^[1]Your body may be a toxic waste dump. Worried? You should be ….

We are exposed to 6 million pounds of mercury and 2.5 billion pounds of other toxic chemicals each year.

80,000 toxic chemicals have been released into our environment since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, and very few have been tested for their long-term impact on human health. And let me tell you, the results aren’t pretty for those that have been tested …

How can we not be affected by this massive amount of poison?

According to the non-profit organization Environmental Working Group ^[2], the average newborn baby has 287 known toxins in his or her umbilical cord blood.

If a newborn is exposed to that many toxins, imagine how many you have been exposed to in your life …

Do you think this may be why so many of us are sick and fat today?

The simple truth is that we are living in a sea of toxins ^[3], and it is destroying our bodies and brains.

The two most important things you need to know to cure disease, create health and lose weight are:

• The role of nutrition ^[4] in health and disease

• The role of toxins and the importance of detoxification ^[5] in health and disease

Unfortunately, you probably aren’t going to learn much about toxins from your doctor. Most physicians today are still hopelessly ignorant in these areas. They were simply never taught about nutrition and detoxification in medical school.

However, there are many things you can do to reduce your toxic exposures and enhance your detoxification. Today I want to share some information your doctor probably won’t focus on in your next visit, even though it is at the very root of your health.

10 simple steps to enhance detoxification

Proper detoxification is so essential for health that you need to start enhancing your body’s ability to detoxify today. Here is how to do it:

• Drink clean — Drink plenty of clean water, at least eight to 10 glasses of filtered water a day.

• Eliminate properly — Keep your bowels moving, at least once or twice a day. And if you can’t get going, then you need some help. This can include taking two tablespoons of ground flax seeds and taking acidophilus and extra magnesium ^[6] citrate capsules. If you have any chronic diseases or problems, you have to be careful about taking supplements and should work with your doctor.

• Eat clean — You should also eat organic produce ^[7] and animal products to eliminate the toxins, hormones and antibiotics in your food.

• Eat detoxifying food — You should eat eight to 10 servings of colorful fruits and vegetables a day, particularly from the family of the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, collards, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi) and the garlic family (garlic and onions), which help increase sulfur in the body and help detoxification.

• Minimize drugs — Avoid stimulants, sedatives and drugs, such as caffeine and nicotine, and try to reduce alcohol intake.

• Get moving — Exercise five days a week with focus on conditioning your cardiovascular system, strengthening exercises, and stretching exercises.

• Avoid the white menace — This includes white flour and white sugar.

• Sweat — Sweat profusely at least three times a week, using a sauna, steam, or a detox bath.

• Supplement — Take a high-quality multivitamin and mineral supplement.

• Relax — Relax deeply every day to get your nervous system in a state of calm, rest and relaxation.

Simply following these steps will help to correct problems caused by toxicity, maximize your body’s own detoxification capacity, and help you safely eliminate toxins stored in your body.

Depending on your symptoms, genetic predispositions and environmental exposures, you may need different levels of nutrients and types of treatment, but this is an excellent way to get started on detoxification today.

Remember, getting rid of toxins and learning how to optimize your detoxification system is essential for creating lifelong vibrant health ^[8].

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.