The best way I know to get or stay healthy is to periodically detoxify. But to effectively rid your body of toxins, you need to complete a cleansing program. If you stop it too soon, you could create more problems than if you did nothing. Let me explain why, and give you some simple tips so that any program you select will be both safe and effective.

There are many ways to detoxify and various levels of detoxification. The simplest include: avoid foods and beverages with pesticides, additives, preservatives and other junk, eat plenty of fiber, and drink more water.

Then there are numerous cleansing diets, fasts, and supplements. Supplements may help your body get rid of some accumulated toxins. But a lifetime buildup of heavy metals, pesticides, and other toxins requires more than just taking a pill.

Last month, I talked about a gentle spring detoxification program for people with allergies. But if you have a serious illness, a chronic health problem, have been exposed to contaminants, or have never cleansed your body internally, you will benefit from a deeper detoxification.

Understanding Phase l and Phase ll

Detoxification is a complicated two-stage process. Toxins get trapped in fat cells and are stored there. Many of them could be eliminated in your urine or feces if they were changed into water-soluble substances. One way to change them is through Phase l and Phase ll detoxification, a two-step process that occurs in your liver.

Phase I uses complex enzyme reactions to break down toxins in your body. When toxins are broken down, they either become less dangerous substances or they can become potentially harmful substances that can produce free radicals. So it's important to take antioxidants to protect against tissue damage from these free radicals.

In Phase II, a substance in your liver attaches itself to a toxin and makes it water-soluble so it can be eliminated through your urine. This sounds simple enough, but it's not. If this phase is not completed, you could end up more toxic than before. Pesticides, alcohol, and refined carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour, are just a few substances that can interrupt this detoxification process.

There's also a renegade enzyme found in many tissues called beta-glucoronidase that stops this Phase ll detoxification process and reintroduces toxins back into the body. In fact, a study in the Journal of Nutrition shows high beta-glucoronidase increases your risk for cancer. You can avoid interrupting your detoxification by using programs and supplements that help complete both Phase l and Phase ll. This lowers your risk for ending up with more toxic substances than before.

A fast detox program

There are many effective detox programs, but I want to give you a simple solution — one that you can stick to from beginning to end. My dear friend, Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, has developed a one-day fast I particularly like. Don't think, however, that the entire detoxification process occurs in a single day. The fast is only one day, but there's a one-week supportive and cleansing diet to prepare your liver to release toxins, and a three-day follow-up. Many of her suggestions will not be new to those of you who have been reading my newsletter for years. But some are new, and they're all put together in a program that makes sense and is do-able. Let me give you some of the highlights.

In the first week, you begin with a cleansing diet to scrub your colon and flush out your kidneys. This includes drinking plenty of purified water and eating a high-fiber diet with added psyllium or ground flaxseed. Your liver works overtime during detoxification, and it needs extra nutritional support. Some suggested vegetables include the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), which are high in a substance I'll talk about later that helps complete Phase ll detoxification. Others, like kale, chard, and beet greens, are blood purifiers. Garlic, onions, and daikon radish (found in many Asian and other markets) help get rid of toxins.

Just as important as what you do eat during this one-week program is what you don't eat! Obviously, it makes no sense to try to detoxify if you're eating a lot of fats, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and foods with empty calories. Or artificial anything.

When it comes to the actual fast, you're not without nourishment. Ann Louise has designed a drink that balances blood sugar and keeps you from getting hungry as it detoxifies. It contains cranberry juice, spices, and other fruit juices. The recipe is in her book. You drink it throughout the day along with plenty of purified water. Let's face it. One day on liquids is no biggie. We've all been sick at times when we just ate soup and we didn't faint or waste away! This is an easy detox program.

After the fast, you'll eat some of the same foods as you did the week before. And, of course, after any program that pushes lots of debris out of your colon, you add a good probiotic supplement, such as Women's Preferred Advanced Probiotic Formula. You can get the complete program in Ann Louise's book The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet (Broadway Books, 2005).

