Detox Foods: How to Get Started

You’ve probably read a lot about foods that remove toxins from your body, clean your blood, and even remove cholesterol and fat from your body. These foods have grown far beyond urban myth to medical fact. Their benefits have exceeded our expectations. Tomatoes and cabbage are being used to prevent and cure certain cancers. Psyllium, orange juice, grape seeds prevent colon problems, including cancer.

When detox you want to eat anything green, the darker the better. Stay away from anything that is white (not including garlic). I don’t think it is necessary to fast to detoxify your body. I’ve done the fast and non-fast. Both have reduced the sleep I needed, eliminated the black spots under my eyes, reduced the bulge in my stomach, and eliminated any puffiness.

However, if you do not detox often, or are trying to do a complete program at once (for the first time) then you need a doctor’s care. I’ll warn you that your sweat will have a strong odor, as will your feces, which may also change to black. Headaches are also common. But, if they are severe, your urine changes color, or you feel heart palpitations, then stop and consult a doctor.

I don’t recommend anyone do more than three days the first time. Take a week or two off, then do another two or three days.

The human body is amazing. It can prevent and cure most diseases when given a chance. A young body contains a force removes toxins through skin tissues and skin-like mucus membranes. This cause symptoms that we work hard t prevent: bouts of sinusitis, asthma, colds, or a combination of these. Every time we take a medicine to stop a runny nose, we prevent our bodies from cleansing themselves.
The body ages and soon it can no longer maintain the aggressive cleansing phenomena. The toxemia begins to go deeper into the organs and tissue.



Benefits of Colon Cleaning and Detoxifying the Body:

1. Every 1% you lower your cholesterol reduces the risk of heart attack by 2%
2. The colon cancer is reduced if the colon is kept clean
3. Reduce the severity and occurrence of yeast infections.
4. Reduce the severity and occurrences of allergies and asthma
5. May reduce eczema
6. May reduce adult acne
7. May reduce wrinkles
8. May reduce sleep problems

May reduce* There are other factors in play. The colon cleansing is only part of the problem.

Fruits Importance in Anti Aging

Fruits, are full of almost good things: vitamin C, fiber, nutritious fluids, and antioxidants. Fluids wash out the body and fresh lemonade is ideal. Its high level of vitamin C, labeled the detox vitamin, helps make toxins water-soluble so they flushed away easily. Humans are the only mammals that do not produce vitamin C in the liver. During Detox or colon cleansing the body needs higher levels of vitamin C than normal.

Getting high concentrates of vitamin C from lemons is difficult as the vitamin levels decrease with storage.

However, do not drink the processed lemon in bottles.

The following is a list of fruits and their vitamin C levels per100 mg flesh

Jujube 500
Apple 6
Barbados Cherry 1,678
Blackcurrant 155+
Blueberry 1 – 16%
Grapefruit 34
Kiwi 99 – 180
Lemon Juice 46
Logan 84
Mango 28
Cantaloupe 42
Orange 53
Papaya 62
Plum 10
Raspberry 25
Red currant 58
Rosehip 1000+
Tangerine 31
Tomato 19
Watermelon 10


99 Foods With the Highest Vitamin C Levels

The health guides state that people need 66 mg of vitamin C a day for the average adult.

Should We Return To Natural Soaps?

How Does Soap Work

Soap helps remove dead skin. Believe it or not, the skin is the body's largest organ, responsible for removing toxins and waste from the body.

Soap is made to remove the dead skin from the top layer of skin - the epidermis - and the microbes that eat them. Soap should be used with a brush to help perform this task.

A toner will close the pores and prevent them from being clogged with dead skin and pollutants in the air.

A good soap will do both. The soap does not need to lather to do this. There are different types of soap. A good soap is made from oils and fatty acid. The oils are mixed with alkali to form glycerin and the salt of the fatty acid.

The surfactants (surface-active agents) in soaps remove grease and dirt because Surfactants have a molecular structure that acts as a link between water and the dirt particles. So the soap actually works like a magnet, or glue, that picks up the dirt and adheres it to the water which then drains away.

A good soap may contain a toner or astringent to tighten the pores, but adding moisturizers, perfume, colors, and scents may actually work against the process by being deposited on the skin and clogging the newly cleaned pores.

Soaps work because of the structure of water. Water molecules contain 2 hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom trapped between them. This makes the water molecule polar with a positive charge at one end and a negative at the other.

Ad an ionic compound like sodium chloride and the positive and negative parts of water are attracted to the positive ions and negative ions. This is what makes soap water soluble. The solubility of the soap depends on the strength of the attraction.

