5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals

If you are anything like me, prevention is an important part of parenting.  I do vitamin C and zinc to prevent cold and flu, daily iron to prevent anemia, frequent socialization to prevent/reduce socialization anxiety, and the list goes on. Anything I can do to help my Little Bear have a solid start in life. So, as I continued to learn more about our every day exposure to toxic heavy metals and their sometimes irreversible effects, I started to explore possible prevention options.  Interestingly, I learned that heavy metal toxins can be purged from our body's very effectively thus eliminating any signs and symptoms of toxicity. It is only when heavy metals are left without monitoring, untreated, and allowed to build that the effects become tragic and irreversible. Great news right? I can monitor, I can treat, I can prevent build up.

Here are some of our regular go tos:

1. Cilantro - Cilantro naturally binds to metals and accelerates the excretion specifically of lead and aluminum. We hide cilantro in scrambled eggs with cheese or tacos. Also, while Cilantro does its job of binding effectively, it has to also exit before the metals has a chance to reabsorb into the body; therefore, increasing fiber or juice during cilantro meals helps to increase its effectiveness.

2. EPA, DHA and other fish oils - These are natural antivirals and great for protecting and nurturing a growing brain. Antivirals aid in detox. The difficulty however is that fish can be a major offender for exposing our bodies to metals. Instead, maybe look for a good multivitamin that has oils or really monitor the quality of the seafood you buy. 

3. Chlorella - Chlorella is a source of Chlorophyll, Protein, Iron, Magnesium, and amino acids, but it is primarily known as a detoxifying supplement.  It can be very powerful and in some cases can completely cure metal detox. However, it can very easily be overused. It is essentially a food (algae or seaweed). You can buy cereals that contain Chlorella but we use capsules. We mix a highly reduced dose in grape juice maybe 1-2x a month.   

4. Water - (filtered of course) Our water is another source of heavy metals, but filtered/purified water naturally flushes and purifies your body.

5. Garlic - Garlic is high in glutathione (detoxing qualities) and is an antiviral. We put garlic on everything and our Little Bear loves it. Also, the medical qualities of organic garlic cloves is much higher than say powdered seasoning. So this may be a motivation to take the extra step when cooking.  

https://draxe.com/7-proven-chlorella-benefits-side-effects/ 

These tips are meant as personal testimony and should not be taken in replacement of medical advise. If someone you love shows signs of metal toxicity, please seek professional attention to complete a supervised diagnosis and treatment (either holistic or medical). However, the above mentioned are purifying foods that we purposefully incorporate in our regular diet as our family's prevention plan. We hope it helps!   

Additional note: "Though generally considered safe, Chlorella comes with some cautions and warnings. It can contain moderate levels of iodine, so those with iodine sensitive thyroid conditions or iodine allergies should avoid it. Those with auto-immune disease should consult with a doctor first as it can increase immune function and may make these conditions worse." - https://wellnessmama.com/2719/chlorella-uses-benefits/