Gentle cleansing for kids

Dear readers,

If you are a parent today, then most certainly you worry about how chemicals, plastics, pesticides, fertilizers, heavy metals, xenoestrogens, radioactivity, traces of pharmaceutical drugs in our food, water, air, and soil are affecting your child’s health, well-being, intelligence, behavior, quality of life and potential life span. Whether you live in an urban, suburban, or rural area, you and your family are exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of contaminants. Click here to read an excellent article about how toxins can affect your child. How can you protect your children?

Avoid sugars, preservatives, and processed foods:

A child’s body is delicate and must be protected. Artificial hormones and sugars create a huge amount of stress on the growing body. Multiple neurologists have linked the effects of sugar and hypoglycemia on children and adults, showing that violent as well as addictive behaviors and severe mental health issues can stem from over consumption of sugar and carbs, especially wheat, which causes leaky gut syndrome. This means that gluten particles from the wheat enter the bloodstream and cause neurological problems, even in people who do not have celiac disease. In processed foods, thousands of chemicals, artificial colors, flavors, flavor enhancers, preservatives, trans fats and sugars increase shelf life, but are low in nutrition and high in toxins. Click the link above to read about the seven worst common additives to processed foods in the United States.

Feed your kids a healthy diet

The very first thing we can do as parents to protect and detox our children’s bodies is to give them a healthy diet, with no added sugar and by eliminating wheat, corn, and soy products, most of which are GMOs. It is also best to avoid cow’s milk, and to replace it with almond, hemp, or coconut milk. Sheep’s milk or goat’s milk are preferable to cow’s milk, simply because they are smaller animals, and the amount of lactose and other enzymes are closer to that produced by a human mother’s milk. Use natural sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, which are full of minerals, and avoid processed salt, which is devoid of all minerals. Since many of us filter our drinking water to remove chemicals and toxins, it is important to replenish the body with minerals, since filtration also removes most minerals from water.

Avoid using plastics and microwave ovens as much as possible

Avoid using a microwave oven and plastic containers. Microwaves are said to modify the molecular structure of food, and heating plastics contaminates food with estrogen-like substances which may lead to fertility problems, genital deformities, early onset puberty, and other hormonal disorders. Plastics, especially when heated, leach into foods and transport cancer-causing chemicals into the bloodstream. Health risks of plastics and tips to avoid them.

Choose organic or wildcrafted foods and supplements

From what I can gather, and every single person is different, a diet comprised mostly of organic or wildcrafted greens and green vegetables, other colorful vegetables, and some fruits is most healthy for the human organism. Wild plants and herbs are full of essential iron and minerals that most Americans are lacking. They are also innately alkaline. If you do collect wild plants, be cautious, as wild animals such as foxes can contaminate plants with their feces, causing dangerous parasitic disease which may be difficult to diagnose and detect. The SAD (Standard American Diet) is based on acidic foods (grain flours, omega 6 fats, sugars) which lead to disharmony and disease in the body. An alkaline pH in the body helps avoid cavities, obesity, and chronic disease. Green veggies, lemons and limes, and most herbs are alkaline. Alkaline diet information.

Vitamin D and the sun

Butter from grass fed cows is a good source of B vitamins as well as vitamin K2, which helps the body absorb vitamin D from the sun, as well as to bind calcium from the vegetables we eat. Many people do not know that some sun exposure is healthy and does not cause cancer, though sunburn is dangerous. Often exposure to the sun reveals illness on the skin which is already present in the body, warning a person about what is going inside, hidden from view. Today, many people actually suffer from cancer because of a vitamin D deficiency, which could be prevented by spending time outdoors before 10 am and after 4 pm. Overuse of sunscreens and spending too much time indoors can lead to vitamin D deficiencies.

Eat healthy fats

Healthy fats, including fatty fish such as sardines, salmon, or tuna are good. Eggs are most nutritious consumed raw, but for children, this is not recommended. If you must eat meat, grass fed organic is recommended. Hummus, baba ganoush, and other tasty spreads can be satisfying substitutes for salad dressings. I also use cold pressed organic flaxseed oil, hemp oil (contains Omega 3,6,9 fatty acids), and olive oil for salad dressings. These oils must be used cold. Healthy fats are important for brain health, good digestion, and ease inflammation in the body. An easy vinaigrette recipe: Mix one tablespoon of Dijon mustard with two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar. Add about 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, flax oil, or hempseed oil. Season with black pepper, tarragon, oregano…to taste! If you put the mixture in a small glass jar, you can shake it up, and the mixture will emulsify. You can change the proportions, but it works best when you put in the mustard and vinegar before the oil. This is a traditional French vinaigrette, and it is very healthy!

