Issue 98, September 2015

Labor of the Blessed Liver

2014-06-03_18-20-57_408Hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend!

I am sitting in my front yard (yes, that’s the view) and thinking that the geek in me would like to rename it Liver Day weekend.  Seriously.  Some body parts really merit extra celebration.  In my opinion, the part that most deserves a national holiday in recognition of how much it labors in order to keep you thriving is definitely your liver.  In honor of our livers, I am delighted to announce open registration for our Awesome Autumn Cleanse.  Our kick-off webinar is in just two weeks, and the cleanse at the end of the month.

This autumn, I will be experiencing this group cleanse program right along with you. For me personally, it’s part of my self-care commitment to clear toxins, decrease inflammation, and clean out all the gunk to ensure a high-energy autumn (no allergies) and yet another winter without getting sick!  If Back-to-School for you means a need to get Back-on-Track to eating on purpose and feeling fantastic, then this is your ideal opportunity.  For me, there has indeed been a little too much summer indulgence, and I can’t wait to get started with you.  (Kindly note that we always sell out well in advance of the cleanse, so please don’t wait to register if you are going to join us.)

In honor of the cleanse kick-off, I’m sharing with you this week one of my most popular video clips from the archives about detoxification myth-busting.  Be sure to check it out!  I give you several practical tips you can use right away.  There is a lot of extreme misinformation on the internet about cleansing and “detoxing” – on both extremes…from those who believe our physiology really has no issue with thorough detoxification in modern day life (seriously?) to those who promote severely, restrictive, neurotic cleansing regimens that even I wouldn’t be able to follow – or stomach.  I believe the truth (as usual) is somewhere in between.  We see all too often in our clients that impaired detoxification (which we can measure) is one of the top drivers of chronic inflammation and be the single factor that precipitates chronic disease.

DahliaGiven the holiday, I am feeling especially inspired and generous, so here’s a special offer I am excited to share with you (and your liver!).  If you are joining us for the Living on Purpose retreat this fall, please join us for the Awesome Autumn Cleanse as my treat.  Free of charge (a $175 savings!). In fact, the cleanse will be an excellent kick-off to the self-awareness, self-care, feeling-fantastic, exploring-your-unique-body focus we dive deep into on the retreat.  If you want to participate in this special combo offer, please let us know right away.  Both programs have very limited space.

Eat on purpose.  Live on purpose.  Choose to Be well!

Tracy

Detoxification Myths and Truths

Since World War II alone, the Western world has introduced nearly 100,000 new synthetic chemicals into commercial use.  Including drugs (yes, keep in mind that pharmaceuticals may be beneficial temporarily, but they are still toxins too).   Pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, antibacterial additives, surfactants, texturizers, colorants, heavy metal compounds, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, stain-resistant coatings, plastics…  What surprises most people is that less than 1% of these chemicals has been safety-tested to understand the effects of ongoing use!  For 99.999% of man’s existence, our total lifetime toxic exposure was minuscule in contrast to what each of us now faces every day.

Be sure to check out the entire video for all the rich details I want to share.  As is true in many cases, the best defense is a good offense!  Sure, we benefit from being diligent in avoiding toxic sources.  However, the truth is that we do indeed live in a toxic soup from sources beyond our immediate, individual control.  The liver, kidney, GI tract, lungs, and skin work together to detoxify synthetic substances (and excessive internally-produced substances like estrogen) and excrete them from the body.  Ideally, our organs would handle this daily burden on its own with no help other than healthy food.  Modern clinical evidence shows otherwise.  I believe strongly that our bodies have not evolved yet to handle the aggressive toxic environment in which we now live.  We see this in our clients all the time!  What this internal system cannot handle, it must store.  And contrary to common myth, the liver does not simply store the toxins in its own tissue.  Instead, toxins are distributed throughout the body for storage. And a build-up of toxins can easily result in chronic inflammation.  Which means NOT feeling fantastic!  Headaches, low energy, excessive body fat, joint pain, thyroid dysfunction, eczema, allergies, asthma, depression, anxiety, acne, chronic congestion, insomnia, frequent illness from a suppressed immune system…  Definitely not feeling fantastic.

I personally commit to doing a detoxification-boosting cleanse twice a year for 10-14 days.  Consider making the same choice in the name of living on purpose and aiming to actually feel fantastic every day.  Absolutely we all have excessive toxic loads in our bodies.  The question is whether you are routinely lowering yours or letting it build up month after month after year after year without release.  And eventually “spilling over” to trigger inflammatory symptoms or disease!  Our Awesome Autumn cleanse begins in late September and is a great way to get started with your own personal focus on detoxification.  If you wish to join us, please register quickly (when we run out of kits, we cannot accept any more participants).  I’ll be cleansing right along with you and supporting you every day.  Plus you can interact with your cleanse-mates and exchange ideas via our private Facebook group.  If you’re not into FB, that’s a-okay too.  Another key component of this program is two information-rich webinars which teach you where common hidden toxins are lurking, how the liver works in supporting us, what specifically we need to do to increase our rate of detoxification, and how to sustain the benefits of the cleanse.

As I shared in the video, you can help your body to detoxify and excrete more chemicals in a milder ongoing way by increasing your consumption of Cruciferous Vegetables.

If you have personal or family history of cardiovascular disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, depression, or anxiety, then you absolutely want to pay particular attention to your detoxification ability.  In the video, I talk about the increasing prevalence of a genetic variant in our genes that control the production of MTHFR, a critical enzyme.  Certain types of MTHFR variants impair our ability to “methylate” and thus process and excrete toxins efficiently.  In particular, these individuals have lowered ability to convert and take up the final usable form of folate (Vitamin B9) into the methylation cycle.  Poor methylation = increased toxin storage = much higher risk of inflammation.  You may learn more about MTHFR here (feel free to explore this site in general; it’s quite well-researched).  In many cases, the simple MTHFR blood test is now available from your PCP, especially if they are more integrative in approach.  Or you may pursue other testing options on your own.  I do not profit from this testing in any way; I just want to empower you to have the knowledge you need to make purposeful choices and feel fantastic.