Detoxification

As we sleep at night our body does amazing things, especially the liver.  It works during the night while you sleep to remove toxins from the body. So, when you drink lemon water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, the trace minerals from the lemons help to flush and remove toxins while rehydrating the body. 

Mix in fresh all-natural lemon juice or lemon slices to taste with an 8 to 12-ounce glass of water.  You can also add a drop of mint oil or a sprig of fresh mint and raw organic honey if the lemon water is too bitter. 

Note: You should aim to drink 64 oz of water or half your body weight in ounces per day.

Here are some other benefits of drinking 8-12 oz of lemon water first thing in the morning: 

• Lemons have a host of nutrients, including calcium, fiber, iron, vitamin C, and magnesium giving you a boost of energy to start your day.
•  Lemon water improves digestion by removing toxins in the digestive tract.  
• Lemon water is a boost to your immune system because lemons contain potassium and vitamin C, which are known to help improve immune system function. 
• Cleanses the liver by stimulating the production bile and stomach acid.  
• The trace minerals help to balance sodium levels and the body's Ph levels. 

It’s human nature to find comfort in the food we eat. Hence the phrase, “comfort foods.” Eating should be an enjoyable experience.  It’s time to stop associating foods with negative feelings of guilt. This healing soup is a great place to start because it warms you heart and soul while providing amazing healing benefits.  Feel free to eat this soup any time of day.  It can be paired with a large dark leafy green side salad for lunch or dinner or as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.  

Healing Mexican Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

•  2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
•  1 can of 100% pure organic pumpkin puree or make your own using 1 fresh baking pumpkin 
• 2 celery stalks, sliced 
• 1 medium to large onion, diced
•  2 cups of diced tomato (deseeded)
•  1 jalapeño (deseeded and chopped small) (optional)
•  3-4 garlic cloves
•  2 tablespoons of coconut oil 
• 1 tablespoon of ground turmeric 
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin 
• 1 -2 tablespoons of ground chili powder (to taste) 
• 1 cup of finely chopped cilantro (stems optional) 
• Salt and pepper (to taste) 
• 8 –10 cups of organic gluten free vegetable or chicken bone broth
•  Juice from 1 –2 fresh limes (to taste)  

How to make soup:

1. In a large stock pot melt the coconut oil over a medium high heat. 
2. Add in ground turmeric, ground cumin, onions, garlic, celery, and jalapeño. Sauté until onions are tender. Stir often to avoid sticking. 
3. Add in diced tomato and ground chili powder and sauté for 4-6 minutes until tomatoes start to break down. 
4. Stir in pumpkin puree. 
5. Pour in half of the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. 
6. Once the soup has come to a boil then add in the sweet potatoes. 
7. Let the soup come to a boil again, add in remaining broth and lower to a simmer. 
8. Simmer for 1 –2 hours until potatoes are tender. 
9. Add in cilantro and fresh lime. 
10. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Note: This recipe makes a large quantity so be sure to freeze some in individual serving containers for future use. Soup should last 4-5 days in the refrigerator.  

Healing Benefits Provided: 

• Cilantro is a rich source of antioxidant flavonoids, phytonutrients, and phenols. It contains Vitamins A, C and K, along with minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and folate. It is also an excellent source of fiber. Cilantro has the ability to bind harmful heavy metals and loosen them from the tissues and organs to help eliminate them from the body. Cilantro has powerful antioxidant abilities due to the presence of a flavonoid called quercetin. 
• Cumin is a powerful little seasoning. It contains antioxidants, has anticancer properties, fights bacteria and parasites, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. 
• Garlic has antiviral and antibacterial properties that helps in fighting off things like EBV, strep, and UTIs. Flushes out toxic viral and bacterial waste from the lymphatic system. 
• Onions nourish the thyroid and is a potent antiviral agent. 
• Sweet potatoes help to cleanse and detox the liver, nourish the skin and adrenal glands, and reduce fibroids and cysts. 
• Pumpkin is a highly nutritious fruit.  It contains antioxidants such as beta-carotene which the body turns into Vitamin A. The abundance of antioxidants found in pumpkin can help to neutralize free radicals and stop them from damaging your cells. Vitamin A strengthens the immune system and helps to fight infections. Pumpkin is also high in Vitamin C, which has been shown to increase white blood cell production, and help immune cells work more effectively. 
•  Turmeric helps to restore thyroid tissue and helps the thyroid to regenerate healthy tissue. 

The body needs certain heavy metals like iron and zinc to stay healthy. But heavy metals like mercury and cadmium are very dangerous to our health. When there is an overabundance of these metals present in our organs (particularly the pituitary gland) and blood stream it causes symptoms of brain fog and low energy. This is because the presence of heavy metals affects the function of your organs, such as the brain, liver, and lungs. Heavy metals enter your body through food and the environment.  The best way to detoxify the body of heavy metals is to eat foods that bind the metals and help to remove them from the body. One of the best foods for detoxing of heavy metals is wild organic blueberries. Drink this smoothie as an afternoon snack.  It’s a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth and give you added protein for restoring and building muscles, while you benefit from the detoxification properties of the wild blueberries.  

 “Chocolate” Blueberry Protein Smoothie

 Ingredients: 

• 1 ripe banana

 • 1-2 cups of fresh (or frozen) wild organic blueberries

 • 1/3 cup of Organic Unsweetened Coconut Milk (preferably without guar gum) 

• 2 scoops of Cacao Powder 

• 1-2 scoops of a plant-based protein powder 

• 1 cup of water  

• 1 cup of ice  

How to make smoothie:

 In a large blender, mix ingredients until smooth.  

Healing Benefits Provided:  

• Bananas provide amino acids and are a great source of potassium and magnesium. In addition, bananas will help regulate blood sugar. And if you eat an unripe (one that is sort of green) you will get the benefits of resistant starch. Resistant starch is a type of fiber and is a prebiotic. Prebiotics escape digestion and end up in your large intestine, where they become food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut.  
• Cacao are the small seeds of the cacao tree, and they are used to make chocolate. These little seeds are quite a superfood as they are an excellent source of magnesium and antioxidants. 
• Coconut (coconut milk) contains anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties that kills viruses like EBV. 
• Wild blueberries restore the central nervous system and flushes heavy metal toxins out of the organs. Wild blueberries also contain powerful antioxidants that helps repair thyroid tissue.   

Healing Hint: I know at first glance this may seem like a lot of food to incorporate into your daily nutrition plan. You can start off small by implementing one new step each day until at the end of the first week you are doing all five steps. I also suggest that you make your main meals smaller so that you can incorporate all 5 steps of this detox daily for at least the first 30 days you begin your healing journey. But I strongly encourage that you do a full 90 days to see the best results.