How are you all doing? During this programme we focus upon removal/avoidance of toxins (permanent if possible) from our personal environments.
In our world of increasing toxicity, the best-quality foods are organic, because they expose your body to fewer man made chemicals. Many of these chemicals play havoc with your hormones and other important bodily systems. Health implications may start early in life. The younger the child, the more “risk” they have for a higher toxic burden
Let´s look at where the toxins are coming from and the role of the liver in female hormone balance.
WHERE IS ALL THE TOXICITY COMING FROM?
There are a lot of factors which affect whether the liver performs its critical functions effectively. Poor lifestyle choices can put too much pressure on this delicate organ. Here is what contributes to our toxic load and hormone imbalances:
- Non-organic food (think: mercury, lead, PCBs and over 130 pesticides)
- Air pollution (a long list)
- Tap water (think: fluoride, chlorine, PCBs, mercury, lead, parasites)
- Skin care products (think: phthalates, BPA, triclosan, parabens)
- Household cleaning products (think: triclosan, phthalates, parabens)
- Medications; both recreational and prescription, including commonly-used ones like corticosteroids, tetracycline and aspirin
- Plastics (think: BPA, PFOA)
- Cookware like non-stick pans (think: PFOA)
- Stress
- Alcohol
- Coffee
Our body is designed to excrete these toxins. We have a few detoxification organs, namely: skin, lungs, kidneys, digestive tract and, of course, the liver. They are all capable of performing the beautiful job of freeing us from these toxins – the challenge is when the load is higher than what they can handle; this is when toxicity takes a toll on us.
We can control our own exposure to many of these external sources, and by focusing upon nutrients that support the liver and other detoxification organs, we can ensure that our internally produced toxins don´t sit and become stagnant, but flow through the body and get removed.
How Does the Liver Process Out Toxins?
Your liver serves as a sort of “weigh-station” for your blood – inspecting, separating, and processing the compounds floating around in your bloodstream.
So your liver essentially functions like an efficient and highly specific filter. Letting certain nutrients and compounds pass through while simultaneously collecting and eliminating toxins and other waste products.
The liver’s detoxification method includes two phases which are referred to as Phase One and Phase Two.
Phase One is known as oxidation and Phase Two as conjugation.
In Phase One, the liver uses oxygen and enzymes to burn toxins. This process is called oxidation as it makes the toxins more soluble in water so they can be more easily excreted from the body by the kidneys and the liver. Most environmental toxins are fat-soluble to start with, and therefore difficult or impossible to eliminate without the liver’s help. Did you know that the chemicals produced in Phase One are more toxic than those which originally entered the body?
This phase of liver detoxification is inhibited by nutritional deficiency, toxic exposure, alcohol consumption, low protein intake, and medications such as acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol) that deplete glutathione which is needed for acetaminophen detoxification.
To free itself of toxins produced by Phase One detoxification, the liver performs Phase Two called conjugation. In this phase, oxidised chemicals are combined with sulfur, specific amino acids (like the methyl group) or organic acids, and then excreted in bile and urine.
Both phases are dependent on vital substances which are required to activate the catalyst for toxin conversion and they must work in balance so that no harmful toxins are left to circulate.
If Phase Two is not working effectively, then the highly toxic chemicals formed in Phase One cannot be converted which can cause a lot of toxicity issues in the body such as tissue damage or disease. It may also cause excess hormones to circulate through the bloodstream instead of being excreted and this can lead to hormonal imbalances which may affect the thyroid gland or our oestrogen levels.
One easy place to make a little difference is washing and preparing your fresh produce well:
Here are 5 Ways to Remove Pesticides From Fruits and Vegetables.
Organic and non-organic producers use insecticides to control pests — the difference is that organic farms use natural pesticides instead of chemicals. Regardless, you’ll want to wash off any pesticide residues.
- Rinse Under Warm Water
The first approach to removing pesticides from produce is to rinse it under warm water for one minute or longer — this will help to eliminate residues attached to the surface of the fruit or vegetable.
Keep in mind that this method may not remove all pesticides. Studies show that rinsing tomatoes with water reduces chlorpyrifos residue by 41%, rinsing asparagus this way only removes 24%. However, placing cabbage under warm water eliminates 93% of all common pesticide chemicals.
- Soak in Warm Water
Filling a large bowl with warm or cold water for a veggie and fruit soak is another effective way to remove pesticide residues and dirt — it’s also an easier way to wash strawberries and blueberries that tend to roll.
Allow the produce to soak for a few minutes. You might come back to find the bottom of the bowl has sand or dirt accumulation. Carefully remove them with your hand or a strainer to avoid disturbing the dirt, and give them a final rinse.
- Use a Scrubber
Some fruits and vegetables require a little more elbow grease to get them clean — a scrub brush can help with this.
Some foods you want to use a scrubber for are potatoes, carrots, celery, bok choy, apples, and pears. Scrub the produce under running water to remove pesticides and grime effectively. Always clean the scrubber afterward, too, so you can use it again next time.
- Cut the Peel
Cutting or pulling the skin and leaves away from your fruits and vegetables is another way to reduce pesticides. Of course, while it isn’t practical for all types of produce, you can do this method for apples, pears, and potatoes, among others.
Just be sure to wash the peel before you start trimming it back. Otherwise, you risk transferring pesticide residues to the part of the food you plan to eat. Washing your hands after cleaning off residues is another precaution to remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables.
- Use Baking Soda
Baking soda is a miracle ingredient in natural cleaning solutionsand for cleaning produce, too. Previous studies have shown that baking soda removes 67-99% of pesticides.
Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with every two cups of cold water. Douse your fruits and vegetables for a minute, rinse, and enjoy without pesticides.
Remove Pesticides From Fruits and Vegetables Before Eating
Always wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly before consuming them — even if they’re organic. Doing so can prevent potential health implications brought on by dangerous chemicals. Additionally, you should buy organic produce whenever possible for easier pesticide removal.
