Toxins Are Fattening

"What are toxins and what do toxins have to do with weight gain?", you may ask.  Or, "how are toxins fattening?  Will reading this really help me with weight loss?"

Last night we hosted our first in a series of lectures on nutrition and weight loss.  I focused on cleansing and ridding toxins from the body.  We had a good turn out and most people were very interested in how toxins stored in the body are stored in the fat cells.  Most attendees were very interested in how to cleanse the body of toxins and of course, the great side benefit, lose weight. 

Last night we featured a "Done For You" Cleanse System from Isagenix.  When I say "Done For You", I mean just that.  Let me explain a little about cleansing.

I am a health food nut from way back.  I have been interested in Cleansing and Detoxifing the body for years.  I did my first cleanse in the 1980's, which was a 4 day rotation diet.  This meant that no one food  type was to be eaten more than once in 4 days.  And without going into detail, it required an extensive focus on the diet and a very diverse supply of foods to be available.  Although it was time consuming and very restrictive, it allowed me to see first hand the power of detoxifying the body.  After about 4 days on this diet, a minor problem that I had, disappeared.  Now, this was a minor condition which I was basically ignoring,  but I had seen a medical doctor about it.  He had given me the diagnosis and then suggested a procedure, which he qualified by saying " We don't know why patients get this, sometimes it goes away on its own.  If you decide to do the treatment, it might just come back."  Well I decided not to do the treatment, did the detox diet a few weeks later, and saw the problem resolve never to return.

This was a condition the medical doctors couldn't figure out, but a Cleansing diet permanently "cured" it.

So now you are asking, "What's the secret, already?"

The Secret is that "Your Body Heals Itself.",  You just have to give it the right materials AND clean out the filters  once in a while.  You wouldn't expect your car to run for 30 years with out changing the oil, would you?  You wouldn't run your air conditioner or home heating unit for 20 years without changing the filters would you?

Well in these industrialized, pesticide, insecticide laden times, you need to cleanse your internal systems too.  And with Isagenix, there is no inventory of food, there is no need to buy a juicer or read books on pH.  Although all those are interesting and valid topics, which I may address at another time.

With Isagenix, you just buy the cleanse system and commiit to 9 days or 30 days.  Remember the old saw "today is the first day of the rest of your life"?  Start the rest of your life less toxic.

For more information on Isagenix go to http://gethealthylocustgrove.isagenix.com/us/en/home.dhtml. Go under the 'Products' tab and a pull down menu will appear with more information about cleansing, nutrition and other topics.

One thing that seemed apparent with the group who were attending the lecture last night, was the need for information on healthy foods and where to buy them.  If you have any questions you would like me to address personally, just scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the "email the doctor" link.

Here is my receipe for Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (Usually I juice one lemon)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (Up to 1/4 cup if you like it tangy)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (Can use more if needed)

Preparation:

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

You can garnish the Hummus with a  small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional). 

Hummus is a standard in the Middle East and their are many variations.  You may add things like fresh red pepper, black olives, more garlic, parsley, chives etc. . .

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

ENJOY

Dr. Liz