But what if I don’t like cilantro?

In my recent post I’m not into heavy metal , I showed you a cilantro pineapple smoothie, and explained how the cilantro is a chelator that helps our bodies eliminate heavy metals. Heavy metals like mercury, lead, nickel and cadmium can accumulate and lead to cellular damage and eventually disease.  Not fun.  So we want to support our bodies in eliminating them.

Oh, and I also told you I don’t like heavy metal music.  If you’ve read many of my posts, you’re familiar with my musical taste.  It’s pretty much that of a 12 year old girl.  But I have a confession to make…I actually attended a Twisted Sister concert.  Back in the 80’s.  Shocking, I know.

But back to the heavy metals lurking in our bodies. Not everyone likes cilantro.  It seems to be one of those flavors that you either love or hate. So what’s a girl to do if she’s been eating too many spicy tuna rolls?  Thankfully, there are many other things we can do to support our bodies in removing those heavy metals, helping us to stay healthy.

The best way to start is by minimizing the heavy metals that go into your body in the first place.  It’s impossible to completely eliminate them, but you can help by drinking filtered water, choosing the safest personal care and cosmetic items possible, and watching the fish you eat.  Some of the highest mercury fish are tuna, swordfish, and shark.  Salmon and sardines are very low in mercury (and great for your skin!)  If you are still a sardine virgin, read my post There’s a first time for everything.

Anything that stimulates the lymphatic system helps your body eliminate toxins, including heavy metals.  Using a dry brush is an easy way to do this. It also helps by eliminating dead skin cells, making it easier for toxins to be released through your skin. Read my post Why I dry brush (and why you should too!) for more information.  Seriously, it’s so easy and your skin feels amazing.  Just get yourself a dry brush (the one I have listed on Amazon is awesome) and give it a try.

A fun way to detox those heavy metals is rebounding, which is one exercise that truly stimulates the lymphatic system. So go blast some Katy Perry and bounce around on your rebounder…just don’t forget to put on a sports bra!

Infrared saunas are a great way to help your body eliminate heavy metals, and have many other amazing health benefits.  I tried one recently and could not believe how much I sweated, and how great I felt afterwards.  I was given some white towels to wipe the sweat while in the sauna.  You would not believe all the gunk that showed up on those towels.  So gross.  Apparently it is the heavy metals and other toxins being sweated out.  My friend Kelly Winters has her own infrared sauna and recently published a great post on their benefits.  You can find that here.

Besides cilantro, many other foods can help with this detox.  Parsley, which is related to cilantro, has a similar effect, especially with mercury.  The pathetic parsley garnish you get at a restaurant probably isn’t doing much.  Buy a big bunch and try it in a smoothie or use it in your cooking.

Cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, broccolli, and brussels sprouts (my personal fave) increase our production of enzymes that assist with elimination of heavy metals. And foods containing pectin, like apples, beets, grapes, and carrots also help with this process.  Same goes for sulfur rich foods like garlic and onions, which are especially helpful with lead.

Which of these ideas will you use? They all support your body as it gets rid of heavy metals, and also help you to feel happy, healthy and hot. I’m all about the win-win!  I’d love to hear from you…what are you going to try?