“DETOX” – The Buzz Word of Today

“Detox” is the buzz word in healthy living these days, and there are some great ways to do that safely.  

But what is it that is polluting our bodies that requires us to have to detox it?

1. Dehydration – our bodies are more than 50% water, so if we do not replenish the water often enough, our

organs struggle to rid the body of toxins, our joints are not well lubricated and our skin can dry out.  

Health professional guidelines promote that we drink half our weight in ounces daily.

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2. Water Quality – tap water, depending on where you live, will typically have undesirable chemicals

and pollutants that can stay in our bodies after we drink it.   Though there is a huge range of quality and cost in

water filters,  even a  simple charcoal water filter like the Brita or similar will remove a lot of the pollutants.

The pH of the water is  also a factor.  pH ranges from 0 to 14.  Below 7 is acidic, above 7 is alkaline, or basic.

Drinking alkaline water with a  pH of 8 to 9 will neutralize the damaging effects of acid in your system from

coffee, soda, processed foods and sugar.  There are water filters that create this water, but adding a lemon to

your water will also make it alkaline.  While eating, your stomach has acids in it to aid digestion, so allow 30

minutes before and after a meal before drinking alkaline water.

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3. Clean Eating – easier said than done!  Well, we all start in different places.  Since processed SUGAR is the

number one offender, simply reducing or eliminating sugar alone will have huge positive health benefits.

It always makes me cringe when I see the cereal or the drinks aisle of the supermarket and look at the

dozens of eye-catching varieties of packaged sugar.  Health experts will advise to shop around the perimeter    

for fresh produce, lean meats and fish, and dairy.

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4. Clean AIR – this gets much less attention except from asthma sufferers or those with other respiratory or

immune problems, but just think, you eat and drink maybe a half a dozen times a day, but you breathe every

minute of every hour of every day for your entire life.   There are ways to manage the impact of unhealthy

outdoor air by monitoring the location, the temperature, the time of day and the activities of our time outdoors.

But we have far greater control over our indoor air quality if we choose to.   Here’s a few tips to tune up the

quality of your indoor air.  Thoroughly dust and vacuum carpets at least once a week.  Surface dust collects on

furniture, and can accumulate on lighting fixtures, wood or vinyl window blinds, moldings, picture frames and

draperies.  Too much clutter will also make it difficult to regularly remove the dust.  Keep pets well-groomed to

reduce dander.  Use fans in bathrooms before and after  showering and in the kitchen when cooking.   Make

sure they are vented to the outside.  Clean dryer vents once a year.  Change the HVAC filters every two to three

months and have them cleaned every one to two years.  Clean up any leaks and dry them out thoroughly.  

If you have had any leaks that may be behind wall or in the ceiling, or see evidence of leaks like stains on walls,

make sure they have been repaired and check them for mold growth.   Basements, crawl spaces and attics are

prone to mold growth so proper ventilation, and even fans or dehumidifiers may be required.   If you think you

have a problem with mold, call a certified mold specialist because unchecked mold growth can cause unhealthy

levels of spores in the air that you are breathing.

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