greens chopped finely. Use beet slices, carrot slices, celery or baked organic corn for chips.
   4. Salads. Salad dressing: 4-6 TBS flax seed oil, juice of ½ to 1 lemon, sea salt, pepper, jalapeno and ginger if you’d like, plus some turmeric (which is great for the liver but kind of bitter).
3. Mostly fish (wild caught), some organic poultry or beef now and then (if you’d like), and other meat choices (deer, ostrich, buffalo and other sources).
   1. A mostly raw vegan diet with some fish daily or every other day and very little processed/packaged food is one of the best detox diets.
   2. Adding additional meat sources is fine (lean protein sources help support detoxification), and vegetarian/vegan diets that provide sufficient levels of protein and other essential nutrients can also provide great detoxification support.
   3. Most Americans are deficient in omega 3 fats, very important nutrients for brain, skin, inflammation, heart health, hormonal/regulatory process support and detoxification support. Fish provide the most absorbable forms of omega 3 fats (EPA and DHA).
4. Organic Foods: Organic Foods are higher in nutrients (some studies show 20-30% more vitamin C, magnesium and other nutrients important for detoxification) and lower in toxic minerals and chemicals that adversely affect detoxification processes in the body. Many pesticides are known carcinogens and known to adversely affect detoxification systems in the body.
5. Antioxidant Foods: Antioxidant foods positively affect liver function, detoxification and the immune system, and help normalize inflammation. See list of ORAC foods (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) for the foods with the highest antioxidant activity.
6. Fiber Foods: Plant foods contain fiber, animal foods contain little to no fiber. The highest fiber sources are peas, lentils and beans. Many vegetables (winter squash, collard greens, broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, green beans, Swiss chard, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower) and fruit (raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, grapefruit) are also good fiber sources.
7. Detox Foods:
   1. Green leafy vegetables, fruit, fish and lean meats, organic foods, antioxidant foods, fiber foods, raw foods, water and nutritional supplements.
   2. Garlic, onions, scallions, shallots, leek, artichokes, asparagus, dandelion greens.
   3. Brassica foods (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and esp. brussels sprouts; there's an inverse correlation between cancer incidence and brassica vegetable consumption).
   4. Limonene-rich foods (oranges, tangerines, grapefruit; oranges, tangerines and grapefruit peel oil, caraway, dill, caraway and dill seeds and oil; limonene-rich foods have shown great research treating cancer).
   5. Glutathione sources and promoters of glutathione synthesis in the body (food sources: fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked fish and meat; promoters of glutathione synthesis in the body: asparagus, avocado, walnuts, brassica foods, limonene-rich foods).
   6. Fructooligosaccharide-rich foods (onions, asparagus, bananas), which help good bacteria grow in the intestines.
   7. Quercetin sources (onions, cranberries, apples, blueberries, celery).
   8. Legumes: peas, beans, lentils.
   9. Grains: whole grains (when eating grains).
   10. Nuts and seeds: Brazil nuts, walnuts and other omega 3 sources.
   11. Spices: Turmeric (supports detoxification and shown to directly inhibit the growth of cancer cells; 1, pg. 99), cloves, red chili pepper.
   12. Teas: green tea, and dandelion root tea.
   13. Misc: lecithin (use 1 TBS in shakes and/or salad dressing), nutritional yeast (use on salad for a cheesy taste and good source of B vitamins) and seaweed.
   14. Dairy: organic eggs (if not allergic/sensitive to eggs).
   15. Foods high in vitamin C, bioflavonoids, B vitamins, magnesium (magnesium deficiency substantially increases toxicity of many drugs; 1, pg. 97), zinc, carotenoids, flavonoids, glutathione, selenium, copper, Coenzyme Q10, protein (including the amino acids glycine, cysteine, N-acetyl-cysteine, glutamic acid, methionine, s-adenosyl-methionine, and taurine), omega 3 fats, molybdenum, acetyl-CoA and glucuronic acid. A deficiency in any of these essential nutrients will result in increased toxicity in the body. These nutrients provide energy to support the detoxification processes, act as cofactors to activate detoxification reactions in the body, and are essential for production of components that directly bind to toxins so they can be neutralized and carried out of the body.
8. Raw Foods: Some cooked vegetables are fine, but go for mostly raw.
   1. Cooking foods (especially frying) results in the production of toxic chemicals that our bodies must neutralize.
   2. Chop broccoli finely, add juice of 1 lemon, some olives or olive oil, and other fruits and vegetables (red bell peppers – one of the best vitamin C sources, oranges, tomatoes, avocados, mangos, pineapple, banana, cucumber, whatever fruits and vegetables you like...but focus on greens, variety and detox foods) + some sea salt and pepper. Broccoli is high in vitamin C and other nutrients that help liver function and detoxification.
   3. Check out Live Food, Live Bodies by Jay (the Juiceman) and Linda Kordich for raw/live food recipes.
   4. Many foods can be sprouted and eaten raw to help digestion and increase nutritional content (1, 2).
9. Avoid/Eliminate: Coffee, decaf coffee, alcohol, tobacco products, pesticides, drugs (recreational, prescription and over the counter drugs) including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen/Advil/Motrin/Nuprin, acetaminophen/Tylenol), antibiotics, benzodiazapine antidepressants (e.g., Prozac, Centrax, Librium), antihistamines (used for allergies), black tea (green tea is OK), soda, processed foods, food coloring, food additives, white flour, white rice. Also, all refined and added sugar (fruit instead of sweets).
   1. Diuretics are a major cause of toxicity. They deplete the body of B and C vitamins, minerals and water, all of which help support detoxification reactions in the body.
   2. "The conventional medical approach of using drugs to merely alleviate symptoms not only doesn't deal with the underlying cause of the disease but compounds the problem by adding more toxins into the body. Putting drugs that also need to be detoxified into an already overloaded detoxification system increases systemic toxicity (identified as side effects) and can actually increase the individual's chemical sensitivity." (1, pg 89)
