The Hormone Reset Diet (31 page)

Phthalates, another form of xenoestrogen (fake estrogen), are added to shampoos, deodorants, body washes, hair gels, hair sprays, and nail polishes for fragrance. Phthalates have been found to cause birth defects in male fetuses. One form of phthalate, called diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is allowed by the FDA in foods that mainly contain water. Scary.

Here’s yet another fake estrogen used commonly in soaps, toothpastes, and shampoos. There is some concern that exposure may be linked to breast cancer and also to a drop in male fertility.

When it comes to detoxing, my task with patients is to find the obstacles to their detoxification and remove them. Most of my patients get very focused on the macronutrients (relative quantities of protein, fat, carbohydrates) yet few understand the role of micronutrients, such as vitamins, amino acids, polysaccharides, and minerals. In this reset, I want to shine the love lights on minerals. Plain and simple, minerals detoxify you, and you probably are running low on many of them. They are instrumental to 95 percent of the delicate biochemistry in the body, and if you’ve been a carb addict for years, you are probably deficient in minerals.

You’ve already heard me talk about magnesium in chapter 2 (see page 37), and now I want to get serious about sulfur, another crucial mineral to your detoxification and health.
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My friend David Wolfe calls sulfur the “world’s best cosmetic” because it’s fundamental to the health of your hair, skin, and nails. My colleague Dr. Stephanie Seneff, senior scientist at MIT and pioneer in sulfur research, says that sulfur deficiency is far more pervasive than most people realize, and the majority of conventional physicians seem unaware of the pivotal role played by sulfur in proper insulin function.

When it comes to detoxification, sulfur relieves inflammation
and helps to turn on the fat-burning machine. Where do you find it? Dietary proteins, including fish, organic and/or pastured beef and poultry, coconut and olive oils, arugula, bee pollen, hemp, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, blue-green algae, kale, pumpkin seeds, radishes, spirulina, and watercress.

Are you short on sulfur? A deficiency is common and heralded by obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic fatigue, acne, arthritis, brittle hair and nails, gastrointestinal challenges, immune system dysfunction, lingering muscle injuries, memory loss, rashes, scar tissue, and slow wound healing.

Sulfur isn’t the only need-to-know mineral. Selenium, copper, and zinc are important for your thyroid, and the copper-to-zinc ratios must be kept in order. Taking a high-potency multivitamin keeps the ratio in check. Sea salt contains important minerals too, such as trace amounts of calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron.
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You also need to fill in the nutritional gaps related to amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Here are a few favorites:

•
Glutathione
is a powerful antioxidant that your body produces to detox free radicals. I think of it as your antirust protector.

•
N-acetylcysteine
is the precursor of glutathione (see the Supplements section, page 210).

Our final reset augments the previous six food-based resets by addressing environmental factors that may make you fat and upgrading your body’s own detoxification pathways. In addition to being mindful about what you put into your body, let’s address what you put onto your body. The skin absorbs many environmental
toxins and sometimes makes them even worse once inside. Over the next three days, you’ll swap the metabolic blockers for natural products, replace your missing minerals and other nutrients, and upgrade your liver and gut function.

TOXIN FREE RULES: DO THESE EACH DAY

In the Toxin Free reset, you are integrating the previous sex resets and deepening detoxification by replacing two meals with a clean protein shake.

1.
Be wary of skin products.
When you wake up in the morning, become increasingly aware of what you put on your skin and mucosal membranes such as your mouth. Start with your first action. If you’re like me, you scrape your tongue and brush your teeth after arising from bed. Make sure the first product(s) you apply are free of metabolic blockers, such as organic toothpaste or deodorant, natural shampoos and conditioners, biodynamic soap or lotions. (See Resources for recommended brands.)

2.
Up your intake of alkaline-forming foods.
An easy way to do this is to start your morning with a hot cup of water with lemon, followed by a green shake for breakfast. Aim for two to three servings of greens each day.

3.
Continue to eat one pound or more of vegetables every day.
Prepare your pound accordingly: half lightly cooked, half raw. (Note: if you have thyroid issues, lightly cook all your veggies.) Cruciferous vegetables boost both phases of liver detoxification—make sure to consume cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Add vegetables to your shakes to keep volume high. Alliums such as onions and scallions will boost Phase II liver detoxification.

4.
Keep up your fiber consumption of 35 to 45 grams per day.
If you’re gut is feeling fine (no gas or bloating), you can try higher amounts. Fiber helps to bind metabolic blockers.

5.
Add seeds and spices to your cooking.
Caraway and dill seeds improve Phase I of liver detoxification (garbage generation), and curcumin (turmeric), rosemary, thyme, and oregano help Phase II.

6.
Make sure your food containers are safe
by using glass and stainless steel. Avoid storing or cooking food in plastic containers.

