Top 12 Detox Superfoods

Even if you don’t plan on doing a detox program, your health will benefit from adding more detox superfoods to your daily diet. There are many great superfoods with detoxifying properties, but here are my top 12 picks. And, they’re delicious too.

Almonds—are high in fiber, calcium, magnesium, and useable protein that helps stabilize blood sugar and remove impurities from the bowels.

Avocados—lower cholesterol and dilate blood vessels while blocking artery-destroying toxicity. Avocados contain a nutrient called glutathione, which blocks at least 30 different carcinogens while helping the liver detoxify synthetic chemicals. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that elderly people who had high levels of glutathione were healthier and less likely to suffer from arthritis.

Beets—contain a unique mixture of natural plant chemicals (phytochemicals) and minerals that make them superb fighters of infection, blood purifiers, and liver cleansers. They also help boost the body’s cellular intake of oxygen, making beets excellent overall body cleansers. Aphrodite, according to legend, ate beets to retain her beauty. She was definitely on to a good thing since beets, in addition to all the benefits listed above, also help stabilize the blood’s acid-alkaline balance (pH), which in turn supports healthy detoxification.

Blueberries—contain natural aspirin that helps lessen the tissue-damaging effects of chronic inflammation, while lessening pain. Blueberries also act as antibiotics by blocking bacteria in the urinary tract, thereby helping to prevent infections. They have antiviral properties and are loaded with super-detoxifying phytonutrients called proanthocyanidins.

Cabbage—contains numerous anti-cancer and antioxidant compounds and helps the liver break down excess hormones. Cabbage also cleanses the digestive tract and soothes the stomach, which could in part be due to its antibacterial and antiviral properties. Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage (kale is another excellent choice—see below) demonstrate powerful detoxification activity, including neutralizing some of the damaging compounds found in cigarette smoke (and second-hand smoke). They also contain a compound that helps the liver produce adequate amounts of enzymes for detoxification.

Cranberries—have powerful antibiotic and antiviral substances to help the body cleanse harmful bacteria and viruses from the urinary tract.

Keep reading to learn about the foods that eliminates radioactive waste, neutralize compounds in cigarette smoke, and more…

Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Oil— are loaded with essential fatty acids, particularly the omega-3s. They are essential for many cleansing functions and maintaining a healthy immune system. They are also critical to maintaining a healthy brain. The health of every cell in your body is dependent on getting adequate amounts of essential fatty acids.

Garlic—helps cleanse harmful bacteria, intestinal parasites, and viruses from the body, especially from the blood and intestines. It also helps cleanse buildup from the arteries and lowers blood pressure. Garlic has anti-cancer and antioxidant properties that help detoxify the body of harmful substances. It also helps cleanse the respiratory tract by expelling mucous buildup in the lungs and sinuses. I am referring to fresh garlic, not garlic powder, which has virtually none of the above properties.

Kale—contains powerful anti-cancer and antioxidant compounds that help cleanse the body of harmful substances. It is also high in fiber, which helps cleanse the intestinal tract. Like cabbage, kale helps neutralize compounds found in cigarette smoke and contains a substance that jump-starts the liver’s production of cleansing enzymes.

Legumes—are loaded with fiber that helps lower cholesterol, cleanse the intestines, and regulate blood sugar levels. Legumes also help protect the body against cancer.

Lemons— are superb liver detoxifiers. In addition, they contain high amounts of vitamin C, a vitamin needed by the body to make a substance called glutathione. Glutathione helps ensure that phase 2 liver detoxification keeps pace with phase 1, thereby reducing the likelihood of negative effects from environmental chemicals. Vitamin C and other antioxidants found in lemons are integral to ward off cancer, fight the effects of pollution and cell damage. Fresh lemon juice contains more than 20 anti-cancer compounds and helps balance the body’s pH levels.

