You Can't Out Exercise a Bad Diet.
Our bodies are bombarded with toxins every single day through our drinking water, the soaps we use to clean ourselves and our houses, to the air we breathe and the food we eat. Let’s face it, we live in a toxic world, but our bodies have the amazing ability to heal its self. We have the power to help it every day.
Toxins store in your fat cells and are our body’s way of protecting itself. The liver is your body’s filtration system and everything you eat, breathe and absorb through your skin goes through the liver. The liver then excretes the waste and toxins into the bile. If you are eating the right foods, you then remove the waste and toxins through your bile (pooh). If you are not eating the right foods these toxins are then reabsorbed into the blood stream and distributed throughout your body. Your body is so incredible and is constantly trying to protect itself from harm that it forms a fat cell and mucus around the toxin to protect it from damage.1, 2 When you diet or exercise to lose weight (fat), your body holds onto the fat because losing it will cause more damage to your body.¹ You can’t exercise the toxins out. Yes, you do lose some toxins through your sweat, but to effectively remove toxins from your body they should exit through the bile.
So what can you do? There are so many options here and no way for me to list them all, but here are a few I have learned and incorporated into my family’s diet.
· DRINK WATER! The first thing you should drink in the morning is water. Sleeping is how your body repairs itself and it needs to be hydrated to do this. If you wake up in the morning stiff and sore, that could be a sign of dehydration. Headache, thirst and hunger pains are all signals your body sends you that it needs water.
o Vitamins and minerals are water soluble, which means they need water to travel through your body. If you take vitamin supplements and don’t drink enough water they cannot travel through your body and be distributed where they are needed.
· JUICE!Why juice when you can just eat it? Good question, but are you eating it? Juicing is a great way to supply your body with the nutrients you need to function and for your body to heal. Here’s one I juice every day. (All organic ingredients)
o Celery- for bone health and a great alkalizing food
o Cucumber- good source of vitamin C, good for skin health and another alkalizing food
o Parsley- super chlorophyll food, helps eliminate body odor, highest vitamin C rich food, diuretic, settles stomach, and helps with kidney stones
o Cilantro/coriander helps remove the toxins from your body
o Broccoli- high in vitamin A,C and K, overall super food
o Carrots- super beta-carotene food, powerful antioxidant. Beta-carotene is what protects fruits and vegetables from sun burn, has the same protective effect in our body.
o Apple- high in vitamin C helps promote digestive system, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!
o Oranges- major source of vitamin C, flavonoids in the white part are a great antioxidant.
o Beetroot- helps oxygenate the blood and is great for muscle recovery in athletes.
· SUPERFOODS!
o Chia seeds- form a gelatinous texture when mixed with liquid and helps to ‘grab on’ to toxins in the bile. Aloe Vera has the same beneficial effect.
o Coconut oil- helps remove toxins from fat
o Miso- helps remove toxins
o Organic Coffee- helps to stimulate the liver to release toxins. Organic coffee enemas are used in the Gerson Therapy.³
2 ½ months ago I went to a Naturopath and I started a liver detox, an herbal drink that quite honestly tasted horrible. During this time my body started to detoxify, I began to get headaches and felt a cold coming on. I became congested and two weeks in felt a bit run down. The next week my mouth filled with tiny ulcers and felt like there was a gritty film (yeast) all over my teeth, tongue and cheeks, food tasted horrible, I also craved salty foods. That lasted for just over a week. At first I didn’t know what was happening to me, I felt horrible, but I was reminded that my body was detoxifying. Detoxing will be different for everyone and will depend on the amount of toxins you have stored in your body and how your body will react. Since I started my detox, I have lost almost 2.5kg, the majority of it coming off in the last few weeks. (Keep in mind, Easter was 2 weeks ago- Chocolate!!!) I have incorporated raw foods and juicing into our family’s diet and I do a Raw Food Detox at least once a month for maintenance. (Check out my Raw Detox and Cabbage Salad Blog)
Now for those of you who know me know I love exercise, but since November 2011 I have not been able to work out due to a strained muscle in my back. The only exercise I am getting right now is walking and riding bikes with my two daughters to and from school (less than 15K a week). A year ago I was competing in my first Olympic distance Triathlon, but during my training I put on an extra 2kg. I constantly complained to my husband who saw the foods I ate, plants and neither one of us could understand what was happening. I was 64.7kg this time last year and I am happy to say I am 60.2kg today! I have lost fat from my abdomen, arms, thighs, face and bum. My hair and nails are growing stronger and healthier and my skin has never looked better. Wrinkles are disappearing and even my dark spots on my face are fading. My energy is back and I no longer have that afternoon fog, I feel great! The power of food is amazing and I will forever quote,
“Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be food.”- Hippocrates
“When you eat real food, you don’t need rules”- Michael Pollan
Lori M
Here is the legal stuff… The thoughts on this blog are my opinion and are of things I have an interest in. They are based on research, testing on myself and documented where need be. They are in no way intended to override a medical professional or treat or cure anyone. In addition, my thoughts and opinions change from time to time…I consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind. Feel free to challenge me, disagree with me, or tell me I’m completely nuts in the comments section of each blog entry, but I reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason whatsoever (abusive, profane, rude, or anonymous comments) – so keep it polite, please.⁴
1) http://www.hungryforchange.tv/
2) http://www.hungryforchange.tv/detox
3) http://gerson.org/gerpress/
4) http://www.blogherald.com/2007/10/01/does-your-blog-need-a-disclaimer/