In this way, the fat in our skin, and on our skin are water soluble, making it easy for them to wash away. The epidermis needs a non-polar material that can be dissolved, moved, and then restored to its non-polar state, like a lipid, or triglyceride.

A lipid is made from two parts fatty acid, and an alcohol called glycerine. Both the fat and glycerine are water soluble.

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, like l lard and butter. Unsaturated fats are liquids at room temperature like safflower oil. While the unsaturated fat is healthier, liquid soap is not easy to handle.

Cleansing and astringent herbs may be added to the mix, to improve the scent and cleansing ability of the soap. When the soap dissolves, dirt and pollutants are trapped, and sloughed away with the water.

As the soap takes away pollutants, dead skin, biological contaminants, and waste, the skin works less to remove toxins from the body. Drinking lots of water improves this task, and keeps the skin healthier.

This could be one reason why we are seeing woman in their 50s who look young. They have 'good' soaps, and a good diet that keeps their epidermis working well. Like all 'organs' a healthy epidermis looks healthy - and a chemically damaged and abused organ looks wasted, damaged, and color spotted.

My 5 Day Natural Holistic Free Colon Cleansing Program

This is a cross post from my blog www.healthafter40.blogspot.com This health blog is my most active, and ranks high among the blogging sites. I will be posting a daily journal there of my colon cleansing. I will not be posting the journal here - but in www.healthafter40.blogspot.com so you must go there to comment or follow my progress.


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My husband and I plan to start a colon cleansing program on April one. I will use natural foods and am aiming at 'cleaning out' the dangerous mucus build ups, not just restore my body's ability to create stools.

Feel Free to subscribe to follow this program. I am not going to become 'gross' or descriptive about my program, but I will tell you what I eat, the results, and how I feel.

I plan to do a full 7 day cleansing. At the end, you will have a basic understanding of the colon cleansing process. I will be posting articles within the next week to explain what I plan to do, and why.

The program will actually start a couple days early when I 'prepare' my body. Colon cleansing requires 'shocking' the body - but not making it ill.


USA Today, "Most people who eat the standard American 'goo and glue' diet have about 5-10 pounds of matter stored in the colon."

I will include fennel seed, flax seed, Psyllium but not senna. I will increase the fruits I eat, including (and most important) increasing the orange juice and adding rhubarb to my diet.

Some Facts About Life Expectancy

These numbers are from a report in 2000

the US population included 35.0 million people 65 and over. This number represents a 12% increase since 1990. The older population is growing.

Between 1990 and 2000, the total population increased by 13.2 percent, from 248.7 million to 281.4 million people. The population 65 years and over increased
by 12.0 percent. In 2000, there were 18.4 million people ages 65 to 74 years old, representing 53% of the 'mature' population in the US.

That means the total 'mature' population was about 37 - 40 million people. Or, to put this in perspective, the population of 'mature adults' in the USA exceeds the total population of Canada in 2007.

In 1960, only 7% of the Canadian population was over 65. Currently 11% of the population has reached this level, and in 2016 they expect that 16% of the population will be over 65. Currently, 4.4 million people in Canada are over 65.

This is a lot of people who 'beat the odds.' It is hard to imagine that about 16 million adults in the UK represent that 10% chance of reaching 70 years old.

So, next time you ask yourself whether all the exercise and healthy living are worth it, just remember the 40 million +/- old people in North America and how much fun they are having.

A Few Thoughts on Life Expectancy

I spent the morning looking through life expectancy charts. At first they were rather daunting. There are the world life expectancy charts which provide very vague numbers, and have no relevance to your current age, lifestyle, or mitigating circumstances.

If you are Canadian, expect to life between 70 - 75. If you are from the United Kingdom then you get to live to 77 - 80 years old.. a bit less if you are from the United States.

But, if you read the UK government's forms you get a bit of a different picture. If you are a male, and 44 years old, then you have a 50% chance of reaching 93. If you are male, and 60 years old, you have a 16 - 20% chance of reaching 93 years old. Canadians can expect to live between 75 and 80 for all income brackets, male and female. Americans born in 1980 (sorry, can't find older stats) can expect to live to 73.

The general numbers are not too far off. If you were a male born in 1850 then you had a 10% chance of living until 70 years old and 11.5% for women. The same groups born in 1960 would have a balanced 12% chance of reaching 80. Children born in 2000 will have a 16 - 20% chance.

