October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. We all know that. But did you know…
– 65 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every day in Canada
– Every day, 14 Canadian women will die from breast cancer
– 1 in 9 Canadian women will be diagnosed in their lifetime
– 200 men will be diagnosed this year and 60 will die from it
The build up of toxins in our body over the years reduces our cells ability to function properly and can cause damage to our DNA. Every day, we put our immune system and the detoxifying organs through the ringer to deal with all this foreign material.
Herbicides, pesticides, BPA’s, free-radicals…it’s everywhere!
Cancer is the result of a mistake that is made in the duplication process of the cell’s DNA.
Consuming antioxidant rich foods and following a regular detoxification program can not only help reduce the number of mistakes in cell division (do you hear me…reduce cancer risk), but we’ll have more energy and sleep better too. What a great side benefit.
Here are 10 Easy and gentle ways to detoxify our body.
1. Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice, and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.
2. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, milk thistle, and drinking green tea.
3. Eat vitamin C rich foods, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.
4. Drink at least 2 litres of water daily.
5. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system. Cancer can’t thrive in well oxygenated cells.
6. Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions. Practice daily gratitude.
7. Practice hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times, and then get into bed for 30 minutes.
8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.
9. Dry-brush your skin before a shower, or try detoxifying patches or detox foot spas / foot baths to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes are available at natural products stores.
10. What is the most important way to detoxify? Exercise! Every day. Try yoga or qigong, a martial-arts based exercise system that includes exercises specifically for detoxifying or cleansing, as well as many other exercises with specific health benefits.
In good health,
Cheryl Wahl, RHN, Fitness Trainer
North Shore Nutrition
