Did you know your body naturally detoxes every-single-day! I am a huge believer in increasing daily practices that assist the body, do its thang.

We live in a world now, where we are constantly over-loaded with additives, toxins, preservatives, chemicals, petrochemicals, pesticides, and synthetically made ingredients, that we cannot control!

Our bodies do an incredible job at keeping us healthy, and fight them all on their own. However, as with anything… when the system gets overloaded, chances of disease increase.

I make a conscious effort to reduce, what I can to eliminate overload on the body. For instance, buying organic produce, using toxic/chemical free household cleaners, toxic-free make-up and beauty products… But there are a few other simple things that you can do every-singe-day to flush the body and reduce the build up of toxicity.

Water?! Why is Water so important in assisting the body to naturally detox?

Obviously you need to up your water in summer but we tend to forget it’s even more important in the winter time.

A super easy tip – I personally love, is to wake up with water beside my bed so I can guzzle it down before getting up. Drinking water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, will help purify your colon, making it much easier to absorb nutrients through the day.

I know, I know, you’ve heard this before… so, tell me… why don’t you do it?

Wholeome Heart Quick Tip – Add lemon and ginger for the extra Vitamin C, to protect you against cold and flu season!

My challenge to you today is to carry a bottle of water with you ALL day and continue to sip… how many bottles do you get through usually?

Aim for 2L of purified water a day!!

Other ways water helps to detoxify the system;

• Drinking water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, purifies the colon making it easier to absorb nutrients
• Increase the production of new blood cells and muscle cells,
• Assists in weightloss. Drinking 2L of purified water a day can boost your metabolism.
• Drinking a glass of water 20mins before your meal can decrease the amount t of food you consume and remove he need to over indulge.
• Water removes toxins, and assists the renewal of skin cells, giving you glowing and clearer skin.
  By not consuming enough water the toxins remain in our body and will be released else where… like your pores!
• Assists your lymphatic system to perform its daily functions.
• Dehydrated skin has the tendency to have more breakouts.
• Assists the body to digest all the heavier foods we tend to consume in winter. Having an unhearhybdigestive system can lead to all sorts of health concerns. As we now know, most diseases begin in the GUT

So not only do we need to keep hydrated for detoxifying but if we don’t, you will end up with a toxic overload giving you a blocked colon, bloating, dull skin, flaky skin, breakouts and all the shiz we really don’t want!

Movement!

Moving your body gently everyday, is one of the simplest ways to naturally detox, yet its not often discussed in you ‘common detox plan’.

PLUS did you know getting out in nature naturally boosts your immune system too!

Exercise assists the organs to eliminate, simply by getting them going. Moving the body helps to circulate both blood and your lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system cleanses and purifies the blood to eliminate the toxins.

So it is vital, to move everyday.

It is best combine both yin and yang exercises. Like Yoga, Swimming and Walking (as your Yin) and also, Boxing, Running, Spin etc. (as your Yang).

Removing Chemicals we CAN control!

Take the time to slowly remove the toxic chemicals in your home. It can be quite overwhelming (and expensive) if you were to completely overhaul your home. Remember! You do not need to have a complete overhaul of your life, take these notes and work them slowly into your lifestyle. The goal is to remove the things we can control to allow our bodies to work efficiently without overload.

If this is in your budget, then totally go for it. But like myself, I started with the products I was using the most. At the time, it was my makeup. Now there are so many amazing companies that remove all the unwanted chemicals and still produce quality products!

Many of these synthetic chemicals are skin irritants, skin penetrators, endocrine disrupters and are carcinogenic. I can’t go through all of these harmful chemicals, but here are,

10 you should highly avoid.

Parabens. Parabens are widely used preservatives that prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast in cosmetic products. Sounds good, right? Not so fast, they do more than that. Parabens possess estrogen-mimicking properties that are associated with increased risk of breast cancer. These chemicals are absorbed through the skin and have been identified in biopsy samples from breast tumors. They can be found in makeup, body washes, deodorants, shampoos and facial cleansers. You can also find them in food and pharmaceutical products.

Synthetic colors. If you take a look at your product label and notice FD&C or D&C, they represent artificial colors. F — representing food and D&C representing drug and cosmetics. These letters precede a color and number (e.g., D&C Red 27 or FD&C blue 1). These synthetic colors are derived from petroleum or coal tar sources. Synthetic colors are suspected to be a human carcinogen, a skin irritant and are linked to ADHD in children. The European Classification and Labeling considers it a human carcinogen and the European Union has banned it.

