Healthy Detoxification: A Spring Cleaning!

Toxicity is a Major Problem
Did you know that in the year 2001 alone, more than 6 billion pounds of chemical pollutants were released into the environment? Over the course of a lifetime, we will be exposed to thousands of foreign compounds that can enter our bodies through the food we eat, the air we breathe, and directly through our skin. To make matters worse, many of us have substituted healthy meals with a poor diet that significantly lacks nutritional value to fuel the body's detoxifying capacity. All of these factors can contribute to an accumulation of toxins, or toxicity.
Where Do Toxins Come From?
Toxins can derive from chemical pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides, drugs, alcohol, active/passive cigarette smoking, and food additives. However, toxins can also come from normal metabolism and intestinal build-up of unhealthy bacteria within your own body.
How Toxicity Can Affect Your Health
A number of symptoms and conditions have been associated with possible toxic exposures and toxicity, including:

• Migraine headache
  
• Fibromyalgia
  
• Generalized arthralgias
  
• Chemical sensitivity
  
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
  You Can Reduce Your Risk for Toxicity
  Listed below are some practical suggestions to help lower your exposure to toxins. To minimize toxins in the diet:
  

• Avoid foods high in fat, additives, and preservatives
  
• Eat organically grown vegetables, fruits, and grains
  
• Drink plenty of water
  To minimize toxins in the environment:
  

• Use an effective air purification system
  
• Wear protective clothing and/or apparatus when working
  with toxic materials
  
• Replace furnace and air conditioning filters regularly
  Your Body Can Remove Toxins
  The term detoxification refers to our body's natural ability to transfer and eliminate toxins. The illustrations on the front side of this information sheet outlines the body's natural detoxification steps and helps us understand how to best strengthen and support this protective mechanism.
  

Detoxification of Stored Toxins Involves 3 Stages
Only substances that are easily dissolved in water, or water-soluble, can be effectively excreted from the body. Toxic compounds, however, are typically stored as fatty molecules and, therefore, do not mix well in water. The detoxification process transforms these toxic, fat-soluble substances into harmless, water-soluble molecules which can then be excreted out of the body.
Detoxification systems in the body can be summarized in 3 phases:
Liver Function Phase I:
• Fat-soluble toxins are transformed into intermediate compounds which can be more reactive, but bind more easily to non-toxic, water- soluble molecules in Phase II
Liver Function Phase II:
• Formation between the reactive intermediates and water-soluble molecules make the entire compound harmless and ready for excretion out of the body
• Without enough supportive Phase II substances, the reactive intermediates can attack healthy tissues and may cause damage
Excretion:
• Neutralized toxins, now made water-soluble, are removed from the body in urine via the kidneys or in bile/feces through the intestines
Prolonged Fasting May Do More Harm Than Good
Because the detoxification process needs a lot of energy, fasting with water or juice has been shown to be both ineffective and even dangerous. In fact, prolonged fasting may weaken muscles and other organs, eliminating the essential nutrients required for healthy detoxification rather than toxins.
There is Nutritional Support for Detoxification
Studies have shown that the overall detoxification process is heavily nutrient- dependent, whereby key steps are fueled by vitamins, minerals, and other major food components.
Here are a few nutrients that may help maintain and improve detoxification:

• Zinc, pantothenic acid, and beneficial probiotics
  
• Vitamins A, B3, B6, B12, C, E, beta-carotene, and folates
  
• Amino acids L-cysteine, L-glutamine, and taurine
  
• N-acetylcysteine, sodium sulfate, and L-glutathione
  
• Green tea catechins
  
• Low-allergy-potential protein/carbohydrates
  Healthy Detoxification Requires Healthy Nutrients
  Without optimal detoxification, your body will not efficiently remove harmful toxins. Your kidneys play a major role during the final step of detoxification by excreting transformed toxic compounds in urine. An alkaline pH level may be an important consideration for proper kidney function. Therefore, a focused, high-impact, low-allergy-potential nutritional support program to promote an alkaline pH level and improve detoxification capacity may be helpful. 
  
  
  
  
  

   

  The Clear Change® 10-Day Program featuring UltraClear RENEW is designed to enhance the body’s natural metabolic detoxification process while providing adequate fuel for both cleansing and other daily activities—providing energy and support for overall well-being. Many people benefit from completing a 10-day metabolic detoxification program two to three times a year.*

  Metabolic detoxification is a natural bodily process that consists of 3 major detoxification pathways: Phase I (functionalization), Phase II (conjugation), and Phase III (antiporter activity). In this process, fat soluble compounds must undergo transformation and become water-soluble before they can be excreted.

  The 10-day program is ideal for anyone wanting to benefit from an occasional “Spring Cleaning” or somebody who eats a reasonably healthy diet, exercises regularly, and manages stress adequately. It is also ideal for individuals who scored <50 on the Metabolic Detoxification Questionnaire.*

  This convenient 10-day program includes:

  UltraClear RENEW (Berry, Chai, or Vanilla)—an advanced, specialized nutritional powder mix formulated for metabolic detoxification, including support for alkalinization, balanced liver detoxification capacity, and heavy metal metabolism *
  • Features a low-allergy-potential rice protein base and is designed to help nutritionally support the detoxification of potentially harmful compounds by the liver and reduce exposure to food allergens*
  • Supports Phase I and II detoxification, delivering nutrients to help enhance activities of several liver detoxification enzymes and antioxidants to help support the clearance of reactive intermediary compounds*
  • Provides advanced support for Phase III detoxification by nutritionally supporting alkalinity and excretion*

  AdvaClear®;—supports balanced metabolic detoxification activity and provides antioxidant protection against reactive oxygen intermediates produced during the detoxification process
  • Delivers methylated vitamin B12 and folic acid along with nutrients designed to enhance the activities of several liver detoxification enzymes*

  Free shaker cup—convenient way to mix a nutritional powder

  Program guide—easy-to-follow instructions, menu plans, and recipes

  Free webinar—on-demand presentation from Metagenics clinicians
  Available at Space Coast Advanced Health
  321-783-1960
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