10. Water: Try drinking 2-4 cups every morning after waking up (distilled, spring or reverse osmosis; avoid cloudy plastic water containers), and plenty of additional water throughout the day. You can also try milk thistle herb or detox herbal teas and put a few tea bags in your water bottle daily.
11. Aerobic Exercise: Try walking/jogging/calisthenics/stretching every 2-4 days and never going more than 5-7 days without a workout. Exercise promotes detoxification reactions in the body though the following methods:
    1. Supports optimal functioning of the mitochondria, the energy producing power plants of liver cells and all of the cells of our bodies.
    2. Promotes oxygenation or our cells, which helps the immune system and decreases the toxic load on the body.
    3. Promotes sweating, one of the best ways to support detoxification (especially for fat soluble toxins, such as DDT, and heavy metals, such as lead).
    4. Increases circulation (and rate of detoxification).
12. Track Your Workouts in Excel: Very important, so you can see how many days it’s been since your last workout. Use different tabs for different types of workouts (running – 5K, running – hills, calisthenics, stretching, basketball, swimming, martial arts, etc.). Add columns for the date and the workout details. Also, a main tab where the date and the type of workout completed are listed, and another tab for records for each type of workout. You can also track foods eaten, supplements taken, sleep and health symptoms in Excel to help clearly see which foods help promote health and healing for your healthcare concerns.
13. Detox Supplements:
    1. Multi for Women (2 tabs, 3x per day) or Multi for Men (2 tabs, 2x per day). Women's multis are usually higher in mineral (which are large), resulting in the need to take 2 tabs, 3x per day.
    2. Beta-carotene with mixed carotenoids (25,000 to 50,000 IU per day) or focus on eating green drinks and dark greens daily.
    3. Liquid chlorophyll (1 TBS per day) or focus on eating green drinks and dark greens daily.
    4. Vitamin C with bioflavonoids (1 gram, 2-3x per day for 3 months, then reduce to 500 mg 2-3x per day).
    5. Vitamin E with mixed tocopherols (400 IU per day).
    6. Milk thistle herb (1 capsule, 3x per day) daily or a milk thistle herbal detox formula. Milk thistle is one of the most significant liver protective substances known. "The liver plays a major role in most metabolic processes, especially detoxification. To a large extent, our health and vitality are determined by the health and vitality of our liver." (1, pg. 91) The dark greens and additional detox foods listed above are also very important for promoting liver health.
    7. Glutathione (maintenance and antioxidant support: 100 to 500 mg/day; detoxification protocols may call for higher levels; 1, pg 103). Performs very important detoxification and anti-cancer functions in the body. Glutathione combines with toxic substances to make them water soluble, so they can be carried out of the body. Also, it functions as an important antioxidant in the mitochondria, the energy production factories of our cells. "This combination of detoxification and free radical protection results in glutathione being one of the most important anti-carcinogens and antioxidants in our cells, which means that a deficiency can be devastating." Glutathione is especially important for the health of organs exposed to toxins - the liver, intestines, kidneys, skin and lungs. (1, pgs. 97, 101)
       1. "Fresh fruits and vegetables contain 25 to 750 mg of glutathione per pound. Similar quantities are found in cooked meats and fish. However, commercially prepared foods, dairy products (milk has none), most cereals, legumes and nuts have very little glutathione. Among processed foods, frozen foods generally retain their glutathione content." (1, pg. 103).
       2. Longevity has been increased in animals fed a diet that promotes increased glutathione levels. This research is important, because large segments of the elderly have been shown to have low glutathione levels (1, 103).
    8. Probiotics (2 capsules daily, between meals is best). Help decrease the toxic load from the intestines; help inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, yeasts and parasites; aid digestion; provide beneficial bacteria for intestinal health; supports the immune system (including providing anti-cancer support by neutralizing carcinogens); produces B vitamins (folic acid and other B vitamins); help lower cholesterol levels; help replace good bacteria killed by antibiotics. (1)
    9. Omega 3 fat food sources daily: fish, walnuts, flax seeds or flax seed oil, hemp seeds or hemp seed oil, chia seeds or chia seed oil, or fish oil supplements if necessary.
    10. Fiber (40 or more gm of fiber each day). Eat fiber-rich foods (peas, lentils, beans, vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts). Take supplemental fiber if necessary.
    11. Energy and Detox Support: Coenzyme Q10 (30 to 60 mg of q-gel or 90-150 mg/day of other forms), D-Ribose (5 gms/day),
        L-Carnitine (250 to 750 mg/day) and magnesium (400 mg/day) to help energy if necessary. (5)
    12. Joint Health: Glucosamine sulfate (500 mg 3x per day for at least 2-3 months) to help strengthen the joints if necessary.
14. Food Planning: Make sure you always have healthy food around, or you'll likely end up eating whatever food is available (usually processed food). If you're going somewhere where you may not have access to healthy food, eat before going and/or bring your own food.
15. Stress Reduction: Relaxation, meditation and prayer promote improved digestion and reduction of stress hormones, both of which help support the body's detoxification systems.

References

1. Total Wellness: Improve Your Health by Understanding and Cooperating with Your Body's Natural Healing Systems,
   by Joe Pizzorno, ND
2. Raw Food Detox Diet, The Five Step Plan for Vibrant Health and Weight Loss, by Natalia Rose
3. Detox Diet, by Elson Haas, MD
4. Live Food, Live Bodies by Jay (the Juiceman) and Linda Kordich for raw/live food recipes.
5. The Sinatra Solution: Metabolic Cardiology, by Stephen Sinatra, MD

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