health Matters
by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center
Blood Cleansing
Foods, Herbs, and Strategies
The health of your blood is critical to your health. Your blood transports oxygen and essential nutrients to all your organs, protects you from infections, supports healing from injuries through clotting, and regulates pH levels, water balance, and body temperature.
Environmental toxins, inflammatory foods, poor digestion, chronic stress, and other factors can overwhelm the body and cause the blood to become overburdened with toxins and infections. This can lead to toxic blood, poor circulation, and related symptoms and health risks.
Fortunately, certain blood-cleansing foods, herbs, and strategies can help you cleanse your blood and support your health naturally.
Common Signs of Blood Toxicity
Common signs of toxic buildup in your blood and body may include: fatigue; brain fog; poor concentration; headaches and migraines; acne, rashes, and other skin problems; bloating, gas, irregular bowel movements, and other digestive issues; frequent infections and poor immunity; anxiety, mood swings, irritability, and other mental health symptoms; bad breath, body odor, and a coated tongue; chronic pain; and chronic health issues.
Healthy Blood & Drainage Pathways Equal Better Nutrient Delivery
Healthy blood and well-functioning drainage pathways are critical for nutrient and oxygen delivery to your cells throughout your body.
When your blood is healthy and the drainage pathways are working, your blood can circulate efficiently, transporting and delivering oxygen, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to your cells, tissues, and organs.
This is essential for energy production, tissue repair, hormonal balance, immune function, and overall health.
However, when your blood is loaded with toxins and your blood circulation is sluggish, this delivery system becomes ineffective, and your cells, tissues, and organs don’t get the oxygen and nutrients they need effectively for healthy functioning.
Opening Drainage and Detox Pathways
Your body’s drainage pathways, including your liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, colon, and skin, are all critical for removing environmental toxins and other waste.
When these detoxification pathways become clogged, sluggish, or can’t function properly, it means that environmental toxins and other waste can recirculate in your bloodstream. This can interrupt nutrient absorption, impair oxygen delivery, and add extra stress on your organs.
Having well-functioning detoxification and drainage pathways is critical for removing toxins and waste, as well as for keeping your blood oxygen-rich and your circulation well-flowing to deliver life-sustaining oxygen and nutrients to your cells, tissues, and organs to maintain cellular function and overall health.
Top Blood Cleansing Foods
Some of the best blood cleansing foods include fruits and vegetables.
Supporting drainage pathways is very important when it comes to improving toxic blood.
Citrus, including grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and limes, has been shown to support kidney and liver detoxification.
In other studies, oranges, grapefruits, berries, tomatoes and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, bok choy, arugula, radish, turnip, mustard greens, watercress, kohlrabi, horseradish, and rutabaga have been shown to support liver health.
Top Blood Cleansing Herbs
Many herbs you already use as tea or to season your food have blood cleansing capabilities.
Lemon or Lime. Though lemon and lime are technically not herbs, you can use them like herbs when using fresh lemon or lime juice on a salad. Additionally, the bioflavonoids in citrus may reduce capillary permeability, decrease inflammation, and improve cardiovascular health.
Lemon and lime are also great for digestion, blood sugar balance, and potassium levels.
Garlic. Garlic is a great anti-inflammatory herb. It is a great natural vasodilator that can help improve circulation, relax your blood vessels, and improve blood pressure. It also offers antimicrobial benefits. As an antimicrobial food, it may help to reduce any infections in the bloodstream.
Parsley. Parsley is a natural diuretic, which helps to flush out excess fluids and toxins from your kidneys. It is also rich in chlorophyll, which means it may be a great option for oxygenating your blood.
Cilantro. Cilantro is a great detoxifying herb. It supports chelation, which is the process that helps bind and remove heavy metals. Chelators may help to improve renal, cardiovascular, and neurological conditions. It may also help to remove mercury and lead effectively.
Chlorella. Chlorella is not really an herb but a freshwater algae that can be used similarly to an herb or superfood. It is a great detoxifier for removing heavy metals and environmental toxins.
Chlorella may help to remove heavy metals and may be particularly useful to reduce heavy metal toxicity related to amalgam fillings and titanium implants in dentistry. It may also support oxygenation of your blood and repair your body on the cellular level.
Arugula. Arugula is a peppery cruciferous herb. It is high in chlorophyll and a natural blood cleanser and liver detoxifier. It may help to neutralize and eliminate harmful toxins from your body and stimulate liver detoxification.
It is also rich in antioxidants, which may support circulation and cardiovascular health.
Milk Thistle. Milk thistle is rich in a compound called silymarin, which is known for protecting and regenerating liver cells.
Silymarin may support liver health and treatment of liver diseases. By supporting liver function, it may also help to filter and cleanse the blood.
Astragalus. Astragalus is an adaptogenic herb. It may help to improve your immune system, which is essential for successful detoxification.
Astragalus may support liver and intestinal health.
It may promote spleen health and the reduction of metabolic waste. It may also be beneficial for circulation.
Manjistha. Manjistha is an Ayurvedic herb that’s commonly used for purifying the blood and enhancing lymphatic drainage. It offers cooling properties to balance excess heat in the body during cleansing.
Manjistha may support gut health and gut microbiome balance. It may help to remove toxins from the bloodstream, lower inflammation, and support the kidneys and liver.
Olive Leaf Extract. Olive leaf extract may be a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant herb.
Olive leaf extract is rich in polyphenols, including oleuropein, which is great for reducing inflammation and supporting immune health.