Of course, you may be wondering how to get into the 11%. With the new health discoveries and understanding of fitness, an improved diet, and a safer lifestyle will all work to keep us living longer - and healthier. Hereditary factors will come into play too.

I am not sure I want to reach 93 if I am in a nursing hoe. However, it would be nice to life to 80 and stay on my feat until the very end.

The leading causes of death in 2003 were:

The leading causes of death For Americans in 2003
Rank Cause Deaths
1 Heart disease 684,462
2 Malignant neoplasms 554,643
3 Cerebrovascular diseases 157,803
4 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 126,128
5 Accidents 105,695
6 Diabetes mellitus 73,965
7 Influenza and pnemonia 64,847
8 Alzheimer's disease 63,343
9 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome,
nephrosis 42,536
10 Septicemia 34,243
11 Suicide 30,642
12 Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 27,201
13 Essential hypertension
and hypertensive renal disease 21,841
14 Parkinson's disease 17,898
15 Pneumonitis due to solids
and liquids 17,457
LiveScience Chart / SOURCE: CDC

So, when you look at these numbers, and remove things that you are no tprone to, your chances of living longer are looking positive.

I wanted to bring this information to light because I was talking to a friend a few days ago who said 'what is the point.' She was 50 and thought it was too late to extend her life. We have a better chance than our parents. They had no choice but to live on fat, purins (meat), and starch. Many of the healthy foods available to use were unheard of to them. There is a point - enjoying life.


My next couple of posts are going to explore the increased life expectancy a little more, and explain the phenomenom a little.

The Truth Can Set You Free

I recently read an article at a favorite website. The article was called 7 Signs That You're Living in Denial.

I'm Never at Fault: Others are always at fault, aren't they? You keep doing everything right and they just ruin things for you, do they? Sorry to have to say this, but not assuming responsibility is one of the most obvious signs that you are living in denial.

Everything Has an Excuse: "I'm not going to do this because..." "I would have done that, if not for..." Do you somehow manage to find excuses for everything? Good for you, maybe you will find someone who pays you for that, but for the time being, your attitude is yet another sign that you are simply living in a fantasy world.

Everyone Else is Wrong: Are all of the people who don't agree with you clueless? Are they that ignorant, can't they understand your brilliance? I'm sorry but, if that's the way you see things, I am afraid that the problem lies elsewhere. One tip: it's not with everyone else.

It's All One Big Conspiracy I Tell You: Does it seem that everyone and their dog is working against you? Are you just a poor innocent victim in what seems to be one huge conspiracy against you? In that case, have you considered getting some help? No, everyone is not conspiring against you, and it's about time you stopped living in denial and started seeing how things actually stand. You can read the rest of the denial problems by clicking here.

This problem is also called 'ego personality disorder' and it ruins lives. The good news is that it can be managed and overcome. Many people with this disorder see it as their protection. Their self esteem is so low that they must overcompensate to protect themselves. But, step one to freedom is learning that you are the same person whether you live in a fantasy world or the real world. Loosing the EPD will only bring good things for you - like friends.




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Don't Lose Your Job to RSI

In medical terms, repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) caused by prolonged repetitive, awkward hand movements that damage muscles, tendons, and nerves of the neck, shoulder, forearm, and hand, causing pain, weakness, numbness, or impairment of movement. It can be caused by working long periods at a computer, either in a chair with poor support, no foot rest, and using a square or small keyboard.

Typing and clicking a mouse button can be harmful. Injured muscles contract, decreasing the range of motion. As the typist continues to work, the level of stress increases. At first they suffer wrist pain and head aches, but after a while the pain increases.

Professionals that understand the disease know that slowing down for a month or two out of the year, taking breaks, and listening to their body will keep them working. Those who don't listen or make excuses (I can't afford a secretary's chair or ergonomic/split keyboard) end up with a debilitating chronic disorder that can take several hundreds of dollars and more than six months to correct. In effect - they are out of business.

What Happens with RSI?

The sheaths that cover tendons run out of lubrication because they aren't allowed to rest. The tendon and sheath chafe, causing pain. The tendons become inflamed, and pinch nerves. This causes numbness, tingling, or hypersensitivity to touch.

Poor posture can lead to severe neck and back injuries. Repetitive reaching for a mouse can lead to arm and neck strain as well as spinal strain.

RSI is not a medical diagnosis, but a family of disorders, mistakenly called carpal tunnel syndrome. One recent study even reported that frequent computer users are no more likely to develop CTS than non-computer users.

