You need to establish a healthy lifestyle and good dietary habits FIRST, before you begin to follow a Detoxification Protocol, so that you have a reserve that your body can draw on to allow your Liver to do its job properly. If you fail to do this, you can easily overwhelm your Livers ability to process the toxic substances that are being eliminated and you may wish you had never done the detox in the first place.

 

Bernadette can assist you by working with you to identify your concerns. Using a combination of Nutritional Analysis and Biomeridian Stress Testing protocols, Bernadette can help identify energy imbalances and nutritional deficiencies which are indicative of underlying problems. Bernadette will then work with you to put in place a pattern of healthy eating that will start you down the path to maximum overall health benefits.

 

Some of these guidelines are timeless and include:

- Eating foods that are natural, unprocessed and organic (and contain no sugar except for the occasional bit of honey or maple syrup)

- Eat foods that are grown locally and are in season

- Eat fermented foods (Kefir, Yogurt, Sauerkraut...) that have NOT been pasteurized

- Eat at last one third of your food raw

- Make sure you eat enough healthy fats, including those from animal sources like omega-3 fat, and reduce your intake of omega-6 from vegetable oils

 

Additionally, its important to understand that if you are deficient in essential minerals, your body will actually use toxic heavy metals as stand-ins instead. For example:

- Insufficient Calcium intake means Calcium is replaced by Lead, which deposits primarily in bone. Lead contributes to poor bone health and leads to osteopenia and osteoprosis.

- Zinc is replaced by Cadmium, which tends to accumulate in your kidneys. Cadmium overload is associated with peripheral neuropathy.

- Magnesium is replaced by Aluminium, which, among other things, induces neurochemical changes and has been identified as a contributing factor to developing Alzheimers

- Manganese is replaced by Nicket, which is Carcenogenic

 

So not only do you need nutrients to aid your bodys natural detoxification process, you also need to make sure you are getting the vital nutrients your body needs to avoid this toxic metal replacement process.

 

 

 

In addition to Nutritional based Detoxification protocols, Bernadette may also recommend the use of Colonic Hydrotherapy for colon cleansing, as well as the use of Far Infared Saunas and Ionic Footbath Detoxification. These are all useful as adjuncts to nutritionally based detoxification protocols.

 

 

 

Toxins we absorb from our environment in different forms (via food, cosmetics, household cleaners, breathing,...) build up in our bodies and are stored first in Fat Cells and then, at higher levels of toxicity, in the connective tissues, joints and internal organs of the body. The organs involved in detoxification are the kidneys, lungs, lymph, skin, blood, thyroid, colon and liver, with the liver being the main organ of detoxification.

 

Detoxification involves the removing of stored toxins from the bowel, the blood, the liver and kidneys plus the large amounts of toxins stored in body fat. Any change from a poor diet to a healthy diet is detoxifying, with those who choose to go on a Raw Food Diet experiencing dramatic detoxification. Exercise is helpful to the process, as is a high fibre intake and drinking sufficient pure water (NOT polluted tap water).

 

There are many different methods of detoxification available, just as there are many detoxification products available from stores or online. However, not all methods of detoxification are suitable for all people, and in the case of Heavy Metals detoxification, care has to be taken to ensure the correct process is followed, otherwise heavy metals released from body fat can be immediately reabsorbed by the body with consequential negative health impacts.

 

When considering a Detoxification Program for health reasons, it is best to consult with a professional who is familiar with Detoxification Protocols and Products, such as a Holistic Nutritionist or a Naturopathic Doctor. These practitioners have been trained in the elements of this kind of treatment and will adapt Detoxification protcols to the abilities and needs of your body. This is important as your body may not necesarily be able to sustain the rigors of a detoxification program that produces the fastest results.

 

Bernadette usually recommends starting with dietary changes. Because many Canadians tend to have diets that lead to constipation, a change in diet can accomplish the same thing as many herbal detoxification products that are really just laxatives, Ideally, we are all supposed to have one to two bowel movements a day, but these days many people go two to three days between bowel movements and think this is normal. The normal pathway for toxins to move out of the body through the liver, which converts harmful substances into water-soluble molecules that can be flushed out in the urine of feces. If there is a delay in bowel elimination however, these toxins remain in your system longer and may actually be reabsorbed into your body, where they may then be stored in fatty tissue.