A slow detox program

Thomas Slaga, PhD, is the science director of the AMC Cancer Research Center in Denver, Colorado. He knows that there are some people who need longer detox programs in order to gradually improve their diets and lifestyles. In his book, The Detox Revolution (McGraw Hill, 2003), Dr. Slaga outlines a three-level, six-month detoxification program that's being used successfully at AMC. It includes dietary information, exercise recommendation, and supplements. I heartily recommend this book if you need to radically improve your diet, or if you have a serious health problem. Still, I'd begin with Ann Louise's detox program that takes less than two weeks to complete.

Choosing supportive supplements

No single supplement will give you all the support you need for a deep detoxification. At the very least, you want a good quality multivitamin, essential fats, and extra antioxidants. Then include nutrients that specifically assist in detoxification.

My favorite is D-glucarate, a powerful detoxification agent found in some vegetables (such as cabbage and broccoli) and fruits (such as apples, grapefruit, and cherries). By all means, include them in your daily diet. But you may want to use D-glucarate in supplement form as part of a deep detoxification program as well. You see, it also inhibits the growth of cancer cells, so it gives you double protection. You can find it in products under the name of calcium D-glucarate. Dr. Slaga, its major researcher, suggests taking 200-300 mg twice a day to help with Phase ll detoxification.

Silymarin, a substance found in milk thistle, increases Phase ll detoxification and also helps stimulate the liver to regenerate itself. This popular herb can be found in all health food stores. Take 100-250 mg per day.

Curcumin, a substance found in Turmeric, stimulates Phase l and Phase ll detoxification, reduces inflammation, has antibacterial and antifungal properties, and protects against various cancers. Buy a 95% standardized product and take 200-500 mg or more each day.

Bottom Line: Detoxification can have tremendous benefits for your health, but only if you complete both Phases l and ll. Stopping short could make you even more toxic.

Baker, Sidney MacDonald, MD. Detoxification & Healing, Keats Publishing, 1997.

Gittleman, Ann Louise. The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet, Broadway Books, 2005.

Grasten, S.M., K.S. Juntunen, K. Poutanen, et al. ''Rye bread improves bowel function and decreases the concentrations of some compounds that are putative colon cancer risk markers in middle-aged women and men.'' J Nutr, 2000;130:2215-2221.

Slaga, Thomas J., PhD. The Detox Revolution, McGraw-Hill, 2003.

There's a New Weight Loss Supplement That Works!

(But I'm Not Impressed With It … Here's Why)

You may have heard about it. If not, I'll guarantee that you will. It's an herbal extract made from a South African succulent plant that reduces hunger by suppressing the appetite and giving us the message that we're full.

The San natives who live in the Kalahari Desert eat the flesh of this plant as an appetite suppressant and to prevent thirst. Reporter Lesley Stahl even spoke about it on "60 Minutes." Now there's a growing interest in this new product. Since you're going to hear about it, I want you to know why I'm not impressed with this supplement — even though it works.

The plant is called Hoodia gordonii. It appears to work on the hypothalamus gland and turn off an "I'm hungry" switch. The idea is that if you're not hungry, you won't eat. Or overeat.

It's a silly premise, in my opinion. There are dozens of reasons why we overeat, and hunger is only one of them. But bear with me. Let's look at the science behind Hoodia.

A purified substance made from the active ingredient in Hoodia is the subject of the single study conducted at Brown Medical School. If you've been reading this newsletter for any length of time, you know that I'm a huge proponent of scientific research. In this case, people are getting excited about a four-day rat study using a plant extract, not the whole plant used by the San. We have no science to show us what doses of the patented plant extract to take, what side effects it may have, and whether or not there are any negative interactions with other supplements or medications.

In this study, the scientists gave the Hoodia extract to laboratory rats both orally and by injections. The extract affected their central nervous system and reduced their appetite in both cases. But an extract and the whole plant are different, and their actions can be, too.

Big interest comes from Big Pharma

So why all the excitement about Hoodia? Ask the folks at Phytopharm, a British pharmaceutical company. They secured an exclusive license for Hoodia from the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research way back in 1997.

Now things are looking up for Phytopharm. It recently sold an exclusive licensing agreement to Unilever for its extract. Unilever will be conducting research on the Hoodia extract with the hopes of launching a pharmaceutical drug for weight loss. Meanwhile, the plant itself is a dietary ingredient, not a drug, and is being sold as a weight-loss supplement without safety or efficacy studies.