Seaweed—could be the most underrated vegetable in the Western world. Studies at McGill University in Montreal showed that seaweeds bind to radioactive waste in the body so it can be removed. Radioactive waste can find its way into the body through some medical tests or through food that has been grown where water or soil is contaminated. Seaweed also binds to heavy metals to help eliminate them from the body. In addition, it is a powerhouse of minerals and trace minerals.

Adapted with permission from The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan by Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD. Subscribe to my free e-newsletter World’s Healthiest News to get more health tips, news, and recipes.

Source: www.care2.com

A couple's journey with infertility; similar tale likely in your town

Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal follows the story of Kelly and James Durst, who turned to in vitro fertilization when they had trouble conceiving a child.

The Dursts are "among the 12 percent of reproductive-age couples in the United States who couldn't conceive without help," Ungar reports.

In April 2010, they gave birth to son Cooper, one of more than 675,000 babies born in the U.S. through assisted reproduction techniques since 1985. "He is literally the light of our lives," Kelly said. "He's why we try to make things better each day."

Ungar follows the Dursts' journey to have a second child, this time using the frozen embryos that were created at the time of Cooper's conception. The embryos will be placed in Kelly's womb.

Given the growing prevalence of assisted reproduction techniques, stories like the Dursts' can likely be found in nearly every community and make for a compelling read. (Read more)

Prescription pill abuse summit Wednesday at UK hospital

A prescription pill abuse summit will be Wednesday at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital, featuring many notable speakers.

They will include: Gov. Steve Beshear; Wilfredo Ferrer, U.S. attorney from the Southern District of Florida; Van Ingram, executive director of Kentucky's Office of Drug Control Policy; police chiefs and law enforcement officials; and health care professionals.

"We think this summit will help lay the foundation for a future that will lead to increased communication and awareness among all the societal entities that are engaged in this fight," said U.S. Attorney Kerry B. Harvey of teh eastern District of Kentucky.

The summit is from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pavilion A auditorium. For more information, call Harvey's office at 859-685-4805. (Read more)

FDA wants to reduce standard for fluoride in public drinking water

Lowering the amount of fluoride in drinking water, as proposed in January by the Food and Drug Administration, will increase medical expenses and harm the poor and the poorly educated the most, a mother writes in an op-ed piece in the New York Times.

Jane E. Brody delves into the concept of fluoridation, pointing out its benefits. "In the early years, rates of tooth decay among the young dropped by 60 percent in communities that adopted fluoridation," she writes. "Every $1 invested in fluoridation saves approximately $38 in dental treatment costs."

Though fluoride was initially thought to become incorporated into developing teeth, it was later found that its benefit is topical, meaning it works on teeth already formed. "Fluoride, which is present in saliva and concentrates in dental plaque, inhibits the action of acid on tooth minerals," she writes. "It also promotes remineralization by sticking to tooth surfaces, where it attracts calcium ions present in saliva."

Still, there remains controversy about whether or not fluoride is safe, with the substance being accused of causing everything from heart disease to Alzheimer's disease. "None of these supposed risks has ever been established in scientifically valid studies," Brody writes. "The only proven risk, a condition called fluorosis, which results in white and sometimes brownish markings on the teeth from too much fluoride, rarely results from a normal intake of fluoridated water."

Since fluoride is also available in other substances, like toothpaste, the FDA proposed reducing the amount of fluoride in public drinking water to 0.7 milligrams per liter, from a range from 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams. Brody feels the move is a mistake: "Fluoridation confers the greatest benefit to those who need it most: the poor and poorly educated and those with limited access to regular dental care," she writes. "In the years ahead, removal of fluoride from drinking water will almost certainly cost taxpayers millions of dollars in increased Medicaid expenditures." (Read more)

In Kentucky, there is 100 percent fluoridation in public drinking water systems, though perhaps half a million residents get their water from wells, springs or cisterns.

