As we get ready to end 2013, you might be looking to get a “fresh” start in 2014.
Most people do. You might already be thinking about setting new goals, new resolutions, and making new commitments to improve your life moving forward.
And while that’s great, I want to challenge you to do one more thing: Start the year fresh with a “clean” body. I’ll explain more.
You may not know it, but right now your blood might be heavily “polluted.”
Here’s what I mean …
Every day, your body is exposed to chemicals, pesticides, industrial solvents, and heavy metals that seep into your bloodstream. For example, just handling the paper receipts you get at a retail store can cause bisphenol-A (BPA) to seep into your skin. Laundry detergents, soaps, cleaners, and more contain xenoestrogens (chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body), that also make their way into your bloodstream.
The foods you eat can contain pesticides, antibiotics, and heavy metals like mercury, lead, and arsenic. Even if you’re “good” about staying clear of most of these things… chances are you still have a number of toxins floating around in your bloodstream.
It’s gotten so bad, a 2009 study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), found up to 232 different chemicals in the bloodstreams of newborn babies! [1]
So what can you do about it?
Well, the good news is there’s a cheap AND tasty herb that also happens to be a powerful body detoxifier. It literally “grabs” onto toxic chemicals and metals in your body and flushes them out.
What is it?
Cilantro!
A number of studies show just how powerful this herb is when it comes to purifying the bloodstream.
And based on the research, it seems particularly effective against mercury and lead. [2,3]
This is because it is a powerful chelator. Simply put, this means that the molecular properties of cilantro is such that, it naturally “binds” to these toxic metals and chemicals. That’s why it’s so powerful.
Actually, it’s so powerful … that recent findings presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) in September of this year, found that it can purify water! [4]
The research team composed of students and their professor dried and crushed a number of plants and put them in lead-tainted water. Then they would test the water to see how much lead was left.
Out of all the herbs tested, cilantro was the most effective. It was so effective in fact, that the researchers seriously think it could lead to a cilantro based filter that could help many countries have cheap access to clean drinking water.
But hold to your horses, because that’s not all this tasty herb can do. Cilantro also has antibacterial properties.
In one study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers found that cilantro was just as effective as certain antibiotics and killing off salmonella! [5]
So if you haven’t been eating cilantro, what are you waiting for!? The best and easiest way to get a good dose is to make it in salsa – usually composed of tomatoes, onions, garlic, seasoning, lime and cilantro.
Otherwise, you can make your own cilantro tea and still get the powerful detoxifying effects of this cheap and humble herb.
You can also get it as a supplement from your local health food store. It’ll be labeled by its other common name: coriander.
So there you have it. Kick off the New Year with a clean slate – both in mind AND body!
Oh, and one more thing – if you’re serious about managing your overall health and fitness, why not take advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation? (an $87 value)
During this consult, you’ll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim that’s tailored to YOUR body.
There’s no obligation and it’s totally and completely free. To sign up, click here.
References:
[1]. http://www.ewg.org/research/minority-cord-blood-report
[2]. Aga M, Iwaki K, Ueda Y, et al. Preventive effect of Coriandrum sativum (Chinese parsley) on localized lead deposition in ICR mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2001 Oct;77(2-3):203-8.
[3]. http://www.heavymetaldetox.net/Explore%20Article%20on%20HMD.pdf
[4].http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2013/september/cilantro-that-favorite-salsa-ingredient-purifies-drinking-water.html
[5] Isao Kubo , Ken-ichi Fujita , Aya Kubo ,Ken-ichi Nihei , and Tetsuya Ogura. “Antibacterial Activity of Coriander Volatile Compounds against Salmonella choleraesuis,” J. Agric. Food Chem., 2004, 52 (11) pp 3329–3332 DOI: 10.1021/jf0354186