Dr. Georgiou’s Top Detox Tips

Why Detox?

In today’s day and age we are all exposed to thousands and thousands of toxins and pollutants. They are in the air we breathe, the cosmetics we put on our skin, the water we drink and the food we eat. Herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, chemicals, additives… the list is endless. In fact we are exposed to an estimated 100,000 toxins with at least 1,000 new ones introduced each year. Recent events at the Fukushima nuclear power plant have proven how fragile our health and safety are and while the press has gone quiet about it, the reactors are still releasing large amounts of radioactivity into the atmosphere every day.

Numerous research has shown how toxic we all are:

A 2005 Greenpeace study found 287 toxins in the umbilical cord blood of newborns. These toxins included mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and the Teflon chemical PFOA5 – just to name a few. Recent research at a Canadian university also found pesticides that are associated to GM foods in the blood of pregnant women and their newborns. Food corporations genetically modify crops to make them produce BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) – a toxin that makes the crops resistant to pests. This is supposedly safe for humans because the food companies claim BT never reaches the human blood stream. This latest study proves otherwise.

Other studies have shown that even people living in remote, supposedly ‘untouched’ places such as the Arctic Circle are contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. Research has also proven the close relationship between mercury contamination and dental amalgam. Amalgam fillings contain mercury – one of the most neuro-toxic substances known to man. In particular, research has shown a positive correlation between mercury levels in a mother’s breast milk and the number of dental amalgams in her mouth. The mean levels of mercury in milk of amalgam-free mothers was <0.2 microgram/L, while milk from mothers with 1-4 amalgam fillings contained 0.57 microgram/L, with 5-7 fillings 0.50 microgram/L and with more than seven fillings 2.11 micrograms/L.

What is Detox?

Detoxification, or detox is the process of eliminating toxins from the body.

What does this mean?

Some people think detox is not necessary because our bodies already possess an inbuilt cleansing system, namely our liver and kidneys. And many years ago I am sure that was enough. However today we are so overloaded with toxins, our bodies just can’t cope. This means that toxins are not being eliminated properly and we are getting more and more toxic. The body stores toxins in our hair, the fatty tissue, our organs and our bones, where they accumulate over time causing cell damage and disease.

It is no coincidence that prevalence rates of all kinds of diseases including cancer and Autism are rising year by year. Just look at the following stats:

• Up to 40% of all pregnancies nowadays end in miscarriage
• Breast cancer rates have tripled in the last 4 decades. Every year breast cancer kills over 40,000 American women and more than 410,000 women worldwide!
• 5 to 10% of American couples are infertile
• Autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders (ADD and ADHD) in children have increased 5 fold in recent years. This means that your child is 5 times more likely to have autism today compared to only a few years ago.
• It has been suggested that this prenatal or postnatal exposure to toxic metals is probably responsible for more than 50 per cent of learning difficulties and cognitive disturbances in all U.S. children.
• According to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), 60,000 American children are born every year with neurological problems caused by prenatal exposure to methyl mercury compounds

In addition more and more people suffer from allergies, asthma, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome and conditions that were previously completely unknown such as fibromyalgia or Candida.

This is why we can all benefit from following a Detox Program and I am happy to share my recommendations with you.

TOP WAYS TO DETOX:

Diet

There is no doubt that our diet has a huge influence on our well-being and health.

A recent study at Newcastle University found that a strongly calorie reduced diet cured Diabetes 2 after only 2 months. Doctor T. Akizuki from Saint Francis’s Hospital at Nagasaki saved all his patients and hospital staff from radiation poisoning after the Nagasaki bombing by making them follow a strict vegan diet of seaweed, kombu, miso, wakame, Hokkaido pumpkin and brown rice.

In order to detox your system I recommend the 15-day Alkaline Detoxification Diet. This is a diet that I have put together through clinical experience, as well as studying the work of other practitioners that are very well versed in the field of detoxification, which I believe one day will be a science in itself.

As the name suggests, it is an alkaline diet, which will regulate your body’s pH level. This is important because an acidic pH contributes to inflammation which further develops into degenerative diseases – it is only a matter of time. Our standard Western diet is highly acidic – what this means is that we tend to eat a lot of acid-forming food – these would include meats, dairy, fish, cereals and sugar-containing foods. In fact, sugar is the worse culprit of all and can make your body tissues acidic in a jiffy. [Note that it is not important if the food itself is sour/acidic or not. The importance is whether it produces an alkaline or an acidic residue in the body when it is broken down. Lemons, for example, even though are acidic when digested will leave an alkaline residue in the body].

