Did you know that our day-to-day lifestyle choices often expose us to chemicals that are harmful to our bodies and lead to a buildup of toxins in our bodies? Toxin buildup can come from air pollutants, smoking, pesticides in the foods we eat, and daily stressors we all have in our lives. Our bodies are very good at filtering these compounds out of our bodies, however, over time our liver is not always able to keep up with the toxin load to which we expose our bodies. The result is a buildup of toxins in our body - particularly in our body fat stores. Cleasing your systems - either through diet and/or specific supplementation - helps to support normal liver health and reduces the buildup of toxins in our bodies.

Cleanse Your Body Through Your Dietary Intake
We all know that detox and cleansing diets have become extremely popular as a means to kick start a "diet" plan. I'm not going to say this is always a good thing - particulary because many detox diets are not the healthiest to follow and I hate to see people overuse cleases or detoxification diets in an effort to lose weight. Cleanses are healthy and a great thing to follow on occasion, but overuse can be unhealthy and just another way for people to fall into a "dieting" trap. 

To clease your system properly I recommend cleansing your body seasonally. What exactly is a cleanse or a detox diet? It's following a dietary intake for a short period of time, which promotes consuming specific foods, while at the same time eliminating foods that typcially cause digestive upset or are hard for the human body to break down.

The goal of following a cleanse or detox diet is not necessarily weight loss. Many individuals, such as myself, cleanse throughout the year for health reasons. Other people use a cleanse or detox diet as a way to mobilize fat stores at the beginning of their weight loss endeavor. Regardless of the cleanse you follow, the purpose is to eliminate unhealthy foods, beverages and toxins from the environment. They tend to be rich in fruits, vegetables and water, and eliminate processed foods, added sugars and salt, dairy, wheat, alcohol and artificial sweeteners.

What can fruits and vegetables do for us? Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, which makes them an essential part of any cleanse. They are also rich in fiber, a nutrient that supports regular digestive tract function and as a result, helps to eliminate the buildup of toxins in the body. Fruits and vegetables also contain numerous polyphenols, natural plant chemicals that have a variety of functions, including supporting normal liver detoxification enzymes. It is also imperative to drink plenty of water, as doing so enables our kidneys to function properly and also contributes to flushing toxins out of the system.

Supplementation Supports Cleansing & Detoxification
Another important part of detox diets is the inclusion of dietary supplements. Dietary supplementation allows us to meet our daily nutritional needs as well as support healthy liver function. Choosing the proper supplements during your cleanse, however, is essential. Some of the best dietary supplements include:

Multivitamin/Multimineral.  I recommend that everyone take a multi-vitamin on a daily basis in order to cover any gaps in our dietary intake. Even those of us who intend to eat the healthiest of foods each day may not be getting the nutrients our bodies need. This is due to the depletion of nutrients in our foods supply, schedules, eating on the run, etc. When following a restrictive diet where we limit the amounts and types of foods we eat, such as a cleanse, the importance of a multi-vitamin is even more critical. This is because we are at risk of not obtaining all the vitamins and minerals our body needs. Taking a high quality and well-absorbed multi-vitamin can help us avoid a nutrient deficiency while following a cleanse and on a daily basis. 

Broccoli Extract.  Broccoli and broccoli extracts are sources of the natural plant chemicals indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane. These compounds have been shown to support the normal production of phase II liver detoxification enzymes and promote our body’s natural antioxidant system. These benefits help protect our bodies from oxidative stressors and help promote the natural clearance of toxins from our body. Other cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, and kale, also contain these beneficial plant compounds.  

Milk Thistle.  Milk thistle contains a group of active chemical compounds called flavonolignans that are commonly referred to as silymarin.  Silymarin has antioxidant properties that fight free radical-generated oxidative damage.  When our liver detoxifies environmental contaminants, free radicals are generated that can cause damage; silymarin has been shown to protect our bodies from this oxidative damage.  One of the main components of silymarin is silybin.  Research studies have reported that silybin can support normal liver health and liver enzymes and thus help support the liver’s ability to clear toxins.

Curcumin.  Curcumin is the most well-known compound derived from the spice turmeric.  In addition to its potent antioxidant properties, curcumin has been reported to have several different activities that support normal human health.  For example, it has been suggested that curcumin promotes normal cellular antioxidant enzymes, and supports production of the phase II detoxification enzyme glutathione S-transferase.  These activities help our body’s clear environmental toxins to which we have been exposed and fight oxidative stress.

N-Acetyl Cysteine.  N-acetyl cysteine is derived from the amino acid cysteine, which is an important component of the cellular antioxidant glutathione.  N-acetyl cysteine has been shown to have numerous health benefits including protection from acetaminophen poisoning.  Additionally, some studies have suggested that N-acetyl cysteine protects liver health from exposure to heavy metals and other environmental contaminants.

Green Tea.  Green tea is rich in antioxidant compounds called catechins, particularly epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).  In addition to the ability of green tea polyphenols to support cellular antioxidant compounds, it has been demonstrated that green tea compounds can support detoxification enzymes, helping to protect our bodies from oxidative stress and environmental toxins.

If you choose to follow a cleanse or a detox diet, be sure it is only for a short-term and that you are taking a high quality mutli-vitamin/multi-mineral to ensure you are meeting your daily needs. Please feel free to contact me with aditional questions about what type of cleanse or detox diet you should follow to ensure your health and safetyl. 