Fragrance. This particular category is pretty scary, because what does “fragrance” mean anyway? This term was created to protect a company’s “secret formula.” But as the consumer you could be putting on a concoction that contains tons of chemicals that are hazardous to your health. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep Database, fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress and potential effects on the reproductive system. It can be found in many products such as perfume, cologne, conditioner, shampoo, body wash and moisturizers.

Phthalates. A group of chemicals used in hundreds of products to increase the flexibility and softness of plastics. The main phthalates in cosmetics and personal care products are dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl phthalate in hair spray. They are known to be endocrine disruptors and have been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls, and reproductive birth defects in males and females. Unfortunately, it is not disclosed on every product as it’s added to fragrances (remember the “secret formula” not listed), a major loophole in the law. They can be found in deodorants, perfumes/colognes, hair sprays and moisturizers.

Triclosan. Tricolson is widely used antimicrobial chemical that’s a known endocrine disruptor — especially thyroid and reproductive hormones, and a skin irritant. Studiesraise concerns that triclosan contributes to making bacteria antibiotic-resistant. There also wasn’t enough supporting evidence that washing with antibacterial soaps containing triclosan provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water. Tricolson can be found in toothpastes, antibacterial soaps and deodorants.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) / Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). This surfactant can be found in more than 90 percent of personal care and cleaning products (think foaming products). SLS’s are known to be skin, lung, and eye irritants. A major concern about SLS is its potential to interact and combine with other chemicals to form nitrosamines, a carcinogen. These combinations can lead to a host of other issues like kidney and respiratory damage. They can be found in shampoo, body wash/cleanser, mascara and acne treatment.

Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRP’s) preservatives are used in many cosmetic products to help prevent bacteria growth. This chemical was deemed as a human carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Carcinogens (IARC) and has been linked to occupational related cancers: nasal and nasopharyngeal. It is known to cause allergic skin reactions and it may also be harmful to the immune system. It can be found in nail polish, body washes, conditioners, shampoos, cleansers, eye shadows, nail polish treatments.

Toluene. A petrochemical derived from petroleum or coal tar sources. You may see it on labels listed as benzene, toluol, phenylmethane, methylbenzene. Toluene is a potent solvent able to dissolve paint and paint thinner. It can affect your respiratory system, cause nausea and irritate your skin. Expecting mothers should avoid exposure to toluene vapors as it may cause developmental damage in the fetus. Toluene has also been linked to immune system toxicity. It can be found in nail polish, nail treatments and hair color/bleaching products.

Propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is a small organic alcohol commonly used as a skin-conditioning agent. It’s classified as a skin irritant and penetrator. It has been associated with causing dermatitis as well as hives in humans — these sensitization effects can be manifested at propylene glycol concentrations as low as 2 percent. It can be found in moisturizers, sunscreen, makeup products, conditioners, shampoo and hair sprays.

Sunscreen chemicals. These chemicals function as a sunscreen agent, to absorb ultraviolet light. These chemicals are endocrine disruptors and are believed to be easily absorbed into the body. They may also cause cellular damage and cancer in the body. Common names are benzophenone, PABA, avobenzone, homosalate and ethoxycinnmate. They can be found in sunscreen products.

It’s impossible to avoid every single synthetic chemical, but you can do your part in limiting the amount of toxins your body is exposed to. Be sure to: eat clean, avoid chemical-laden processed foods, drink plenty of filtered water and look for products that are certified organic if you want to avoid these toxic chemicals.

Educate yourself and do your research before you buy. Think of something you absolutely love, and the time and energy you apply to it. Use the same, when it comes to your health. You have one life to live and one body. If you don’t take care of yourself, you may pay for it later in sickness.

Be sure to check out the EWG’s Skin Deep Database to research toxic chemicals that could be in your cosmetic and personal care products.

Increase yo GREENS!

How much fruit and vegetables do you think you consume a day…? Did you know that the recommendation is now 8 servings! Which might seem almost impossible for some people!!! Including ME…

One way to up your veggie intake is to add a smoothie to your day, maybe a 3pm snack or breakfast? Add Zucchini, Avocado, Cucumber, Spinach, Collard Greens, Kale, Parsley or Mint- too many to list.
Leafy greens are high-alkaline foods which help to filter pollutants out of our bodies.
Not only that they are also high in phytochemicals, which stimulate detoxification in the digestive tract. BOOM!

I mean we knew greens were good, and have been drilled since childhood to eat them, but they are even more important as we get older to detoxify the bod.

You know I love a good smoothie even when it’s cold! Any way I can up my veggies easier! Check out some easy recipes for The Wholesome Hearts favorite detox snacks!

(please note the information regarding, which chemicals to avoid was written by
By Vanessa Cunningham)