Your body is constantly regenerating itself down to every cell. Each month you renew your skin, every six weeks you have a new liver, and at any one time you have a mixture of old and new bones. So how healthy will these new body pieces and parts be? It’s the quality of what goes in and on you (and what doesn’t) that will have the greatest impact on your health—current and future. Here are five habits to start incorporating into your daily life:

1. Scrub your insides, scrub your outsides: Consume plenty of naturally occurring fiber-rich foods and don’t forget to drink plenty of water, too. You can even brush you skin, known as "dry brushing,” weekly. Brushing off dead cells externally does what fiber does internally by helping to remove waste as well as toxins that can accumulate when regular removal doesn’t occur.

2. Don’t bring the dirt in or on you: Drop your shoes at the door! Don’t track in environmental toxins from your walk into your house. The same goes for your food; choose organic when possible, but especially for the dirty dozen fruits and vegetables. Also make sure to wipe down bags and suitcases with a toxin-free cleaning wipe or some water with a little apple cider vinegar to make sure you aren’t spreading outside germs into your home. The same goes for washing your grocery bags—yay you for helping the environment by using recycled bags but the real win is making sure you clean them, so they don’t increase your exposure to toxins too.

3. Make fresh air: Consider adding live houseplants like peace lilies that help to filter the air and add oxygen in your home. Also consider a filter or a humidifier and an essential oil diffuser if you like pretty smells (as well as the healing benefits). These are much healthier for you (and your plants) than the chemical air sprays that promise “fresh air.”

4. Get more glucoraphanin: Gluco-What?! Glucoraphanin is a powerful detox enabling antioxidant. Truth be told, glucoraphanin is the precursor to what your body turns into sulforaphane, which is a potent internal detox agent. Just five ounces of broccoli daily will give you a healthy portion of this powerhouse nutrient. The other option? Add a supplement or tea that contains truebroc—a quality form of glucoraphanin that the body can convert to sulforaphane just as if you were eating broccoli – great for on-the-go, travel and also when you want a warm-me-up drink.

5. Get clean, cleaner: From your home cleaning products to your personal cleaning products, make sure that all the ingredients work to clean completely without added unwanted toxins.

Toxins from within your body and your environment can contribute to a host of health issues. Reducing exposure to toxins, as well as helping to support the body’s natural detoxification system, are essential components to better health.

 

Ashley Koff  is an internationally-renowned registered dietitian.

Published on WholeFoodsMagazine.com, 2/27/15