Environmental toxins come in all shapes and sizes, but a few simple steps can protect you from the brunt of them. Walter Crinnion, ND, a professor at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona, suggests the following defense strategies:

1. Go organic. This significantly reduces your exposure to pesticides and herbicides. If you’re watching your budget, opt for organic when buying fruits and vegetables that typically have the highest pesticide content, such as peaches, apples, and bell peppers. (View the top offenders at foodnews.org.)

2. Boost your defenses. Eat organic broccoli and drink green tea aplenty. They help cleanse the liver of built-up toxins, and their antioxidant power pumps up your immune system to defend against the damaging free radicals toxins can create.

3. Watch the fish. Seafood offers many health benefits—but some types of fish increase your exposure to mercury and the highly toxic industrial compounds known as PCBs. One of the most dangerous fish: Atlantic salmon. Make sure you buy wild salmon from Alaska, which has fewer contaminants. (Learn more about choosing the least toxic seafood at Environmental Defense.org.)

4. Switch to natural. Awash in a sea of laundry detergents and bathroom cleansers, we’re overloaded with synthetic chemicals. “Why expose yourself to more chemicals than you have to?” asks Crinnion. “Reduce your total load wherever you can, and replace your common household cleansers with those made with natural ingredients.”

5. Detox or fast. Several types of detox programs or one-day fasts can internally cleanse your body—but make sure you check with your doctor before trying one. Keep in mind, too, says Crinnion, that “anything that promotes better excretion helps move toxins out the body.”
For more info on detox programs, see the Digestive Concerns Condition Center at naturalsolutionsmag.com.

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Information presented is of a general nature for educational and informational purposes only. Statements about products and health conditions have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Products and information presented herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.