In addition to following a cleanse or detox diet, you may want to consider supporting your system with the addition of supplements like the ones above. As mentioned, these supplements are meant to provide antioxidant support and promote normal detoxification systems. There are four supplements I recomend that will enable you to get all of the above mentioned nutrients. Feel free to click on the provided links for more information or contact me with any questions:

- nutraMetrix Isotonix Multivitamin/Multimineral
- nutraMetrix Curcumin Extreme™ - contains broccoli seed extract and curcumin
- nutraMetrix Timeless Prescription® Oxygen Extreme™ - contains milk thistle and green tea extract
- nutraMetrix NutriClean HepatoCleanse - contains milk thistle seed, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine and green tea leaf extract


The last three supplements are available in the nutraMetrix Complete Detoxification Kit - you save 26%! Feel free to contact me with any questions...

,
Alissa

With the Holiday season approaching, you may be questioning whether or not you'll be able to maintain your healthy habits or be able to avoid gaining the dreaded 5-10 lbs that the average American puts on this time of year. Have no fear. With a little bit of focus and the following helpful tips, you'll breeze through the Holidays without putting an ounce of weight on and perhaps even lose a few lbs in the meantime!

Here's a great article from Explore Supplements, written by Dr. Robert Blair, that outlines what you can do to stay on track and feel great come January 2013!

Surviving the Holiday Feasts
The holiday season is rapidly approaching.  In addition to the wonderful visits with friends and family that often occur during the holidays, many of us spend a lot of time eating lots of food.  Not only do we have our traditional holiday feasts with friends and family, but we also find ourselves taking part in holiday office parties and other events where food is present in abundance.  Surviving these holiday feasts can be a challenge for many of us.  However, there are things we can do to survive the holidays without feeling like we ate a bowling ball:

• Don’t go to a party hungry.  Going to a holiday party hungry will almost always lead to leaving you feeling bloated and uncomfortable.  According to WebMD, this can further lead to a slower digestion process, upset stomach, and heartburn.  Instead of going to a holiday party hungry, try eating a healthy snack shortly before leaving home.  This will help regulate your hunger and help you avoid over-eating.
• Watch your portion sizes.  At holiday parties, people often want to try all the foods offered.  While there is nothing wrong with this, many tend to forget that true portion sizes are much smaller than they think.  By eating smaller portions of each food item, it’s easy to sample each type of food  with less chance of over-eating and causing digestive discomfort.
• Limit high fat foods.  Many holiday foods are high in dietary fat.  Not only is fat high in calories, but it can slow down digestion and possibly trigger heartburn.  If you choose to consume high fat foods, make sure to consume small portions.
• Get some exercise.  Rather than sitting down on that comfortable recliner after a large holiday meal, get some exercise.  Taking even a leisurely walk around the neighborhood can help ward off that uncomfortable bloated feeling.  Pick up the pace to a brisk walk if you want to burn off some of those extra calories.
• Eat slowly.  Eating slowly gives the brain time to send “I’m full” messages to your stomach.  Waiting for this cue helps to prevent the consequences of over-eating.

In addition to these tips, a number of dietary supplements can help support a healthy digestive system during the holidays, specifically fiber, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and aloe.

• Dietary Fiber. Most people do not consume the amount of fiber needed each day (20 – 35 grams per day for most adults). Dietary fiber has numerous benefits including helping to maintain normal digestive tract health and movement.  Dietary fiber also helps maintain the beneficial bacteria in our digestive tracts. Try nutraMetrix Advanced Fiber Powder to help maintain a healthy digestive track and ensure you're getting enough dietary fiber each day.
• Probiotics.  Speaking of beneficial bacteria, probiotic supplements are a great way to support a healthy digestive system.  Maintaining optimal bacterial balance is important to maintaining optimal digestive health; therefore, choosing a probiotic supplement that contains a variety of bacterial strains, such as NutriClean Probiotics, makes it easier to obtain the most comprehensive benefit.  Some of the most beneficial strains include Lactobacillus acidophilus,Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium breve.
• Digestive Enzymes.  Digestive enzymes are an essential element of healthy and complete digestion, beginning with enzymes released by our salivary glands as we chew.  Eating too rapidly can lead to inefficient digestion, as some of our digestive enzymes are not given time to complete their job properly.  Additionally, the body’s ability to make certain enzymes declines as we age.  Supplementing with digestive enzymes can promote healthy digestion and break down foods that are typically hard to digest.  A good digestive enzyme supplement will contain at least three types of enzymes:  proteases to digest proteins, amylases to digest carbohydrates, and lipases to digest fats.  Other beneficial digestive enzymes to consider include lactase (digests lactose) and cellulase (breaks down cellulose, normally indigestible to people). Isotonix Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics contains a blend of the enzymes listed above to provide maximum digestive support.
• Aloe vera.  Aloe vera promotes healthy digestion by providing natural plant enzymes that break down food. These enzymes include amylase (starch), cellulase (cellulose), lipase (lipids), and alkaline phosphatase (proteins).  Aloe supplementation also helps to support a healthy gastrointestinal pH, normal composition of intestinal flora, and helps to promote an overall healthy digestive process. Consumption of aloe vera can promote bowel regularity and intestinal comfort after eating. Try Ultimate Aloe Juice, which contains all of these important enzymes and comes in four flavors: Kiwi-Strawberry, Pomegranate, Cranberry-Apple, and Natural Flavor.

Combining these dietary supplements with healthy eating habits will definitely help you—and your stomach—ease through the holiday feasts.