Dr. Kirsten Almon, N.D

Many people when doing a cleanse or detox usually think of eating organic food and taking herbs.  Although this can be an amazing thing for your body and well-being, it is even more important to also use safe cleaning products for your home (this is where you spend a significant amount of time after all!).  In other words, by practicing clean living and using safe cleaning products you are benefiting your lungs and liver.

A 2003 study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry showed that levels of antioxidants and other cancer-fighting compounds were over 50% higher in organically grown food than in food grown conventionally.  Also, Organic foods do not contain cancer-causing pesticide residues either.  Click here to read an article about Antioxidants – Can They Be Boosted With Chiropractic Care?

The following list are tips on how to incorporate more antioxidant rich foods in your diet.

Love That Limonene

Citrus juices and peel contain flavonoids and limonene, natural anti-oxidants that inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancer cells.  Orange and lemon peels are the most powerful of the citrus fruits.  Add organic citrus peel to your diet by grating a little over your salad or using the peel in your tea daily.

Be Raw

Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures higher than 50°C so we should focus on eating foods rich in enzymes, including raw fruits and vegetables.  Many vitamins are also destroyed through heating.  If digestion is an issue, you can lightly steam vegetables. JUICING is a terrific way of getting in many raw veggies.  Eating 50% of raw veggies and fruits per day is a good balance for most people.

Beneficial Brassicas

Particularly potent healing vegetables include members of the brassica family.  This included cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabagas, radish and watercress.  We can enjoy this family by eating cole slaw several times per week.  Adding cabbage to soups and salads and adding broccoli and cauliflower to main dishes and salads (not to mention dipping them in hummus!)  The cancer-preventing phytochemical in this vegetable is indole-3-carbinol.

Click here to get an easy to make veggie dip recipe.

Super-Seaweeds

Seaweeds include nori, arame, kelp, dulse and kombu.  Seaweeds also contain calcium and B12.

Click here for clean eating recipes to reset and refresh your body.

Tips For Home Cleaning

Use Natural household cleaners.  The toxins in various household products are toxic to our livers and expose us to cancer-causing.  Many household cleaners also contain hormone-disrupting chemicals–This is especially important if you are trying to conceive or have little people crawling around on the floors.  Click here to read ‘Are You Poisoning Your Family?’ for more information on the hazards of common house cleaners.  Below are some tips to replace common chemical cleaners:

Floor Cleaner:

Use washing soda and a bit of borax in water.  Use white vinegar in your rinse for a natural shine.

Furniture Polish:

Use filtered water to dampen a cloth and place a few drops of olive oil on the cloth.

Kitchen/Bathroom Cleanser:

Use ¼ cup borax with ¼ cup washing soda and minimum water to clean in the kitchen and bathroom.  Use dry washing soda to scour.

Laundry Detergent:

Use ½ cup of borax per load and combine with washing soda for extra cleaning powder.  For stubborn stains, try rubbing with bar soap first and/or rub with alcohol, vinegar or baking soda.

Oven Cleaner:

Scrub with baking soda on its own or mix 1 cup of pure soap, ½ cup lemon juice with 1 gallon of water and scrub.  Rinse with water.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner:

Pour 1 cup borax powder into toilet and let sit overnight. Scrub with a brush and flush. For faster action, add ¼ cup lemon juice or vinegar to the borax. Wait a few hours before scrubbing.  Alternatively, open 2 vitamin C capsules and drop them into the bowl, letting the sit overnight.  Scrub and flush.

Window Cleaner:

Mix 2 tablespoons vinegar in 1L of water in a spray bottle.  Clean your windows using newspapers.

Car Fresheners:

Please avoid artificial car ‘fresheners’ as these are toxic.  Purchasing an essential oil diffuser for your car is perfect for adding some uplifting natural scents to purify the air.  Bergamot and mint are wonderful cleansing scents.

For more information on how you can detoxify your home or yourself, please click here and contact me today!  For further reading click here for an important article about ‘This Common Ingredient Has Been Linked To Cancer’.