Do You Need a Detox?

By Alejandro Junger, M.D.

Our bodies naturally detoxify everyday as part of a normal body process. Detoxification is one of the body’s most basic automatic functions of eliminating and neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph and skin. Unfortunately in this day and age, with the pollution found in the air, water and food we eat, our bodies have a hard time keeping up. Our chemicalized diet with too much processed foods, vegetable oils and trans fats, non-organic foods, caffeine and alcohol radically changes our internal ecosystem.

Body systems and organs that were once capable of cleaning out unwanted substances are now completely over-loaded to the point where toxic material remains inside our tissues. Our bodies try to protect us from dangerous substances by setting it aside, surrounding it with mucous and fat so that it will not cause an imbalance or trigger an immune response (some people carry up to 15 extra pounds of mucous that harbors this waste).

Detoxification through special cleansing processes is the best way to assist your body’s natural self-cleaning system. It is especially important for immune-compromised diseases like cancer, arthritis, diabetes and chronic fatigue. However, even if your diet is good, a spring cleanse can revitalize your system and rid your body of harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites. Here are some simple detox tips to get you started...

4 Simple Detox Tips

1. Drink More Water

Drink More Water Too often we misinterpret thirst for hunger. Our signal for thirst may cause us to eat as we mistake it for hunger pains. Reach for water first and make sure you are well hydrated before eating any meal throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Where possible make sure to drink your water at least 30 minutes before eating as this will allow time for the water to properly penetrate the cells of your body and hydrate your stomach lining in preparation for proper digestion. I like to add lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to my water or green it up with barley grass powder, wheatgrass powder, spirulina or chlorella.

2. Add A Green Juice To Your Day

Add a green juice to your day Green juices are an amazing way to add life giving and detoxifying plant chlorophyll to your bloodstream. As Jason Vale says in 'Hungry For Change', "juicing is the ultimate fast food, it is a 15 minute nutrient express to health". Some of my favorite and simple green juice recipes include:

Green Juice Recipe Ideas:

Celery, lemon and pear (or apple)

Celery, cucumber, lemon (leave the skin on) and pear (or apple)

Celery, cucumber, kale, lemon and pear (or apple)

Celery, cucumber, lemon, parsley and pear (or apple)

I also like to stir whatever green powders I have laying around the house into my juices to green them up even more! Again try barley grass, wheatgrass, spirulina or chlorella powders.

3. Add More Parsley and Cilantro (Coriander) To Your Diet

Eat more parsley Parsley and cilantro (coriander) are very powerful natural green plant foods for detoxing heavy metals out of your body. Add these amazing herbs to juices, salads, soups and meals.

Heavy Metal Detox Pesto Recipe:

3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup Brazil nuts (selenium source) or macadamia nuts

1/3 cup sunflower seeds (cysteine source)

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (zinc, magnesium sources)

1 cup fresh cilantro (corriander)

1 cup parsley

2/3 cup cold pressed olive oil

4 tablespoons lemon juice (Vitamin C source)

Big pinch of sea salt and or dulse flakes to flavor

Soak the seeds and nuts over night to release the enzyme exhibitors. Process the parsley, cilantro (corriander) and olive oil in a blender until chopped. Add the garlic, nuts, and seeds, salt / dulse and lemon juice and mix until the mixture is finely blended into a paste. Store in dark glass jars if possible. It freezes well also if needs be. Enjoy!

4. Breathe Deep Into Your Abdomen

Deep breathing, where you fill your belly and expand your diaphragm downwards, is one of the most powerful exercise you can do to activate your lymph system which helps to detoxify your body. Think of your lymph system as your own personal garbage removal system (which most of us will need in full steam after the holiday season). Practise 10 deep slow breaths counting 4 seconds in, 8 seconds hold and 8 seconds out. You can do this exercize watching the TV, walking the dog, during meditation or whilst practising yoga.

According to the 'Tao of Breathing' up to 70% of our body’s waste products are eliminated via our lungs and the rest through the urine, skin and feces. When the efficiency of our lungs is reduced due to poor breathing less oxygen is available to our cells, it slows down the flow of blood which carries wastes from the kidneys and lungs. Our lymphatic system which fights off viral and bacterial invaders is weakened along with a slower digestive process.

Breathe long slow and deep in a mindful state as often as possible.

Featured Teacher: Dr. Alejandro Junger & 'The Clean Detoxification Program'

As a busy Cardiologist, Dr Alejandro Junger ate most meals 'on the run' and eventually became severely unhealthy. He decided to seek a recovery path outside of the hospital system. This journey and the knowledge he gained places him as one of the leaders in detoxification. His book CLEAN takes you on a guided detoxification program designed to rid your body of toxins and explains to you how the body stores fat and eliminates toxins.

CLEAN is now available in a newly updated and expanded paperback edition. It is a revolutionary program designed to rid our bodies of a multitude of toxins that infiltrate our systems on a daily basis. The effect of the CLEAN program is transformative: nagging health problems suddenly disappear, extra weight drops away, and for the first time in our lives we experience what it truly means to feel healthy.

In CLEAN Dr. Junger offers a major medical breakthrough, arguing that the majority of common ailments are the direct result of toxic build-up in our systems accumulated through the course of our daily lives. The toxicity of modern life disrupts our systems, yet our ability to handle the ever-increasing load hasn’t accelerated at the same rapid pace. While toxins are unavoidable, CLEAN offers a solution by providing all the tools necessary to support and reactivate our body’s detoxification system to its fullest capabilities, and is easily incorporated into a busy schedule.

Every day spent on the CLEAN program is a major step in healing not only the symptoms but the root problems, simply and effectively. Dr. Junger’s life-changing program restores what rightfully belongs to you; your health, vitality, and peace of mind.

Alejandro Junger, M.D. is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology who spent years at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York City and now practices in Los Angeles. In addition, after completing his medical training Junger studied Eastern medicine in India. He was the Medical Director of WE Care Holistic Health Center in Palm Springs, a world famous center for fasting, cleansing and detoxification. Currently, he is in private practice at the renowned Eleven Eleven Wellness Center and is the director of Integrative Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City