An alkaline diet will help alleviate the inflammation and will trigger your body to begin eliminating toxins that are stored in various tissues, organs and cells of the body. This is important for cleansing your system and ridding yourself of nasty toxins that have accumulated in your body over the years. In order to follow this diet you will have to cut out the following:

• Alcohol, coffee, black tea and soft drinks
• Sugar, sugar substitutes and all forms of artificial sweeteners
• Meat, dairy and eggs
• Wheat and grains [including rice]
• Jacket potatoes

Instead you should only be having the following:

• Herbal teas and water
• Fruit and vegetable juices - carrot and green juices are particularly cleansing
• Fresh fruit
• Salad [marinated with lemon or lime juice and olive oil]
• Steamed Vegetables [these can be drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with herbal salt, fresh herbs and garlic]

This diet may be hard during the first couple of days as toxins will be leaving the body quickly and may cause certain symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and a general run-down feeling. [This is called the 'Healing Crisis' - more on this later].

 It is important to drink at least 1 ½ to 2 litres of still mineral water daily to flush these toxins out. After 15 days you will be guaranteed to feel so much better – I have personally supervised more than 15,000 such detoxes with great success – it is definitely worth trying it.

In addition the following practices will aid the cleansing process:

Skin Brushing

The skin is the largest organ in the body, spanning approximated 2 square meters! It is also a prime detox mechanism. One of the simplest ways to activate detoxification is by stimulating lymphatic drainage with SKIN BRUSHING. This stimulates the movement of lymphatic fluid in the lymph vessels, and helps to break down congestion in areas where the lymph flow has become sluggish and toxins have collected. All you need is a natural fibre brush and 5 minutes once or twice a day. Before your bath simply brush your body in long, smooth strokes. Work from the shoulders downwards to the waist, and then from the feet upwards to the waist. You only need to go over the skin once, every time you do it. Press as firmly as you feel comfortable with - as you become fitter you will be able to use more pressure. This is also an excellent way to combat cellulite!

Baths & Saunas

Baths and Saunas can also be used to eliminate further toxins via the skin.

Before turning in for an early night, have a thorough skin-brushing session and then an Epsom salts bath. This induces lots of perspiration so you can sweat out lots of the toxins you are starting to release. Use 16 oz or 450g of Epsom salts per bath and relax for 20 minutes in the warm water. Drink hot herbal tea [thyme or peppermint are best] to increase sweating and replace any fluids you lose.

Alternatively you can also sweat out toxins in a Sauna.

Saunas are excellent for opening up the pores of the skin and allowing toxins to leave the body quickly. It is recommended that you take a short warm shower followed by 10 to 15 minutes in the sauna, then a 30-second cool or cold plunge or shower. It is a good idea to take a few minutes rest at this time as the body’s physiology returns to normal after the initial “shock”. Have another 10-15 minutes in the sauna once you are used to the process, followed by a cool shower or plunge, then a rest. If you can afford a massage at this time, you will really be indulging yourself, your skin and your health.

Enemas

While you are not supposed to drink coffee during your detox, taking coffee through another route has been used by many detox clinics for decades. I am talking about coffee enemas, which I highly recommend. Coffee contains certain alkaloids, which stimulate the production of glutathione-S-transferase (GT), one of the main detoxification enzymes produced by the liver. Research has shown that the levels of GT can increase by about 600% when coffee enemas are administered. Moreover, the enzymes in coffee known as palmitates further help the liver to eliminate the toxins contained in bile acid. You can administer enemas yourself at home with an enema kit or consult a holistic health practitioner or colon clinic.

Exercise

Exercise is not only generally healthy; it is also a great way to increase lymph flow. The lymphatic system acts as a secondary circulatory system, and collaborates with white blood cells in lymph nodes to protect the body from being infected by cancer cells, fungi, viruses or bacteria.

Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system is not closed and has no central pump. It is not under pressure and only moves because of exercise or muscle contraction. When the lymphatic system is congested, the cells become deprived of oxygen, affecting the body’s ability to rid itself of its own waste material. Over time, other body systems that rely on the lymphatic system for waste removal will also become compromised, setting the stage for pain and disease.

Breathing exercises combined with physical activity increase the action of lymphatic cleansing. This can be done when you synchronize your breathing with the movement of your legs and arms. For example, when you are walking or jumping on the trampoline, inhale four times and exhale four times. Move your arms and legs each time you take a small breath. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your nose or mouth.

I also recommend Yoga – it rejuvenates your body from within and centres the mind.

Detox Meditation

This powerful breathing exercise will help you eliminate the toxins you are releasing and strengthen and tone your entire system.

CAUTION: Do not use if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, epilepsy, hernia or if you have any ear, nose or eye problem.

1. Inhale slowly and deeply. Don't overstrain in any way.
2. Exhale briskly, as if you were sneezing. As you do, become aware of your abdomen, which will naturally tighten and flatten as you exhale.
3. Inhale naturally and exhale briskly again.
4. Continue this cycle for as long as you feel comfortable. It is very energetic so you may not be able to manage more than a minute to begin with. Do it regularly throughout your weekend and notice how you improve.
5. When you finish, return to normal breathing. Notice how you feel.

Follow this exercise, if you can take a sauna or go swimming. You could try a good massage session: manual lymphatic drainage is particularly useful while detoxing as it supports the lymphatic system. But any massage will do you good (ask your therapist to use detoxing oils if you're having aromatherapy).