• poor posture


• poor technique


• Do not use a keyboard designed for computer users


• Use a computer more than two hours a day


• Your job that requires constant computer use,


• Don't take breaks


• Use a manager chair, or don't use a secretary's chair


• Don't exercise


• Have stressful deadlines, work 7 days a week


• Work in a high-pressure environment


• Have arthritis, diabetes, or another serious medical condition


• Have long fingernails


• Have an unhealthy, or sedentary lifestyle


• Are overweight


• Don't believe you are at risk

You are at risk of you experience:

• Fatigue


• Weakness in the hands or forearms


• Tingling, numbness, or loss of sensation


• Heaviness Clumsiness in your hands


• You drop things or lack coordination


• Cold hands?


• Frequent self-massage


• Avoid using one hand


• Use your forearm, feet, or shoulder to open doors?


• Not play sports you once enjoyed?


• Have trouble sleeping
• When typing you notice that you are holding one wrist 'up' off the wrist support, or find yourself reaching for keys that you'd normally touch without moving your wrist.

The first sign is often irritability with family members, being short tempered, or having an emotional outburst while working, but without any apparent cause.

When I find myself strained, I wear a fingerless brace like the one above. It supports my wrist and forces me to move in a different patter, it slows my typing speed down, and gives me a chance to retrain my hands to move properly. That said, I haven't worn my wrist braces since buying an ergonomic keyboard.




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Clean Your Body Fat - Secret To Health

When you think of body fat, you imagine a white substance that lines the muscles under your skin. We think that it is extra calories - wrong.

Fat is comprised of all the poisons and toxins, the pesticides, the food coloring, the preservatives, and everything in your food that cannot be easily digested. It also includes the poisons and toxins from your face cream, the residue from your shampoo, the air born pollutants in your home, the undigestible parts of your room freshiner.

No wonder the population finds it difficult remaining healthy. Add to this the lack of nutrients needed to energise and fuel the internal organs, and the exercise needed to keep the body healthy, and we have a receipe for disaster.

Once you decide to cleans your body and restore it to its youthful efficiency, stop. It is not time to head to the health food store.

Not All Herbs Are Equal

The first step is to learn about herbs. For example, not all Sage varieties work to help purify the blood and clean the digestive track. The pills may also cause health risks according to this Sage article on Medical Net.

Barberry, black radish, eyebright, lobelia, milk thistle, Oregon grape (do not use if pregnant), pau d'arco, wild yam, and yellow dock cleanse and detoxify the liver and the endocrine system. Use these independently or in combination

Many of these can become part of your diet, taken as a tea, or taken in pill form. But, it is vital to consult a doctor before adding a 'medical herb' to your diet.




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Read This Before Buying Colon Cleansing Products

Read this before buying any colon cleansing products. There are several natural products that can work - without making you resort to eating grass.

Drink Water

Yes, water is the world's best solvent and purifyer. Drinking plenty of water can clean the oclon, reduce toxic levels in your body, and keep your skin looking younger. Many of the lexictives that pose as colon cleanswers are nothing more than a platform that requires an increased water intake, making me wonder whether it is the water or the laxitive that cleanses the colon.

My husband has been on this colon cleansing kick lately, mainly becuase of the number of tele-mercials offering a quick 'tasteless' cure. I've read a bunch of reviews on many of them and found some truths.

'you can loose 15lb.' This is true, because that is how much most people have in theri bowels according to the experts. So, taking any laxitive will result in a 15lb loss - for a day or two.

'extend your life.' This is true - anything that removes toxins from your body will prevent disease and extend life.

Natural Soaps

Most people do not realize that the skin is the body's largest organ. The more sprays, perfumes, and powders we put on our skin - the harder it must work to clean our body. This includes cleaning our body with fancy soaps.

Yes, we are washing off the dirt, but we are also covering our ephidermous with a layer of gunk that smells good and makes it difficult for our skin to perform its job - cleaning toxins from our body.

Scrubbing the body while bathing is one way to get rid of skin and dirt that clog the pours and improve its ability to keep us healthy.

The Lymph - Skin Brushing

Skin brushing is an excellent method of cleansing the lymphatic system. Uf this is not working well, then no amount of colon cleansing will be effective.

Waste material is carried from the cells by both blood and lymph. Skin brushing stimulates the release of toxins with their carrier cells, primarily lymphocytes, that will find their way to the colon.

A sedentary lifestyle, with the common use of anti-perspirant, keep people from perspiring enough. Toxins and metabolic waste are not released through sweat, but back up into the body and eventually, the colon. Skin brushing opens up the pores, allowing the body to breathe and thus enhances proper functioning of the organs.

Continued in Future Articles



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