Dr. Stephen Holt is an MD who is impressed enough with Hoodia to write a book about it — The Supreme Qualities of Hoodia Gordonii (Wellness Publishing, 2005). Dr. Holt is also a spokesman for Nature's Benefit, a company that sells a Hoodia supplement. Interesting coincidence.

My problem with Hoodia

I think we may find out that the Hoodia plant does, indeed, suppress the appetite. We may even see some studies showing its safety. My objection goes beyond the safety and efficacy issues, although both are extremely important. It has to do with Hoodia-activity: It suppresses the appetite. I don't know about you, but whenever I overeat, it isn't because I'm hungry. It has nothing to do with hunger. I overeat when I'm anxious, when I want a reward, when I feel lonely, or when I want to avoid doing something.

From obesity to just being a few pounds overweight — many Americans don't eat healthy foods or exercise enough. Their problem isn't a simple case of hunger vs. feeling satisfied. It often has emotional, psychological, and genetic components.

If you're looking for more information on the root cause of your overeating, I can suggest two books. The first is one I wrote in 1989. It's now in its third edition: Overcoming the Legacy of Overeating (Lowell House, 1999). The second one is Food Cravings: Their Causes and Their Cures by Lisa Shock, BSc (Apple Publishing, 1996). Both talk about how to get beyond food cravings with dietary changes. My book also talks at length about the emotional reasons for overeating and how to overcome them.

It's tempting to keep looking for magic bullets, such as an herb from South Africa, to solve your weight problem. And it's wonderful that we can support the economy of indigenous people in the far corners of the world by using plants that grow there. But until we address the cause of weight gain, the effect remains a struggle.

Bottom line: First, show me the studies. Then make sure that a reduction in hunger will keep you from overeating and help you lose weight. Then I'll be impressed.

Granato, Heather. "Supporting weight management," Health Supplement Retailer, February 2005.

MacLean, D.B. and L.G. Luo. "Increased TP content/production in the hypothalamus may be a signal for energy-sensing of satiety: studies of the anorectic mechanism of a plant steroidal glycoside," Brain Research, September 2004.

Beat High Blood Pressure With a Common Nutrient … and Other Updates

I love writing a monthly newsletter because it allows me to bring you up-to-date information. But no matter how timely an article may be, the subject of health care constantly needs to be revised and updated. Here are some recent findings on subjects I've covered over the past year. Add them to the original articles for the most complete information on each subject. If you don't save your issues, you can find the originals on the website (www.womenshealthletter.com).

Protect yourself now from an overdue killer flu

I've talked to you repeatedly about the importance of supporting your immune system. Good immunity protects you from bacteria and viruses and helps you stay young and vital. Some people rely on vaccines to keep them healthy. This could be a big mistake. Now there's an urgent reason for you to be pro-active.

Last February, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) announced that flu shots don't prevent as many deaths in the elderly as they originally thought. They went on to say that vaccination is the best protection from influenza available for people over 65. If you believe this and rely on the flu vaccine, you may end up paying a high price. Why? Because we're way overdue for a global flu pandemic. The next big outbreak is predicted to take the lives of two to seven million people worldwide!

I'm not exaggerating. Klaus Stohr, the head of the World Health Organization's global influenza program, is very worried. The average time between flu pandemics is 27 years. The last one we experienced was nearly 37 years ago. This flu will most likely originate in a variety of the avian (bird) flu — like the flu that comes around each fall and winter. If you begin building a strong immune system now, you improve your ability to survive this year's flu, no matter which variety is spread.

Last May, I spoke to you about the Cordyceps mushroom ("This Little-Known Fungus Holds the Secret to Anti-Aging"). It's a medicinal mushroom used to strengthen both the lungs and immune system. You can take plain Cordyceps mushroom, or use my favorite immune-boosting supplement, MycoPhyto Complex — medicinal mushrooms grown on immune-enhancing herbs (800-728-2288).

Please, whatever mushrooms or other immune-enhancing formula you decide to use, begin today. It's not too early to protect yourself. Don't forget to cut back on sugar, eat plenty of vegetables, and take a good multi-vitamin. At the first sign of a cold or flu, increase your intake of mushrooms greatly. I take six capsules, three times a day for two or three days and never get sick when I do this.