It may help reduce microbial growth and reduce infections in the blood.
Gotu Kola. Gotu kola is an herb used to support your blood flow and blood vessel integrity, which is essential for blood cleansing and circulatory health. It may also function as support to the liver and kidneys in filtering out and removing toxins from your body.
Burdock Root. Burdock root is an herb that may be used for purifying the blood through supporting liver detoxification and lymphatic drainage. It may help to remove toxins through the kidneys.
Additionally, burdock root is high in antioxidants and prebiotics, which are essential for effective detoxification.
Best Strategies
Additionally, dietary and lifestyle strategies are also a good idea to support blood cleansing.
Your diet is key to improving blood health and circulation. To support detoxification and blood cleansing, follow a blood sugar-stabilizing nutrition plan.
Remove inflammatory foods, such as refined sugar, refined oils, artificial ingredients, sodas, sugary juices, and overly processed foods.
Focus on nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich, and anti-inflammatory foods, including greens, vegetables, sprouts, fermented foods, low-glycemic index fruits, grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, wild-caught fish and seafood, and wild game.
Prioritize your protein levels. Aim for 30 to 50+ grams per meal.
Your carbs should mostly come from fruits and vegetables.
You can use stevia or monk fruit for natural sweeteners that don’t disrupt your blood sugar levels.
Focus on healthy fats, including avocados, grass-fed butter and ghee, coconut oil, MCT, olives, and extra virgin olive oil.
Regular Exercise and Movement. A sedentary lifestyle has many health risks. Regular movement and exercise are critical for healthy circulation, cardiovascular health, and detoxification.
Ten thousand steps a day is a good start.
You can also add stretching, walking in place, dancing to your favorite song, and playtime with your children and pets.
Exercise at least five times a week for 20 to 30 minutes each session. Incorporate both cardiovascular exercise and strength and resistance training.
Good Hydration. Good hydration is critical for cardiovascular function. It is also critical for good lymphatic drainage.
You may add some lemon juice, cucumber slices, basil, mint, other herbs, or berries for taste.
Prioritize Regular Bowel Movements. Bowel movements are one of the main ways for your body to eliminate toxins.
You want regular, normal bowel movements instead of struggling with constipation and digestive issues.
The best times to move your bowels are in the first 90 minutes after you wake up and shortly after meals. Good hydration is key for good, regular bowel movements.
It is helpful to drink warm beverages such as herbal tea or warm lemon water in the morning to help your bowels move. Taking a walk in the morning can also help.
Some people find that eating lots of probiotic-rich fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha helps move the bowels. Others find that prebiotic-rich foods, such as garlic, onion, leek, Jerusalem artichokes, apples, and bananas, are helpful.
Prioritize Good Sleep. Prioritizing good sleep is also important. Sleep supports your brain in flushing out toxins.
Develop a good evening routine that supports sleep and rejuvenation. Reducing electronic use at night, dimming all your lights, and using blue light-blocking glasses in the evening can be helpful. Also, keeping your room cool with an overhead fan running, if possible, can be very helpful for a great night’s sleep.
Nasal Breathing. As humans, we have two ways to breathe: through our mouth and through our nose. While both ways take oxygen through your mouth into your lungs, there are some major differences. Nasal breathing offers more health benefits and poses less health risk than mouth breathing.
Nasal breathing may reduce diastolic blood pressure and improve parasympathetic factors in heart rate variability, supporting circulatory and cardiovascular health as a result.
Dry Brushing. Dry brushing is a great way to support your lymphatic system and brush away dead skin cells and toxins.
Dry skin brushing adds exfoliating benefits and strategic focus on lymphatic stimulation. Try to dry brush daily before your shower.
Use a brush with natural bristles. It is best to begin with light, gentle brushing, and over time, the skin will be able to handle brushing a little deeper.
The strokes should move toward the heart to improve lymphatic flow back through the venous system toward the heart.
When dry brushing the stomach, it is best to go in a clockwise motion as that works with the natural digestive flow.
Epsom Salt Baths. Epsom salt baths have been used by many different cultures for hundreds of years. Magnesium and sulfate are both readily absorbed through the skin and into the body’s bloodstream.
Using a powerful mineral base such as Epsom salts in bathwater creates a process called reverse osmosis, which helps your skin to absorb Epsom salt and eliminate toxins better.
This process can pull harmful toxins out of the body and allow the magnesium and sulfates to enter the body.
Consider Using an Infrared Sauna. Regular sauna use may offer many health benefits, including detoxification, cardiovascular health, skeletal-muscular health, and mental health.
Infrared sauna therapy uses Far Infrared Technology (FIR), which is a non-invasive light therapy that can penetrate your body as much as three inches. This process heats your muscle tissues and internal organs without heating the surrounding air.
This heat helps your organs and tissues detoxify by pushing toxins out of your bloodstream to be eliminated by perspiration or sweating.
Consider Getting a Massage. Getting a massage can also support circulation, healthy blood flow, lymphatic drainage, and detoxification.
It may reduce muscle tension, inflammation, and pain. You can get specific massages according to your needs.
If you are struggling with health issues, call the Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center at 240-651-1650 for a free consultation. Dr. Lo uses Nutritional Response Testing® to analyze the body to determine the underlying causes of ill or non-optimal health. The office is located at 7310 Grove Road #107, Frederick, MD. Check out the website at www.doctorlo.com.
