By James Lemire, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

To kick off the New Year, Dr. Lemire is sharing his “5 R’s for optimal health.” The 5 R’s are the foundation of the program he uses at his clinic. And they offer a unique approach to helping you live a happier, healthier and longer life.

January 06, 2014

• Is your body a toxic waste dump?
• Most effective way to remove heavy metals from your system
• 5 detox secrets for longevity

Have you made some serious changes in your life by cutting some pretty evil foods from your diet? Sugar, HFCS, artificial sweeteners, wheat, MSG and genetically modified foods are no longer your friends.

And it wouldn’t be uncommon if you were craving some them right now.

But hang in there. And prepare yourself to take the next step toward your New Year’s resolution to live happier, healthier and longer lifetime.

In the last issue, we talked about the growing problem of toxibesity – the link between toxins, obesity and all of the health related problems that follow.

There is no coincidence here. Every day we eat toxic food, drink toxic water and breathe toxic air. These toxins get trapped in your body fat and disrupt everything from your weight… to your hormones… to your immune system… and so much more!

Now that you recognize the problem (step 1), let’s move on to step two of my program: How to remove these toxins from your body – and transform your life for the better.

Detox Secret #1: Cleanse your colon, liver and kidneys. Your liver, kidneys and intestines work together 24 hours a day to clear toxins from your body. When they aren’t in good working order, your body literally becomes a toxic waste dump. So it’s important to keep them in tip-top shape.

I’m going to make this simple for you. It’s something anyone and everyone can do, even if you aren’t willing to dedicate much time to it.

All you have to do is squeeze one half of an organic lemon into a hot cup of water each morning and drink it up. This will stimulate your bowels and help remove toxic mucus and waste build-up in your colon. It also stimulates and purifies your liver and kidneys.

How’s that for “oh so do-able?”

Detox Secret #2: Remove toxins and power up your repair cycle with a green smoothie. Your taste buds are used to refined sugary foods, so I’m going to make this really easy for you to get started.

After you’ve had your hot water with lemon, pull out the blender and toss in some blueberries or blackberries. Then add a handful of spinach. I would make the ratio about 40% berries and 60% greens.

Add a little water and two or three ice cubes… then press the button for “liquefy.” Now you’ve got your own fruit drink that’s fortified with greens to make you feel like a million bucks. (As your taste buds adjust, try experimenting with other greens like parsley, cilantro and kale.)

Detox Secret #3: Open your lymphatic system. I know what you are thinking. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says “Gee, today I have to open my have to lymphatic system.” Put in that context and it sounds almost laughable. But it’s no laughing matter.

Your lymphatic system carries all sorts of waste, toxins, dead blood cells and more out of your body. And just like your liver and kidneys, if it isn’t working properly toxins will accumulate in your tissues and organs.

It’s exceptionally easy to open your lymphatic system with something called “dry body brushing.” You simply brush your body in brisk strokes using a naturally bristled body brush before taking a bath or shower.

This brushing stimulates the production of lymph fluid that travels through your body gathering toxins and other waste matter for elimination.

When using a dry brush, it’s important to use proper strokes, so I’m going to link you to an online video to show you exactly how it’s done. Just click here.

Now that you know how easy it is, let’s explore two more things you can do to hit the “delete button” on toxic overload.

Detox Secret #4: Rid your body of heavy metals. Today we hear a lot of news about mercury. But that’s just one of many concerns when it comes to heavy metals. In these modern times we also have to think about aluminum, fluoride, cadmium and other heavy metals that we bring home in our foods, beverages, cosmetics, cookware and other every-day products.

You can have your doctor run a test to find out if you have too many of these metals in your system. And if you do, there is a simple solution.

It’s called EDTA chelation therapy. This treatment is FDA approved. And it can dramatically lower the burden of lead and other toxic metals in the body. I also like it because it can help improve circulation and reduce the formation of plaque in your arteries. (Think heart health!)

If you have a high burden of heavy metals in your body, you might want to consider intravenous EDTA chelation therapy. But if you don’t want to spend the time and money on intravenous therapy, it’s easy enough to buy an over-the-counter oral chelation supplement. Look for one that contains EDTA, aspartic acid, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, selenium and zinc.

Detox Secret #5: Relax in a whole body detox bath. I don’t think I know anyone who wouldn’t love to have a great excuse to soak in a hot tub for a little while. It’s a perfect time to de-stress and get away from your day-to-day activities.

Now you don’t have to make any excuses! In just 15 minutes you can soothe your soul and release your body of toxins at the same time.

Here’s what to do:

Run the water as hot as you can comfortably stand it. Then add 1 cup of Himalayan salt, 1/2 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide and 1 cup aluminum free baking soda. These ingredients will release toxins from the largest organ in your body – your skin.

Soak for a full 15 minutes before exiting the tub. But don’t stay in longer than that, or your body will start reabsorbing the toxins!

Are you seeing how easy this is?

In just a few days you’ve learned how to cut food toxins from your diet… and how to remove toxic overload from your body. As we move forward, I’ll dig deeper into the details, but this will definitely get you started in the right direction.

I’ve got more great tips for you in the next issue.

In it, you’ll learn to replace your existing diet with some exciting food combinations that put your body into overdrive when it comes to metabolism, energy, weight loss and improving your overall long-term health.

I can hardly wait.