Many people think of detoxification as a finite thing, something that happens over a period of three or seven days and involves consuming nothing but green drinks and water. But, really, detoxification is something your body must do on a daily, 24/7 basis – and if it cannot, you’re in for some trouble.

Your body is literally inundated with toxicants every day. They’re in your food, your air, your water, your personal care products, and virtually every object in your home. Your body has the tall task of removing the toxicants as best it can so they don’t poison your body, and so that you can continue functioning and, ideally, thriving from day to day.

This can’t be done in a matter of hours or even days. It must be done on an ongoing, continuous basis, and for that your body requires proper nutrition. Part of the reason why eating too many processed foods and added sugars, and drinking too much alcohol and caffeine, makes you feel so lethargic, foggy-headed and grumpy is because you’re probably putting in more junk than your body is taking out.

Your Body’s 2-Phase Detoxification Process

Many parts of your body contribute to the detoxification process, including your kidneys, blood, bowel, skin and lymphatic system. But it is your liver that takes the starring role. Your liver filters your blood and also breaks down chemicals using a two-phase process. Phase 1 involves the neutralization of toxicants, which are subsequently broken down into smaller fragments. Sometimes, however, the compound being detoxified is not rendered completely inert and may in fact end up more dangerous after phase-1 oxidation then when it started (benzene being one example).

During phase 2, those small fragments are bound to other molecules, rendering them harmless, so they can be eliminated in your urine, stool and bile. Proper nutrients are necessary for each of these phases to occur, and if you don’t have the right ones, a dangerous imbalance can occur.

Specifically, if you only have the nutrients to complete phase 1 detox but not phase 2, the broken down toxicants may accumulate in your body with no way out. As mentioned, sometimes this might include toxic byproducts of phase 1 detoxification, so it’s essential to complete the process to eliminate them effectively.

You’ve got to complete both phases for optimal health. Nutrients necessary for this process are as follows:[i]

Phase 1:

• B-Vitamins (B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid)
• Flavonoids (organic fruits and vegetables)
• Vitamins A, C and E (such as carrots, oranges, wheat germ, almonds)
• Glutathione (avocado, watermelon, asparagus, walnuts, fresh fruits and veggies)
• Branched chain amino acids (animal protein)
• Phospholipids (eggs, lean meats, organ meats, fish)

Phase 2:

• Indole-3-carbinol (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables)
• Limonene (oranges, tangerines, caraway seeds and dill seeds)
• Glutathione (avocado, watermelon, asparagus, walnuts, fresh fruits and veggies)
• Omega-3 fats (sardines, anchovies, wild-caught salmon, fish oil)
• Amino acids (protein)

5 Foods to Supercharge Your Body’s Detoxification Process

Whole foods – including organic fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grass-fed beef, organic poultry, wild-caught seafood, and eggs from free-range hens – will ensure your body’s nutrient requirements are fulfilled and enable it to rid itself of toxicants.

However, certain foods are known for their ability to boost your body’s detoxification powers. This includes:

1. Artichokes

Artichokes are an excellent source of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), or prebiotics. Prebiotics are non-digestible substances that stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial microorganisms like probiotics in your digestive tract. In other words, prebiotics “feed” the probiotics in your gut, allowing them to flourish. As your gut health improves, so does its function and that of your immune system, helping to lower the burden on your liver.

2. Cruciferous Vegetables

Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, kale and cauliflower are examples of cruciferous vegetables that aid detoxification in multiple ways. They’re rich in fiber, helping with waste removal, as well as sulfur-containing compounds that support liver detoxification, including the crucial phase 2 enzyme activities.

3. Beets

Beets contain pigments called betalins, which significantly support phase 2 detoxification. As reported by the George Mataljan Society, beets assist in the process of ‘hooking up” toxicants with other molecules to neutralize them and aid in elimination:[ii]

“One critical “hook up” process during Phase 2 involves an enzyme family called the glutathione-S-transferase family (GSTs). GSTs hook toxins up with glutathione for neutralization and excretion from the body. The betalains found in beet have been shown to trigger GST activity, and to aid in the elimination of toxins that require glutathione for excretion. If you are a person who thinks about exposure to toxins and wants to give your body as much detox support as possible, beets are a food that belongs in your diet.”

4. Oranges and Tangerines

These are rich in both vitamin C and the phytochemical limonene, making them useful for stimulating both phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification processes.

5. High-Quality Animal Protein

Eggs, grass-fed beef and organic chicken are examples of foods that contain sulfur-containing amino acids, including cysteine and methionine. These are essential for phase 2 detoxification and your body’s stores become depleted as your body detoxifies.[iii] (So if you’re under a lot of stress, you probably need more to keep up with detoxification.)

Give Your Body Extra Detoxification Support With Natural Cleanse

Sometimes your body needs a jump-start to shake loose of years’ worth of accumulated toxicants. That’s right … did you know that your colon could be clogged with five to 20 pounds of hardened fecal matter? This clogging causes your GI tract to become inflamed, which can cause leaky gut — a condition in which toxins leak into your bloodstream. This, in turn, causes inflammation that is linked to chronic disease, digestive dysfunction and poor health.

You can help to flush impacted fecal matter and other toxins from your system by choosing a gentle detoxification system like Natural Cleanse. This all-natural formula combines the very latest research and clinical studies in digestive health with centuries of traditional healing wisdom into a natural product that gently releases and flushes toxins from your colon.

In just 2 capsules daily for 30 days, Natural Cleanse can help to flush your colon clear of toxic build up (including impacted fecal matter, toxins, bacteria and parasites) while soothing the inflammation of your GI tract lining to reduce leaky gut. Natural Cleanse contains herbal remedies like buckthorn bark, ginger root, and milk thistle extract combined with psyllium husk and a patented probiotic blend that helps rebalance your vital gut microflora and supports healthy detoxification – and it is clinically proven to improve digestive function.

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[i] CNCAHealth.com The Natural Way to Detox … And Why You Should

[ii] World’s Healthiest Foods, Beets

[iii] Huffington Post September 17, 2010