Cleansing is the answer to almost every health problem.  I don’t mean cleansing will cure every health problem.  Only the body cures.  Cleansing is an aid to the body’s natural healing. 

Our bodies have built-in systems to deal with disease, bacteria and viral invaders, and toxins.  Under all circumstances the body seeks to remain in homeostasis. According to Websters dictionary homeostasis is “the tendency to maintain normal stability in an organism by coordinated responses of the organ systems that automatically compensate for environmental changes, maintaining equilibrium.”

The liver is the great filtering system of the body.  Everything we eat goes through this organ and is broken down into usable “pieces,” which are carried to feed cells.  Toxins broken down into smaller components are sent to elimination organs skin, colon, and kidneys. 

When the liver encounters toxic substances that cannot be broken down (heavy metals aluminum, and mercury, artificial fertilizers, pesticides, compounds in plastics, for example) it sequesters/stores these substances in fat tissue that it manufactures to keep harmful substances away from vital organs.  Fat is deposited around the liver, on the stomach, upper arms, and thighs. It’s a protective mechanism, but we notice with annoyance flabby arms, fat stomach, and heavy thighs.

When toxin levels are continual and high the body becomes overwhelmed.  As a culture we don’t routinely cleanse with natural herbs and potions as our grandparents did.  Many cultures worldwide still do a cleanse when the seasons change, but we’ve given that up as old-fashioned folk medicine.

The body isn’t given time to cleanse itself.  Many of us eat too much, and this too, overloads protective systems.  When this goes on for some time we become used to the signals of distress our body sends us, and we ignore those signals, or worse yet, we cover up signals with pain pills, many of which damage the liver the very organ assigned to police the bloodstream.

Just the other day I’d read again that the sweetner xylitol is quite good for teeth.  I bought some gum with xylitol and through the day chewed 2-3 sticks.  Later that day I noticed a headache that stayed with me the rest of the day.  I rarely have headaches so I assumed it was something I’d eaten recently.  I checked ingredients on the gum package and, sure enough, an artificial sweetner was listed. 

I’m hoping there are other gums with xylitol that don’t also contain artificial sweetners.  Artificial sweetners are chemicals that act directly on the brain to fool the brain into sweetness. This one was toxic and my body let me know.

What foods do you know are toxic to you?  Gluten? Milk? Monosodium glutamate?  Share your experiences with us below in the comment box.

Our bodies are sensitive They do let us know when something is out-of-whack.  Our job is to listen to our bodies, take those messages seriously, and get to the source of the problem. 

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If you care about your health you need to be aware of toxins in your food.  As we grow older, these poisons build up and slow the body’s cleansing process.  It’s critical to our health that we be aware of what goes on in American agriculture today.  Denying the facts may give us impaired immune systems, sore joints, and extra weight around the middle, and definitely not a flat stomach!

SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER TO GREAT HEALTH WHEN WE’RE LIVING IN A SEA OF CHEMICALS?

John and I live in high desert country between Reno, NV, and Salt Lake, and we grow great sagebrush, but not many vegetables!

It’s high here, elevation wise.  It freezes and snows, sometimes even in summer.  It’s usually dry.  The sun is strong and harsh, making lettuce, and spinach bolt in early spring, and peas quit producing, even though they just began.  Gardening is tough.

We get most of our summer vegetables from a Community Supported Agriculture program, CSA, in Fallon, to the west of us on the way to Reno.  The vegetables are grown without toxic chemicals (pesticides fungicides, pre-emergents) and fertilized with natural manure and local compost.

Produce the farmer brings us is high in vitamins and minerals and low in toxins.  It’s picked the morning he comes.   Chickens have free-run of the farm, doing what chickens naturally do.

For a contrast: Many fields and produce grown in the U.S. are blanketed in toxic chemicals, chemicals that build up and effectively “sterilize” soil.  These conventionally grown vegetables are lower in vitamins and minerals since they’re grown in depleted soil.

This video shows the contrast between much of American’s agriculture and the small family farm, especially an organic farm.  You’ll also see Will Allen of Growing Power, in Milwaukee’s urban agriculture project which grows vegetables and fruit in its greenhouses, raises goats, ducks, bees, turkeys, and tilapia and Great lakes Perch in the center of the city. 

There you have it.  You saw in this video rows of vegetables covered in spray, unsanitary conditions for our food animals, and toxins that stress our bodies. You also saw inspiring scenes of healthy agriculture, a new paradigm.  What can each of us do?

• First step is to become educated about America’s food.
• Second step might be to support healthy agriculture, perhaps buy organic.
• Third could be to give your body a break from toxin overload by becoming educated about the food supply. 
• Supporting your body’s cleansing function, keeping your immune system and liver healthy.

WHAT’S YOUR EXPERIENCE?  SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW:

• How do you find time to cook food from scratch?  Does it matter to you?
• Do you buy organic produce?  Is it more expensive? The movie pointed out that not all costs, such as environmental degradation, higher sickness rates, are figured into conventional agriculture.
• What time-saving ideas do you have for preparing food from scratch?
• Do you shop at Farmers Markets?
• How do you keep your immune system strong?  Your liver?

Comment and Share this post.  Let’s start a discussion!

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