Some jobs in agriculture, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or other industrial work can expose workers to a fair number of heavy metals. There are also other ways you may have inadvertently “metalled” yourself – for example, if you have any amalgam fillings, drank contaminated water, or received vaccinations, you probably have some metal in your system.
Ever been to a dentist? Ever had a silver filling? Not that we are trying to scare you, but 50% of every amalgam filling (AKA silver filling) contains mercury. Additionally, amalgams are known to release vapors continually – not a good sign considering your teeth are inches away from your brain!
Fish are chock-full of mercury. They absorb it from the water and large fish usually contain higher levels of mercury. By simply limiting your intake of large fish, whether saltwater or freshwater, you can help your body significantly in detoxing itself of harmful heavy metals.
Pollution surrounds us daily – and for those of us in big cities, it may be hard to avoid. Contained in our water and air, these are often a huge source of heavy metals, especially industrial areas.
Below are some awesome superfoods that will support you in detoxing heavy metals from your body. Additionally, you can add these eight detox foods to your diet (almonds, avocados, beets, blueberries, grapefruit, leafy greens, lemons and seaweed) and see what else you can do to support your body even further!
Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs and is often found in pico de gallo recipes, Thai soups and food, and is used in other dishes as well. Cilantro helps with inflammation as well as detoxification.
Chlorella – honestly, not the best-tasting stuff but it is rich in vitamins and minerals, and aids in detoxification. Try these all-natural organic chlorella tabs made from algae by EnergyBits.
Milk thistle seeds are an antioxidant and stimulate the regeneration of liver tissues. Double bonus!
Pectin is great for aiding in detoxification. Pectin is found in many fruits, including apples, pears, grapefruit and citrus.
Garlic is a natural antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory that, when consumed fresh and raw, it can support your body in detoxing itself of heavy metals. It may give you some bad breath, but this is a small price to pay for your health and wellness! Not to mention, it also boosts your immune system.
If you are worried that you may have a high level of heavy metals in your body, you can ask your doctor for a test and ask him or her to recommend some form of heavy metal detoxification. Or take a home HTMA test to check your levels.
- Reduce your exposure to heavy metals. As stated above, limit your consumption of large fresh and saltwater fish, try to stay away from industrial areas, and if you are in the pharmaceutical or agriculture line, you too can take preventative measures so you reduce the amount of toxins your body absorbs. If you live in a big city, get an air purifier and drink filtered water and replace those old silver fillings with non-toxic fillings.
- Help your body do what it does best--detox naturally. Your body is a detoxification machine. Support it doing what it does best by drinking more water, eating natural and raw foods, and exercising regularly.
- Sweat it out in an infrared sauna. Science supports sweat as part of the detoxification process, especially for certain heavy metals including mercury, cadmium, aluminum and more. Learn more about that in this article that references the research that found far infrared significantly supports the detoxification process. Infrared is absorbed deeply by the body, raising your core temperature and causing cells to vibrate, enhancing natural metabolic processes, increasing circulation and oxygenation, and facilitating excretion of some heavy metals through sweat. Many experts recommend taking activated charcoal to support the body's detoxification process as well.
We live in a modern society where we expose ourselves to more toxins than ever, including heavy metals. The good news is there are lots of things we can do to detox our bodies of harmful poisons and toxins. Awareness is the first step. Action is the second.