The Healing Crisis

During the detox process, most people experience some detox symptoms. This is because the body is suddenly releasing toxins from their storage sites, which are then circulating in the system before being eliminated via urine, faeces or sweat. Detox symptoms can include headaches, diarrhoea, upset stomach, energy loss, furry tongue, halitosis (bad breath), as well as acne or other skin rashes, and a general feeling of unwellness. These may be unpleasant symptoms for the first couple of days, but they are a NORMAL part of the detoxification process, and in Naturopathy we call this the HEALING CRISIS. All these symptoms indicate that the DETOX IS WORKING! This is a temporary and transient crisis, it will pass - so hang on in there and don’t worry that there is something wrong with you.

METAL DETOX

As I have mentioned in the beginning of this document, we are all exposed to a multitude of toxins. In particular, heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic are especially damaging. It is amazing how destructive some of these heavy metals can be to the body – its worth seeing a brief video on how mercury destroys brain cells – incredible!

It is important to note that the whole body detox mentioned above will not remove these toxic metals.

The best way to rid your body of these harmful substances is by using a metal detox product such as HMD. HMD is 100% natural and has been scientifically proven to work in a double blind, placebo-controlled study. Synthetic products and metal binding drugs are available but I would only recommend those for acute metal poisoning. The synthetic drugs work faster, but have a range of potentially dangerous side effects.

In addition to HMD I would also recommend using Chlorella and the especially formulated HMD Lavage drainage remedy. Chlorella and Lavage will support your liver and kidneys during the cleansing period, as well as mopping up stray toxic metal traveling through the gut - this makes your detox even more effective. Check out the HMD Detox Program for more information.

How Do I Know if I am Heavy Metal Toxic?

Good question! There are a number of signs and symptoms that are common to people who are toxic with a variety of metals – below are a summary of these symptoms – if you have more than 8-10 of these, then the chances of having toxic metals is high:

• Are you more fatigued than you should be or lack energy to do the things you need to do?
• Do you sleep poorly or do you have frequently insomnia?
• Do you get depressed easily; have you taken any antippressant in the past?
• Have you had frequently headaches or ringing in the ears (tinnitus)?
• Have you had bleeding or sore gums (gingivitis) frequently?
• Have you had mental symptoms such as confusion or forgetfulness?
• Have you had shakiness or tremors of your hands and arms or twitching of other muscles?
• Do you suffer from hay fever, respiratory allergies or food allergies or intolerance?
• Have you been diagnosed as having TMJ (temoral mandibular joint) problems?
• Do you have numbness or burning sensations in your mouth or gums?
• Do you have frequent colds, flu, or other infections?
• Have you had difficulty with your balance? Do you fall frequently or have difficulty standing on one food?
• Have you ever worked as a printer, plumber, welber, and miner, mechanic, metal worker, machinist, carpenter, electrician, hair dresser, painter or in heating/air-conditioning, manufacturing/chemical or pesticide/fungicide factories (fungicides with methyl mercury ingredients) or in a pulp/paper mills that used mercury?
• Do you have a “metallic” taste in your mouth?
• Have you ever worked as a dentist, hygienist or dental assistant?
• Do you have numbness or unexplained tingling in your arms or legs?
• When seen by doctors for your health problems, are you usually told “There is nothing wrong with you”?
• Does your skin have many “brown spots” or “age spots” under your eyes or elsewhere?
• Do you have “irritable bowel syndrome” or problems with constipation or diarrhea?
• Do you have a lot of bad breath or white tongue (thrush)?
• Have you had frequently kidney or do you have significant kidney problems?
• Do you have difficulty with concentration (ADD), irritability or sudden changes in behavior?
• Do you have a lot of mucus in your stools?
• Do you have arthritis in various joints or been diagnosed as having fibromyalgia?
• Have you frequently had low basal body (underarm) temperature (below 36.5oC)?
• Do you get yeast infections in the mouth, vagina or intestinal track, or do you have Candida-Related Complex (CRC)?
• Do you have unidentified chest pains even after EKG’s, X-Ray and heart studies are normal?

Alternatively take our 'Are you Toxic' quiz to find out!

Is There any Way I can Measure my Levels of Heavy Metals?

Another good question! There is a simple way of doing just this – all you need do is cut a small piece of hair from the back of your scalp and send it to a certified laboratory who will analyse it and send a full report stating not only the levels of your heavy metals but also how deficient you are to a whole bunch of important minerals. This is called a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis – click on the link and you can read a lot more about this.

So, what are you waiting for? Pave the way to a new, healthier you and start your detox now!

Begin with your 2-week fruit and vegetable cleanse, and add in the HMD Ultimate Detox Pack in order to cleanse your body of those nasty toxic metals – you owe it to yourself to keep your body optimized and clean – you certainly would not think of leaving your house without a good clean for years and years – or would you?

For more information please see our Ultimate Detox Guide, available for free with every purchase of HMD.