Sugar Detox

Every time I manage to give something up I end up acquiring a new addiction.  When I gave up drinking I was so successful that I decided to give up smoking 3 weeks later.  I thought I had cracked it.  Unfortunately I then reacquired my habit of eating enormous amounts of chocolate each day.  It didn't happen straight away.  At first I was just eating one bar a day.  I didn't realise that without the alcohol my stress levels were going through the roof.  I had been drinking to blot those out and very successfully too, might I add.

11 Things a Sugar Detox Can Do for You

By Dan DeFigio from Beating Sugar Addiction For Dummies

Sugar, in excessive amounts, is one of the most harmful substances you can eat. When you look at a piece of candy, a soda, or a bag of pastries, you may not think of the word toxin, but refined sugars (along with other artificial sweeteners) place a huge physiological stress on your body’s systems.

High blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels and organs, and high insulin levels promote fat storage. Sugar makes your immune system less effective and creates a strong inflammatory response throughout the body. Getting off sugar can end all that!

Aiding weight loss

When you stop feeding yourself empty sugar calories, and when your insulin levels aren’t elevated from eating too many carbohydrates, you begin to lose weight. More specifically (and more importantly), you begin to lose body fat.

B12 deficiency: a silent epidemic with serious consequences

By Chris Kresser on May 6, 2011 

What do all of these diseases have in common?

• Alzheimer’s, dementia, cognitive decline and memory loss (collectively referred to as “aging”)
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders
• Mental illness (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis)
• Cardiovascular disease
• Learning or developmental disorders in kids
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Autoimmune disease and immune dysregulation
• Cancer
• Male and female infertility

Answer: they can all mimic the signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.

B12 deficiency: an invisible epidemic

B12 deficiency isn’t a bizarre, mysterious disease. It’s written about in every medical textbook and its causes and effects are well-established in the scientific literature.

However, B12 deficiency is far more common than most health care practitioners and the general public realize. Data from the Tufts University Framingham Offspring Study suggest that 40 percent of people between the ages of 26 and 83 have plasma B12 levels in the low normal range – a range at which many experience neurological symptoms. 9 percent had outright deficiency, and 16 percent exhibited “near deficiency”. Most surprising to the researchers was the fact that low B12 levels were as common in younger people as they were in the elderly.

That said, B12 deficiency has been estimated to affect about 40% of people over 60 years of age. It’s entirely possible that at least some of the symptoms we attribute to “normal” aging – such as memory loss, cognitive decline, decreased mobility, etc. – are at least in part caused by B12 deficiency.

4 Herbs to Cleanse Your Liver

• by Michelle Schoffro Cook

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The liver is arguably your body’s most important detoxification organ.  It helps with the digestion and metabolism of fat, and detoxifies your body of harmful pollutants, food additives, and other toxins.  Here are four herbs to help cleanse your liver:

Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum)The primary medicinal ingredient in milk thistle is called silymarin.  This compound protects the liver by inhibiting damaging substances in the liver that cause liver cell damage.  Silymarin also stimulates liver cell regeneration to help the liver rebuild after it has been damaged.  Silymarin also helps to prevent the depletion of the nutrient glutathione—one of the most critical nutrients for liver detoxification.

Silymarin in milk thistle seeds is not very water-soluble so does not extract well into tea.  Instead, take a standardized extract containing about 140 mg of silymarin for liver cleansing and protection.

Dandelion Root (Taraxacum Officinale)Nature grows a liver-cleansing pharmacy every spring.  It is the dreaded weed that most people curse as it pokes its yellow-flowered head through the green of their lawn.  Dandelion is one of Mother Nature’s finest liver herbs.

The Australian Journal of Medical Herbalism cited two studies that showed the liver regenerative properties of dandelion in cases of jaundice, liver swelling, hepatitis, and indigestion.  If you choose to incorporate dandelion root into your liver cleansing efforts, take 500 to 2000 mg daily in capsules.  Alternatively, you can make a decoction by using two teaspoons of powdered dandelion root per cup of water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for fifteen minutes.  Drink one cup, three times daily.

Globe Artichoke (Cynara Scolymus)Globe Artichoke contains compounds called caffeylquinic acids which have demonstrated powerful liver regenerating effects similar to milk thistle.  Globe artichoke is usually found in capsule form.  Doses range from 300 to 500 mg daily.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)A commonly-used spice in Indian curries, turmeric helps regenerate liver cells and cleanse it of toxins.  Turmeric also increases the production of bile to help expel toxins and may help reduce liver inflammation.  In studies turmeric has also been shown to increase levels of two liver-supporting enzymes that promote Phase 2 liver detoxification reactions.  Turmeric comes in capsules and tablets, sometimes under the label, “curcumin,” which is the key ingredient in turmeric.  Follow package instructions.  You can also add ground turmeric to soups, stews, and curries.

Always consult your holistically-minded physician prior to taking any herbs.  This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat illness.

Adapted with permission from The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan by Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD.

You can read the article here:- http://www.care2.com/greenliving/4-herbs-to-cleanse-your-live.html?page=1