Cleanse/Detox Before or After the Holidays?

With the holidays approaching, you might be in a cleanse conundrum.

Do you detox and cleanse now, so you're all ready to eat those indulgent holiday foods?

Or, do you say "forget it" until after the holidays, when the damage has been done?

Actually, special guest Dr. Stewart Lonky says if you're thinking about cleansing that way, you're thinking about it all wrong.

Cleansing is not a one-time event. You're taking in toxins just as fast as you eliminate them from your body.

Dr. Lonky says that the majority of toxic chemicals in your body that impact the way your body manages fat come in through the foods that you eat. When you understand this, you can take a conscious approach to eliminating the bad foods and adding in more of the good ones.

You can also do things to prevent the absorption of the toxins. Dr. Lonky advocates his process of AIPE:

Accept that you're exposed to toxins.
Identify the toxins that are entering your body.
Prevent those toxins from causing your harm.
Eliminate the toxins.

Eating organic is a great way to prevent toxic load. Even though there's no such thing as completely toxic-free, even if it's organic, it's a tremendous improvement.

Another thing you can do is learn to read food labels. Avoid as many processed and canned foods as you can.

And, learn which foods and elements have "special powers" in helping your body eliminate toxins. For instance, cilantro binds to heavy metals, organic toxins, insecticides/pesticides. Clay products like activated charcoal, as well as activated zeolites, all bind toxins and prevent them from being absorbed.

Dr. Lonky says that if you make these habits a daily practice, you'll be doing far more good than an occasional cleanse or detox.