To cook, organic coconut oil is best, as it can be heated without change to its chemical structure. Some nut butters are good, but avoid those with added sugar, molasses, or palm oil. Guacamole is an excellent source of healthy fats and glutathione, which some people call “the mother of all antioxidants”. Avocados and the seed within can be consumed in various forms, but guacamole is a great way for kids to get a number of cleansing and healing foods into their bodies in one delicious recipe. Parsley and cilantro cleanse the blood of heavy metals. Lemon is a great liver cleanser. Garlic is an amazing natural anti-bacterial. Add some sliced organic grape tomatoes, Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt for extra minerals. 

Plant based detox

I have been looking for a plant based cleanse for children, but so far, I have not located exactly what I am seeking. It is easy to find a detox powder to sprinkle on my dog’s food, which cleanses her liver and kidneys, and I wish I could find the same for my son. Synthetic vitamins are not the solution, as most of the time, they are not properly absorbed by the body. Here are my best choices for cleansing for children (not babies):

1. parsley: Parsley is a great source of vitamins K and C and is a fantastic anti-carcinogen. Parsley is truly a superfood, and it can be used in guacamole, to top salads, and in omelets, as well as in green juices. Here is a link to juicing tips for kids. This page includes a green juice recipe for kids, which is healthier than pure fruit juice, which is heavy in sugars.
2. cilantro (both cilantro and parsley are good for cleansing heavy metals from the blood.) The linked article claims that by consuming chlorella and cilantro together, 80% of heavy metals can be safely eliminated from the body. Without cleansing, these heavy metals can lead to serious neurological disorders and heavy metal poisoning.
3. chia seeds (make a tasty pudding with almond or coconut milk, a little cinnamon and clove powder, and fresh cut organic strawberries) More chia seed pudding recipes. The gooey texture of the seeds once soaked bind with toxins in the intestinal tract and helps to evacuate them from the body.
4. bentonite clay (make sure you find clay for internal use.) This is for kids age 12 and up. Take 1 tablespoon of liquid Bentonite clay in a glass of water with a spoon of powdered fiber of your choice.) The clay clings to and binds with toxins including heavy metals, herbicides, chemicals. The fiber helps to eliminate these toxins. Make sure to drink lots of water after taking the clay. It is not digested. This detox has been used by many indigenous cultures for thousands of years. It has no taste at all.
5. seaweed, sea moss, chlorella, spirulina: Sea vegetables are great for gentle detox, removing free radicals and protecting the body from inflammatory diseases, cancer and radiation. Please watch this video to learn all about the benefits of sea vegetables. Full of minerals and phyto nutrients, sea vegetables are full of bioavailable nutrients. Sea moss is also called Irish moss, and is a sea vegetable which has many amazing properties for healing and nutrition. You can add these sea vegetables in powdered forms to smoothies or soups to make them more palatable for kids. There may be some concern as to the provenance and purity of your sea weed, sea vegetables and algae, as they absorb only certain toxins from the ocean and are Mother Nature’s system to cleanse the waters of her oceans. Choose wild seaweeds that are certified organic, from reputable companies such as Rising Tide Sea Vegetables, Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, and Mountain Rose Herbs test their products for heavy metals, radiation, and other toxins, and ensure the purity of their products.
6. olive leaf extract, rosemary, tea tree oil, neem oil or powder: All of these herbs and plant based products are excellent anti-bacterials and anti-virals. They are very powerful plants and must be used with caution. A little bit of liquid olive leaf extract in a glass of water can help heal colds and viruses, especially if taken at the first signs of falling sick. All of these plants can be used for dental health to prevent cavities and gum disease, and they all need to be diluted to make an excellent mouth rinse. Neem bark powder can be mixed with toothpaste. It is not dangerous to swallow and is even good for digestive health. Oil of oregano is extremely strong and shouldn’t be used internally for children. These essential oils and plant extracts can also be used to create homemade antibacterial sprays or cleaning products. The great thing about plant based antibacterials is that they never become resistant to bacteria.
7. hemp protein (powder) contains all 9 essential amino acids, as well as healthy fats. Hemp protein is a perfect vegan source of protein, supports the immune system, and can be added to smoothies with fruits and veggies.
8. curry (turmeric) like avocado are rich in glutathione, which protects the liver. Add black pepper to turmeric to improve absorption in the body. It is easy to make a delicious curry with coconut milk, diced tomatoes, curry powder, cayenne pepper, garlic, onions, and your favorite vegetables and rice.
9. lemon juice mixed in a glass of warm water (drink in the morning) is very alkaline and supports the liver. Add organic honey to make this drink more appealing to kids. Avoid raw honey in younger children.
10. Organic apple cider vinegar (with the “mother”) can be mixed into a homemade vinaigrette salad dressing. Apple cider vinegar is a great immune system booster.