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It's time for a clean out - Using purification to experience your best self
By Kelly Pepper, D.C.

Slim down, exude energy, think clearer, digest peacefully, reduce symptoms of chronic health conditions - it's all yours if you are focused on and dedicated to unveiling the best version of yourself. Consider a clean out - a purification, an internal overhaul that exercises your liver, gut and kidneys to breathe new life into your worn out parts.

Toxins and the liver

The liver is constantly coordinating bodily functions as it handles blood lipids, glucose, amino acids, vitamin D, thyroid and other hormone conversions, in addition to the important job of neutralizing toxins. Toxins lurk everywhere - in our drinking and bathing water (chlorine, fluoride, Splenda, hormones, antidepressants); in BPA from plastics, cans, and coating on nonstick cookware; detergents, cosmetics, pesticides, air pollution, food additives, charbroiled foods, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, perfumes, and pharmaceuticals. Our liver processes toxins to be eliminated either via the gallbladder into the bile and out the bowel, or water soluble to the kidney and out the urine.

Phase I enzymes initiate detoxification, but not all toxins are neutralized fully in this first step, are considered reactive intermediates, and are more toxic to the body until handled by the Phase II enzymes of the liver. Now, if the liver is not functioning to full capacity or is unable to process the incoming toxic load for elimination, any type of toxin, including the damaging reactive intermediates, poisons the body tissues and will be stored in the fat cells.

Supplements and diet recommendations useful in a purification program

Whole food supplements, organic foods, high quality proteins, and herbs supply the anti-oxidants and fuel needed to promote detoxification. Kale and Brussels sprouts are both packed with flavonoids, sulfur for Phase II detoxification, and contain glucosinolates that are converted to various isothiocyanates proven to be cancer preventive in nature and essential for Phase I and Phase II detoxification. Kale binds with bile acids from the gallbladder so that fats from the intestine and cholesterol from the gallbladder are eliminated rather than being absorbed back into circulation. Brussels sprouts have a rare sulfur compound, D3T, which demonstrates high antioxidant activity. Buckwheat and buckwheat leaf juice have high phenolic and antioxidant properties, chlorophyll, amino acids, and rutin which is shown to strengthen capillaries. A relative to broccoli and Brussel sprouts, Spanish black radish contains a glucosinolate which is potent in regulating DNA transcription of Phase I and Phase II enzymes and increasing Phase II enzyme activity. Burdock root is used traditionally as a diuretic, blood cleanser and prebiotic for gut health. Milk thistle, with its silymarin component, is highly researched in respect to its antioxidant (increases serum levels of glutathione and glutathione peroxidase), anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic properties; supporting elimination of toxins through the bile; attenuating and reversing liver cirrhosis and fibrosis; and improving hepatitis. It is also valued for overall safety, particularly when used in conjunction with other medications.

A purification diet includes eating twice as many fresh organic vegetables as fruits; grass-fed beef; free-range chicken; wild caught salmon, cod or sea bass; good fats like olive, coconut, flaxseed and grapeseed; and 64 ounces of filtered water per day. Dietary fiber, such as soluble apple pectin, bulks up the stool for better elimination. An omega-3 oil and probiotic are recommended daily.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not attempt a purification program, and a certified health care provider must assess all interested patients for current health status and medication use to ascertain the ability of the organs to handle toxins being released. Purification programs should work slowly and gently (three weeks) to allow the body to accommodate the toxic load.

Sources for this article include:

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=38&tname=foodspice

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=10
Molecules. 2011 Nov 25;16(12):9850-67.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutin

http://www.livestrong.com/article/280249-what-are-the-benefits-of-barley-grass-juice/

J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Aug 8;55(16):6439-46. Epub 2007 Jul 6
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/burdock-000227.htm

J Sci Food Agric. 2011 Nov 18. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.4723.

J Res Med Sci. 2011 Mar;16(3):287-90.

World J Gastroenterol. 2011 May 14;17(18):2288-301.
BioDrugs. 2001;15(7):465-89.


About the author:
Kelly Pepper, D.C., is a mother of five with a home birth on the way. An avid reader, eclectic cook, home manager, and untiring sleuth to natural living, she gathers her experience to share with children of all ages. She is currently working on a wellness book series for children ages 4-7. She and her husband own Affinity Health Professionals http://www.affinityhealthprofessionals.com.

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