Suggestion: Keep one extra bottle around for such an emergency.

Lower your blood pressure with folic acid

Last April, I gave you several suggestions for lowering your blood pressure. They included getting enough magnesium and potassium, lowering sodium, drinking black tea, and eating a vegetarian diet. Now there's another nutrient that works: folic acid.

Folic acid is one of the B vitamins found in beans and dark green, leafy vegetables. This may explain why vegetarians have lower blood pressure than meat-eaters.

An analysis of a large study on women aged 43-70 found that there was an 18% reduced rate of hypertension when they got 1,000 mcg of folic acid a day. Many good multivitamins, such as Vitality Plus, already contain 800 mcg. But one salad a day won't give you the missing 200 mcg. Add some black beans or soybeans and you've got enough. Or eat three to four servings of vegetables including spinach, broccoli, and romaine lettuce. Of course, you can always take additional folic acid supplementation as well.

How to make the harmful fluoride in tea safe

I periodically talk about the beneficial antioxidants in both green and black teas. It seems like tea is good for everything from weight loss to preventing cancer and heart disease. But when a subscriber asked me whether or not the natural fluoride they contain outweighs their positive effects, I started digging. I do listen to you!

Here's what I found. Both green and black teas can contain high amounts of fluoride. The amount in any tea depends upon the fluoride content in the soil where it grows. So it doesn't matter whether the tea is organic or not. The highest amount of fluoride has been found in bricks of Chinese tea that contain tiny tea leaf particles – not what we typically drink.

But remember, nature has checks and balances. Iodine displaces and neutralizes fluoride. If you have sufficient iodine, the fluoride in tea is cancelled! This explains how the Japanese can drink so much tea without consequences. Their diet is high in seaweed and fish — high-iodine foods — along with lots of green tea! I talked about iodine and many of its applications at length last August ("Your Body Needs More of the Ultimate Adaptogen"). But using it to reduce fluoride is new information.

You may want to get your iodine levels checked and take specific supplements if yours is low. Please note that the phone number for the one laboratory in the country that performs this iodine sufficiency test has changed. It's FFP Laboratory: 877-900-5556.

Make sure nattokinase lowers your fibrinogen — it could have the opposite effect

In November of last year, I wrote an article on nattokinase ("Soy + Bacteria = A Super-Food That Protects Your Heart and Brain"). It's made from soy and a bacterium, and there are good studies to show that it breaks down fibrin, a protein that clumps together and can cause blood clots. Several doctors I respect have given it the thumbs up.

You can imagine my surprise, and dismay, when I discovered that nattokinase actually increased my fibrinogen level. Fibrinogen makes the clotting substance, fibrin, so this didn't please me at all. I started talking with colleagues of mine — medical doctors and acupuncturists who were familiar with nattokinase. Almost all of them had seen some situations where it raised, rather than lowered, fibrinogen. If you decide to try using this nutrient to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke, you simply must be re-tested after two months to make sure that it's working for, and not against, you.

Meanwhile, I'm finding other fibrinogen-lowering nutrients with good safety levels. Watch for an article on this subject coming this summer

Forman, John P., MD. "Higher folate intake decreases risk of hypertension in women," Women's Health News, January 19, 2005.

Simonsen, et al. "Impact of influenza vaccination on seasonal mortality in the U.S. elderly population," CDC, February 2005.

Stafford, Ned. "Klaus Stohr: preparing for the next influenza pandemic," The Lancet, January 29, 2005.

Nutrition Detective

Keep Your Cholesterol Down by Eating Breakfast

It's tempting to wait until lunch to eat, especially if this helps keep your weight down. But if you do, you're putting your health at risk. When you skip breakfast, your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the harmful kind) are likely to rise. And you can become more sensitive to insulin. Insulin sensitivity lowers your energy levels and can eventually lead to blood sugar imbalances and even diabetes.

A small study in England found that when participants skipped breakfast, even when they ate the same foods later in the morning, their blood sugar and cholesterol were higher than when they ate breakfast. We all want to look good, and skipping a meal is a simple weight-loss technique that many people use.

