The world we live in is becoming increasingly more toxic each and every day. Hundreds of thousands of new synthetic chemicals are being introduced into the environment and consumer products every year without ever going through proper safety testing. It is clear that we cannot rely on the so-called regulatory agencies to keep dangerous chemicals from entering the world we live in.
Because of this, it is absolutely critical to take proactive action to educate ourselves about the potential sources of these chemicals, their health effects, and how we can avoid them. As well as how to remove toxicity from the body once we have already been exposed to it.
My name is Matt Bennett and I am a Holistic Health Educator with a passionate focus on raw living foods and detoxification. I have been practicing a raw vegan lifestyle centered around whole fruits and vegetables since 2011. In that time, I have seen incredible transformations in my body, mind, and spirit.
I grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota where we ate a fairly standard American diet of meat, dairy, eggs, processed foods, fast food, and of course, a few fruits and vegetables. From a young age, I suffered from asthma, eczema, constipation, and frequent colds/flus. As I entered my teenage years, I started to experience depression and toxic thinking patterns, which significantly lowered my quality of life.
At the age of 24, I learned about the concept of juice fasting and detoxification for the enhancement of physical and mental health. I knew very little about either of these modalities. But coincidentally – just weeks prior – I was gifted a hand-me-down Jack LaLanne juicer that I had not used up to that point. The next day, I went to the grocery store and loaded up on all the fruits and vegetables that I could find and embarked on what would be a ten-day juice feast.
What happened next would change my life forever.
By the third day, I was sleeping better. I had more energy, and was more clear-minded than I had been in a long time. As the juice feast continued, I noticed that my asthmatic symptoms had greatly improved. And my toxic thinking patterns began to shift in a more positive direction. After I finished my juice on the tenth day, I transitioned to a whole food, plant-based, vegan diet. And eleven years later, I have maintained all of the initial benefits plus more to this day.
It was through this experience that I realized the power of raw foods and natural living. And their ability to support the body in achieving its natural state of health. This is what I would like to share with you today – that the body is a self-healing and detoxifying organism that can do miraculous things when given the correct environment. And the way in which we eat and live will largely determine how efficiently the body can remove toxicity and maintain homeostasis – so let’s go over five ways to help the body in this process.
How To Remove Toxicity From Your Mind and Body
♡ Get at least 75% of your daily calories from raw fruits and vegetables.
This will provide the body with important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, fiber, and hydration that are all necessary to support the body’s detoxification processes. Keeping the body hydrated with water rich-foods (and with as much additional drinking water as needed) allows the body to transport toxins to the eliminative pathways. Fiber binds to toxins in the GI tract and pulls them out of the body via bowel movements.
♡ Sweat daily – ideally via exercise.
The skin is the body’s largest eliminative organ and plays a key role in reducing the toxic load of the body. Sweating is not only a way for the body to cool itself – it’s also used to transport metabolic waste and environmental toxins out of the body. This is another important reason to avoid letting the body become dehydrated. Stay away from lotions and creams that clog the pores. And consider using a dry skin brush a few times a week to help with exfoliating the skin.
♡ Forest Bathing
Spending time in nature helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is essential for the healing and detoxification processes. Being around trees, fresh air, sunshine, and the sounds of the forest help to reduce mental and emotional stress that can become chronic in today’s society. Even if you can’t get to a forest, spend more time outside – perhaps at a park – and get direct sunlight on your skin and fresh air into your lungs.
♡ Avoid synthetic chemicals.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article – synthetic chemicals are all around us. It is not likely that we can avoid them all. But we can do our best to reduce our exposure as much as possible. Stop using synthetic laundry products, lotions, air fresheners, perfumes, colognes, shampoos, beauty products, animal products, processed foods, tap water, drinking from plastic bottles, and anything else that are known sources of harmful poisons. These chemicals alter the microbiome, stress our organs and glands, disrupt our hormonal balance, and increase the overall toxic load of the body.
I suggest doing your research on the ingredients of any products that you use in your home or on your body. Here are a few alternative products that we feel comfortable using in our home:
Deodorant:
For store bought deodorant, I like Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant. However, I prefer to make my own by placing a few drops of jojoba oil, a few drops of lemon essential oil, and a few pinches of baking soda in one hand. Rubbing my hands together and applying it to each armpit – works like a charm.
Air Fresheners:
Get rid of synthetic air fresheners immediately! Instead you can use an essential oil diffuser (do your research which ones are safe if you have pets) or you can even use a spray bottle with organic white vinegar to give your room a fresh, clean scent with just a couple mists into the air.
Dish soap:
Regular dish soaps contain harmful ingredients that can stick to dishes, get into your food and drinks, and end up harming the gut microbiome. In our home we eat a whole food plant based diet. So we typically just need hot water and a brush to clean our dishes. But if there is ever a need for soap, we use Bronner’s castile liquid soap.
Toothpaste:
We choose to avoid fluoride, as it is neurotoxic. The two toothpastes that I like best is Earth Paste and Auromere.
Shampoo/Conditioner:
In our home, we use bath/shower products from a company called The Body Deli, who make fresh, organic, raw superfood enhanced personal care products. Check them out here.
Laundry detergent:
I recommend avoiding most of the common laundry detergents out there – even the “free and clear” versions. We use Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder.
Clothing:
You likely wear clothing nearly all day, every day. So you’re potentially being exposed to chemicals in these materials your entire life. I recommend avoiding synthetic, petroleum-based fibers as much as you can. This means to choose natural fibers such as cotton or hemp when possible. And to take it even further, if you can find affordable organic clothing that you like – that’s even better. Here is a brand that we support.
Bedding:
Sleep is when the body is going into deeper detoxification and healing. You don’t want to be covered in chemicals that increase your body’s toxic load. I recommend finding organic bedding if possible. At the very least wash your bedding with a non-toxic detergent, such as Molly’s Suds.
Water:
We use distilled water from our home water distiller for drinking and cooking. Distilled water is the most reliable and consistent way to know you are avoiding harmful contaminants in your drinking water. See my blog post 5 Reasons To Own A Water Distiller, my video My Favorite Water Distiller, or my Distilled Water Playlist. If buying a distiller is not something you want to do, my next choice would be to fill up your own glass jugs at a grocery store with a Reverse Osmosis dispenser. However, this is a much less convenient option.
♡ Don’t eat late at night.
As the sun is going down the body is preparing to enter a healing, cleansing, and detoxification period over the night. However, because digestion requires so much of the body’s vital energy, if there is a meal that needs to be digested throughout the night, there will be much less energy that can be directed towards healing and detoxification. So, not only will we prevent the body from detoxifying as efficiently as it could, we impair our ability to get a deep, restful sleep. Which will negatively impact our overall energy levels and immune system. It is best to stop eating at least three to four hours before going to sleep.
With the tips listed above, you now have a good starting point to begin supporting your body’s healing and detoxification efforts. However, this is just the beginning. And there are many more steps that we can take as we continue down this path towards a more healthy and holistic lifestyle. It’s generally best to make changes gradually so you don’t feel overwhelmed. I suggest starting with the areas that you are exposed to the most frequently – such as the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the water you drink, and the chemicals and products you frequently use in your home.
If you would like to learn more about this topic and other holistic lifestyle information, please connect with me on my social media at Raw Intuition on YouTube and Instagram. You can also find my books, recipe ebooks, community newsletter, and all my services at myrawintuition.com
Matt
+ stalk this fiber filled coffee to really get things moving.
++ learn how to drink more water effortlessly.
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