Kentucky ranks 37th, Louisville 33rd in percentage of commuters who bike or walk to work

Kentucky ranks 37th in the nation for its number of commuters who bike or walk to work. Of the 51 largest cities in the county, Louisville ranks 33rd.

These are the findings of the Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report, compiled by the Alliance for Biking & Walking. As well as looking at commuter numbers, it also examined how safe those commuters are and where transportation funding is being spent on "alternative means of local travel," reports Jeannine Stein of the Los Angeles Times. (Times photo by Wally Skalij)

Alaska, despite its cold climate, has the highest percentage of commuters who bike or walk to work. Boston has the highest ranking among cities. The lowest are Alabama and Fort Worth, Tex.

Across the country, 12 percent of all trips are on foot (10.5 percent) or by bicycle (1 percent), though from 2000 to 2009, the number of cycling commuters increased by 57 percent. While numbers are growing, safety is a concern. In the 51 largest cities, 12.7 percent of trips are by foot and 1.1 percent are by bicycle, but 26.9 percent of traffic fatalities are pedestrians and 3.1 percent are bicyclists.

Despite the risk, the report makes a connection with biking or walking and health. It points out cycling and walking levels fell 66 percent between 1960 and 2009, while obesity levels increased by 156 percent. The picture was more grim when it came to children. Between 1966 and 2009, the number of children who biked or walked to school fell by 75 percent, while the percentage of obese children rose by 276 percent.

Despite the physical benefits of the activity, states spend just 1.6 percent of their federal transportation dollars on bicycling and walking, amounting to just $2.17 per capita, the report found.

Instead of biking or walking, people are still relying mostly on their cars. The report found 40 percent of trips in the United States in 2009 were shorter than two miles, but Americans used their cars for 87 percent of trips that were 1 to 2 miles in distance. When it came to trips up to 1 mile long, Americans still used their cars 62 percent of the time.

The report was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AARP and Planet Bike.

Should companies refuse to hire employees who smoke? Opposing views outlined

The growing controversy surrounding companies who refuse to hire employees who smoke is featured in two opposing opinion pieces in USA Today.

Paul Terpeluk, medical director of employee health services at Cleveland Clinic, explains why the policy makes sense for his company. "Consider that cigarette smoke contains hundreds of chemicals and compounds that are toxic and at least 69 that cause cancer," he writes. "To ignore this would be to undermine our commitment to health and wellness, which includes providing a healthy environment for our employees, visitors and patients. Plus, the policy has not proved to be an overwhelming obstacle for job applicants. Since it was instituted, less than 2 percent of job offers — about 300 out of 20,000 — have been rescinded due to positive nicotine tests." (Read more)

But a USA Today editorial expresses a different view, in response to Baylor Health Care System's move to stop hiring workers who smoke. "Intruding this deeply into people's privates lives raises questions that bear scrutiny," it reads. "Companies can charge smokers more for health coverage or ban smoking on the job. But punishing people for using a legal product on their own time crosses a troubling line."

The editorial makes an exception for health-care companies who want to practice what they preach. "But such practices are not confined to the health care industry, and they raise a broader issue: If employers routinely reject people who engage in risky, but legal, behavior on their own time, what about such things are overeating or drinking too much alcohol?" (Read more)

West Liberty City Council votes to ban smoking in city buildings, but question may be revisited

The West Liberty City Council voted narrowly last week to ban smoking in city buildings, reports Miranda Cantrell of the Licking Valley Courier.

Mayor Jim Rupe opposed the move, which passed 3-2 with one abstention. If the vote had been tied, Rupe could have broken it.

"Rupe, a smoker, advised council members to consider city employees who smoke, including City Clerk Sally Barker and some department heads," Cantrell reports. Council Members Mark Walter and Belinda Jordan said they were trying to help members of the public who use city buildings.

"Barker said the council will likely revisit the smoking issue at next month's meeting," Cantrell reports. "No effective date for the ban was suggested." (Read more)