Dear Wellness Enthusiast,
Hippocrates said it best, “All disease begins in the gut.” So, if this is true and disease begins in the gut, aka your digestive system, then having a healthy and strong digestion is key. But let me share one secret: when the body is toxic, your digestive system is weak. So even if you eat “clean” and only buy organic and hormone-free foods, you are still breathing toxicity in this world. We live, eat, and breathe toxicity everyday. Look around your home and think of the paint on the walls, the rugs, the pesticides sprayed on your green grass, the exterminator to get rid of the bugs. And even if you are chemical-free in your home, is your makeup chemical-free? Even if you are totally chemical-free and using make up that is aluminum-free plus other non-toxic chemicals, we are still living and that means eating, breathing, and sleeping in a toxic environment. See, when we are toxic our body cannot perform its job. The body cannot metabolize properly, detox properly, absorb nutrients and minerals, or stay hydrated. It is a vicious cycle. We all have some low level inflammation because, again, we breathe but, even more, we are also stressed in this busy world. Every time we stress, we create acid in our body, and our body is forced to pull minerals to buffer the acid waste, and then our liver, lymph, and kidneys begin to work hard to filter out the toxic load but what happens is the body becomes tired and clogged. When your digestive system is not working and cannot break down these foods, it cannot focus on getting RID of TOXINS, and that means you cannot get rid of bloat and fat and skin breakouts and everything that keeps you tired. TOXINS => INFLAMMATION => WEAK DIGESTION The most common resulting gastrointestinal symptoms are:
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Constipation/Diarrhea
- Gas/Bloating
- Fatty Stools (they float)
- Mucous/blood in your stool
- Heartburn/Reflux
- Nausea
There are other “sneaky” symptoms that I believe many affected people have, but may still go undiagnosed for years. Non-gastrointestinal symptoms:
- Headaches
- Low energy
- Low sex drive
- Bad skin
- Moodiness/Depression
- psoriasis
- hives
- itchy skin
- dandruff
- hives around the buttocks or neck
- tingling in your hands or feet
- poor circulation
- anxiety
- sensory issues
- memory loss
- joint pain
- loss of menstruation and infertility in women
- impotence and infertility in men
- Weight gain or inability to gain weight
- In children you will also commonly see behavioral disturbances, including depression, anxiety, irritability, anger, sleep disorders, sadness and poor school performance.
So here are my tips for staying healthy and detoxing naturally:
- Upon waking, drink warm or room temperature water with lemon and 1 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar and add a dash of cinnamon or cayenne.
- Start your day by being positive. Find a daily affirmation that gets you fired up. I love Louise Hay, Geneen Roth, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Marianne Williamson.
- Try getting quiet with yourself, even for just one minute, and say, “I release what does not serve me.”
- Drink fresh, green juices or make a green juice with 1 tbsp. chlorophyll and lemon and lime and water.
- Aim for one meal that is super easy on your digestion per day. Try a smoothie, green juice, or soup to give that digestion a rest.
- Get moving and shaking. Yes, exercise is one of the best ways to detox your body.
- Drink plenty of water and add lemon, lime, or grapefruit to flush the toxicity.
- Skin brushing is my favorite way to support the liver and get rid of those toxins.
- Tongue brushing.
- Be happy and grateful for life.
Be well, Dana