7.
Get outside.
I was shocked to learn from the Environmental Protection Agency that the air we breathe inside the home could be up to five times more polluted than the air outside. During the Toxin Free reset, consider getting outside more, opening more windows in your home, running a HEPA filter, putting encasements on your pillows and mattresses, and replacing toxic home cleaning products. If that feels too ambitious, focus on a brisk walk outside after a meal for fifteen to twenty minutes, and get rid of one or two cleaning products. Household cleaning products contain more than 17,000 chemicals, and only a fraction have been tested for their effects on human health. Use white vinegar, herbs, borax, olive oil, and lemon juice as safer ingredients for cleaning, and see Resources for recommended recipes.

SAMPLE MENU

On the following page is a suggested menu for resetting your estrogen, insulin, leptin, testosterone, and thyroid. For nutritional data, check out the Notes section.
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It’s important to drink extra water during the Toxin Free reset to flush out impurities. But what if the water itself is toxic? Water can contain any number of scary contaminants, including lead, fluoride, chlorine, arsenic, nitrates, sulfates, herbicides, pesticides, bacteria,
and other microorganisms like parasites. So, the first step to getting a water filter is testing the tap water in your home.

Assessing for a range of common contaminants can cost more than one hundred dollars, but the investment is worthwhile because it can help you identify the best system for your water. When you test, keep an eye especially on the two most common contaminants: chlorine

and lead. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 20 percent of lead exposure comes from water.

Once you know what you are dealing with, you might want to consider purchasing a home water purifying system, like I did. These systems vary greatly in effectiveness and cost. Here’s a small sampling:

• Alkaline water filters.
Proponents claim that alkaline water neutralizes acid in the blood and fights free radicals. But I am wary about these systems, which often cost thousands of dollars.

• Carbon filters.
This method uses activated carbon to absorb impurities in your water. They vary greatly; some just remove chlorine, while others remove a wider variety of contaminants. I use a carbon filter that I purchased online for less than thirty dollars. I think these inexpensive carbon filters are the way to go to keep your water clean and your detox in full gear.

• Reverse osmosis systems.
This method pushes water through a membrane that blocks certain particles. These sometimes contain carbon filters, and the best option appears to be the combination.

For more details, visit the Environmental Working Group’s Water Filter Buying Guide.
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Toxin Free is a big change for your system, which is accustomed to brand-name toothpaste, shampoo, and plastics. The first day or so you might notice symptoms that are familiar from some of your past resets. Just stay with it, observing the discomfort instead of getting wrapped up in it. Know that you are doing this for a good reason. If you feel discouraged or tempted, rely on a buddy system, write in your journal, or ask for divine help.

Symptoms during your detox might include:

• mood swings

• irritability

• restlessness

• nightmares

• acne

• headaches

Supplements can put you on the detox fast track by helping you eliminate toxic chemicals that might be building up in your body. There is a dizzying array of detox products on the market that claim to restore your body’s balance. Many of the following supplements I’ve discussed in previous resets, but they are serving double duty when you are Toxin Free. One of the most important is N-acetylcysteine, but keep up your supplementation with fiber and a daily multivitamin too!

•
N-acetylcysteine (NAC).
NAC is derived from the amino acid l-cysteine. (Amino acids are building blocks of proteins.) NAC has been used for many years in medicine for detoxification of the liver, such as in people who get too much acetaminophen (Tylenol). I recently found that my mercury and lead levels are high, so I take NAC to reduce my levels of these toxic metals. Overall, NAC is a great supplement to support your detoxification. I recommend 600 mg once or twice per day.

•
A
high-potency multivitamin.
This will improve the enzyme-dependent detoxification pathways.

News flash: your thought patterns just might be contributing to your overall toxic burden. If you are anything like me, your mind is going a mile a minute. Sometimes you feel like you can’t have a clear thought. Some of this is hormonal; I’ve addressed brain fog, fatigue, depression, and anxiety at length in my previous book,
The Hormone Cure.
Some of my unhelpful (to put it nicely) thoughts are the result of the ingrained patterns I’ve gathered over decades. In yoga, these thought patterns are called samskaras. Just like the grooves of a record that get deeper and deeper the more you play it, the thoughts in the mind get more ingrained the more they are repeated. There is a scientific backing for this, called neuroplasticity. This is why negative thought patterns are difficult to release and insidious. Over time, they can hijack your heart and mind without you even realizing it.

It’s time to detoxify your mind. It takes some work, because sometimes toxic thoughts happen in an instant: one tiny word can trigger a series of thoughts and emotions … and off you go.

As a woman of science, I always like to look for a process. That’s why I challenge you to apply the Socratic method to your thoughts—and then write out what you discover. Let’s say you are a worrier. The first step is noticing each worried thought. This simple act alone will make you keenly aware of how much time and energy you dedicate to worrying. Once you are able to notice these worries, start to ask questions. For example, if you have a minor symptom like a cough that you’re convinced is lung cancer, try applying Socratic questioning instead of getting carried away with worried thoughts.
What is the evidence for this? What are the odds of this happening? Am I being fully objective?
Over time, you’ll see more clearly how your thoughts can be counterproductive. Sometimes I like to talk to my thoughts, telling them they are irrational, made up, or just ridiculous. Sometimes I get mad at
my thoughts for trying to control me. But most of the time I try to replace them with positive ones.