It's a New Day, Reader!

Not only is it a new day, you are becoming a new person every single day. It's estimated that the human body turns over 330 billion cells every day (give or take 20 billion 🤩!

Out with the old, in with the new!

Another way we do a body refresh is by getting rid of toxins.

If you've missed the first two emails in this detox series, you can read them here: Your body's spring cleaning toolkit and here: Hidden toxins & tips to reduce exposure.

Before the elimination phase can happen (step 3, which I talked about last week), the fat-soluble toxins processed by the liver must be attached to groups of water-soluble molecules so they can leave the body through watery activities (sweat, urine, stool).

There are 6 unique processes for this, each one targeting different types of toxins.

Heavy metals need a different process than dyes.

Herbicides need a different process than alcohol.

And different categories of pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs need different processes as well.

It's all pretty complicated! Let me just say I'm really glad God knows how it all works, and that He gave us all the nutrients we need to support these complex activities! We just feed ourselves well and let Him take care of the rest :)

So nutrition is where I'm going to focus for the rest of this email. Yay food!

The star players in Phase 2 of detoxification consist of:

several amino acids

• cysteine
• glycine
• glutamic acid
• taurine
• glutamine
• methionine

several vitamins

• folate (vitamin B9)
• pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
• vitamin B12 (don't miss the important info about this nutrient below!)
• vitamin C

and a couple things we don't ever see on a nutrition label: sulfur and choline.

Here are some of the foods you can find these powerful nutrients in, including several detox super foods... they contain many of these nutrients together in one food!

animal products: beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, bone broth, gelatin, skin, bones, clams, mussels, liver

alliums: onion, garlic, leeks, scallions, shallots

vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, leafy greens, asparagus, avocado

fruits: citrus, strawberries, kiwi

nuts & seeds: sesame, sunflower, walnuts, almonds

legumes: chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, peas

A well-rounded, varied diet of whole foods is the best way to ensure all your detox nutrition bases are covered.

Need some recipe inspo? Take advantage of in-season asparagus with this yummy stir fry! Add some coconut aminos or soy sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds on top for an extra burst of Asian-inspired flavor.

This one looks amazing, too! Chickpeas, cashews, and broccoli in garlic sauce? Yes please! This is a vegan recipe, but you can easily add beef or chicken to it.

Here are a couple important notes about vitamin B12:

** There is no vegan food source of vitamin B12 (and taurine is also very rare in vegan-friendly whole foods). Vegans must rely on supplementation to get the B12 they need in their diet.

** B12 is absorbed in the digestive system in uniquely different way from any other nutrient! Many things can interfere with this process and lead to a deficiency of B12, including infections and inflammation of the stomach, low stomach acid (which oddly enough can have the same symptoms as too much stomach acid), surgery on the stomach and/or small intestine, and some autoimmune diseases. Just because you eat enough B12, doesn't mean you're absorbing it!

** B12 deficiency has been correlated with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and Parkinson's disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22221769/.

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So tell me, how are you doing getting enough detox-supporting nutrients? Hit reply to this email and let me know which of the foods up there in the green list you've eaten in the last few days? Which are your favorites? Which do you have a hard time getting down?

See you next week with more foods that support the liver in Phase 1!

With Hope for your Health and Healing,

Valerie

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The content of this email is intended for inspirational and informational purposes only, is not a substitute for medical advice, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. Consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your routine.