Unfortunately, it has consequences. So eat "a little something," as my mother used to say. Have a small bowl of whole grain cereal with added protein powder, eat an egg, or make a small protein drink. You can cut calories and avoid high cholesterol by modifying the portions of your breakfast. Don't just omit it.

Farshchi, H.R., et al. "Deleterious effects of omitting breakfast on insulin sensitivity and fasting lipid profiles in healthy lean women," Am J Clin Nutr, February 2005.

Cold Pasteurized Foods

If you don't want to eat foods that have been irradiated, perhaps you'd feel more comfortable eating hamburgers that have been "cold pasteurized." Well, don't get too comfortable. "Cold pasteurized" is just another name the FDA is using for irradiated foods. Seems like as soon as consumers become savvy about a potential danger in our food supply, the terminology is changed to fool us into thinking all is safe.

Well, not in the case of irradiated or cold pasteurized foods. The Center for Food Safety reviewed studies on food irradiation published in scientific journals. More than one-third of them found that irradiation caused mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. This is not a good thing!

Food irradiation ... or cold pasteurization ... lowers, but doesn't eliminate, harmful bacteria. Handling food properly has the same effect without any dangers of side effects down the road. Whether you decide to eat irradiated food or not is your choice. But it should be a choice based on knowledge. Hiding behind "cold pasteurization" is a dishonest way of informing us about what's being done to our food supply.

Klotter, Julie. "Irradiation," Townsend Letter for Doctors,
December 2003.

Ask Dr. Nan

Q: Thank you for your information on parabens in cosmetics. I checked my favorite body lotion from my health food store and it contains methyl/propylparaben. Is this the same as paraben? — L.C., via e-mail

A: Yes, this is the preservative paraben. We know that it's particularly harmful to anyone who has an allergic reaction to it. I've seen weeping sores and blisters from paraben in some people. And, as I said in the March issue, there's a strong possibility that there may well be a connection between parabens and breast cancer, but we don't know for certain. Parabens seem to have a mild estrogenic effect. If you can't find paraben-free lotion, don't apply it on or around your breasts. This may be sufficient to protect you from any possible negative effects to your breasts.

Meanwhile, I'm pleased to tell you that I spoke with the president of a well-known cosmetics company whose products are sold through health food stores. He assured me that within six months he expects that all of his products will be paraben-free. When he contacts me about this, I'll be sure to pass along the name of his company to you.

Q: I'm 39 years old and have had an embarrassing problem — bad breath — for three years. Several doctors said it was a digestive problem and I would have to figure out what foods my body can't digest. I don't know how to do this, and the problem is getting worse. My health is good, but I have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) occasionally depending on my diet. Please help. — D.O.B., Hesperia, CA

A: I've talked a lot about digestive problems in the past. They cause a huge number of problems, bad breath being only one of them. Your IBS is part of your digestive problem. Here's what I suggest you do:

First, chew your food very well. Next, take two digestive enzymes with each meal. You can get a strong formula from your local health food store or order ProThera's TheraGest (888-488-2488).

Bad breath means you have a lot of bad bacteria in your stomach, and perhaps in your digestive tract. I'd use two capsules of Essential Formula's strong probiotic. It's called Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics 12-Plus. You can get 15% off your order by mentioning my name (call 877-262-7843 to order). I'd chew the capsule up before swallowing the contents and the capsule. The probiotics have a pleasant taste, and by chewing them, you know they'll get right into your stomach where you want them.

Try these probiotics for at least three months and see what happens. Remember, you can go to my website, www.womenshealthletter.com, and get all the past articles on digestion and probiotics. The user name and password are on page 7.

Don't Miss This One!

Reservations for the Women's Health Letter cruise to Tahiti this fall are going quickly. This is one cruise you don't want to miss. What could be better than a week in Tahiti on the number-one rated ship in the world — the Paul Gaugin — with your favorite health detective?

If you haven't reserved your place, contact our friends at Seabreeze Travel today. They're handling all the arrangements for us. Their toll-free number is 800-233-2103.

Remember, the dates are October 22-29. I'm really looking forward to meeting each of you and sharing this once-in-a-lifetime experience of extraordinary sights and first-class service. I hope you'll join me.