by Nicole Evans M.D.

Created on: June 21, 2007   Last Updated: January 03, 2012

Living in a contaminated world, most  realize they could benefit from some full body detoxification. But how many actually have the time to do 7 day juice fasts, the money to spend on clove capsules, dandelion root, black walnut tinctures, coffee enemas, and aged garlic pills, or the energy to deal with feeling horrible for 3 days straight from detoxing too fast?

The easiest, cheapest, and safest way to detox is by assisting your body in its natural detoxification processes. Below are the 5 most effective ways to accomplish this goal.

1. Increase your Selenium

Chronic exposure to environmental toxins, including chemotherapy drugs, radiation and other toxic medicines, increases the requirement for selenium. Many of the benefits of selenium are related to its role in the production of the antioxidant enzyme Glutathione Peroxidase. This enzyme is responsible for detoxification in the body and each molecule of this Glutathione Peroxidase contains 4 atoms of selenium!

Selenium supplementation has been found to protect the liver in people with alcoholic cirrhosis. Smokers, in particular, have depleted selenium levels and should make every attempt to increase the selenium in their diet. Foods sources of selenium are the safest and most easily utilized by your body. Foods high in selenium include:

-Brazil nuts

-Broccoli

-Brown rice

-Chicken and Seafood

-Dairy products

-Garlic and Onions

-Molasses

-Vegetables and Whole grains.

2. Add some Zinc

Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet light, radiation, cigarette smoking, and air pollution) can greatly increase the number of these damaging particles. Free radicals are believed to contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems including heart disease and cancer. Zinc can protect your body from the harmful effects of toxins by three separate mechanisms:
-The antioxidant properties of zinc can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage free radicals cause.
-Zinc is a constituent of the important antioxidant enzyme Superoxide Dismutase.

-Zinc is needed for the proper absorption of Vitamin E which is yet another important antioxidant.

Food sources of zinc include:

-Egg yolks

-Fish, oysters, poultry and lamb

-Legumes and soybeans

-Mushrooms

-Pecans, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds

-Parsley

-Kelp

3. Go natural

Every day we choose to introduce toxic chemicals and compounds into our

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