It's Spring-Cleaning Time

We live in a toxic world. Trillions of pounds of chemicals are released into the environment each year, and some of them inevitably make their way into your body. Your detoxification system does an admirable job of eliminating toxins, but every once in a while it’s a good idea to give your detox system a boost—and what better time than right now!

Love Your Liver

Your kidneys, intestinal tract, lungs, and skin are all involved in detoxification. However, the bulk of the task falls on your liver. This organ has a remarkable ability to regenerate itself, but with regular exposure to toxins, its restorative powers may be overwhelmed.

Fortunately, there are a few simple, yet powerful things you can do to help keep your detox system in shape.

Get in the habit of drinking eight to 10 glasses of purified water every day. Water is perhaps the most important detoxifier. It flushes your kidneys and enhances toxin removal through perspiration.

Make high-fibre plant foods a central part of your diet. Include several weekly servings of onions, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, oranges, and tangerines, which support detoxification. Add to that plenty of asparagus, avocados, and walnuts, which are good sources of glutathione, the dominant antioxidant in the liver.

Ensure you get plenty of the nutrients that support detoxification. These include copper, zinc, magnesium, B-complex vitamins, and antioxidants. Vitamin C and selenium are particularly important because they increase glutathione stores.

Tune Up Your Detox System

In addition to these daily measures, follow a more intensive detox regimen once or twice a year. For two to four weeks, avoid all alcohol and processed foods, and make a conscientious effort to reduce or eliminate your exposure to toxins such as household cleaners, insecticides, and cigarette smoke. For further liver support, add the following supplements to your daily regimen:

Milk Thistle (640 milligrams):

The chief compound in milk thistle, silymarin, enhances liver function exceptionally well. Not only is it a potent antioxidant but it also stimulates the production of new liver cells.

Turmeric (400 mg):

Numerous studies have demonstrated that curcumin, the active component in turmeric, dramatically boosts detoxification. Curcumin protects against damage caused by cigarette smoke and may also protect against other carcinogens.

Lipoic Acid (50 to100 mg):

This versatile antioxidant, which is soluble in both water and fat, is particularly active in the liver. In addition to regenerating glutathione and other antioxidants, it energizes the liver by ushering glucose into the cells.

No matter how vigilant you are about your health, you cannot entirely escape the toxicity of our world. However, these recommendations will keep your natural detoxification processes running smoothly.