Toxic Six
The Cravings Cleanse, the toxic six. These are the foods and ingredients that we will be
avoiding during the toxic six cleanse weeks. So, let’s go into each of these six foods and
while we’ll be avoiding them. In this module, you’ll learn why we’ll be cleansing from soy,
corn, gluten, dairy, sugar, and caffeine for the Cravings Cleanse.
 Gluten
First, let’s start with gluten. Now, you may be gluten intolerant, allergic, or have actual
celiac disease, which is an autoimmune response. Your body attacks itself when it comes
into contact with gluten, and if you are any of these three, which estimates range between
one in seven people and five in 10 people, which means half of us, have one of these issues
with gluten; either intolerant, allergic, or have actual celiac disease. And the symptoms of
any of these can include weight loss resistance, meaning you’ve tried to lose weight, you’ve
done everything possible, and yet you can’t; digestive issues, everything from constipation
to diarrhea; headaches; joint pain; anxiety; depression; and leaky gut, which is other
digestive upset issues including bloating, gas, and constant stomach pain.
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, spelt other relatives of wheat like Kamut, as
well as barley and rye. Now, oats do not naturally have gluten in them, but oats are
generally processed in the same facilities as other gluten-containing grains, so sometimes,
they get carryover or cross-contamination. So if you want to still include oats in your diet,
you need to get certified gluten-free oats.
 Corn
Corn is the next food we’ll be avoiding. Now, why would we avoid corn? Well, corn is proinflammatory. It causes the puffy, the pain, the fire, the heat, the inflammation in our
bodies. It can also cause blood sugar to spike and to crash, and corn sensitivity can show
up as rashes and hives, migraines, joint pain, mood disorders, depression, insomnia,
eczema, fatigue, hyperactivity in children, night sweats, dark circles under your eyes,
recurring ear and urinary tract infections, and ongoing sinus problems. That’s a lot of
concerns for one food, and if you think about the weight loss resistance, think of what we
feed to a lot of cattle and dairy cows and pigs. We feed them corn in order to fatten them
up quickly. So, this is one indication of what corn can do the human body as well.
Copyright © 2014 Alexandra Jamieson. All rights reserved.
The other issue with corn is that most corn is genetically modified, and we do not fully
understand the repercussions of eating genetically-modified foods. We do know that
genetically-modified foods grown out in crops are negatively affecting, harming, and killing
other species, like bees and butterflies. So, our concern is that it is destroying our bodies
as well.
The last issue with corn is that corn can destroy and damage the microvilli, those little hairs
in your intestines which can lead to digestive problems like I mentioned, leaky gut and
diarrhea. So, corn can really attack the digestive system.
 Soy
Now, soy is a controversial food, as are corn and gluten and all the other foods that we
include in the toxic six. Soy can impair thyroid function, especially if your thyroid is already
impaired. It does not affect everyone, which is why we’re doing this food cleanse for a few
weeks so that your body can take a break from these foods and that you can get clear on
whether or not that food is trouble for you. Now, soy can worsen reproductive disorders,
cognitive decline, and digestive problems, just like gluten and corn.
Now, unfermented soy, like soymilk and tofu, contains phytates, which are acids, and they
can block mineral absorption, leading to nutrient deficiencies. Unfermented soy also
contains lectins, which can cause leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone that regulates
appetite. So, soy can cause problems with appetite regulation, and nearly all soy is
genetically modified. So when we do go back to the reintroduction phase with soy, we’ll
want to only include organic soy products, and it might be best to start with the fermented
versions of soy, which is naturally fermented soy sauce, like tamari, which is a gluten-free
soy sauce that’s fermented, or miso paste, making a nice miso soup, which is a fermented
form of soy.
 Dairy
Now, let’s move onto dairy. Dairy is one of the top food allergies. Now, what’s a dairy
allergy compared to lactose intolerance? An allergy is an immune response that results in
inflammation and tissue damage and causes a wide range of symptoms. Food allergies
also interfere with nutrient absorptions, resulting in a lot of conditions, and lactose
intolerance is an enzyme deficiency, not an allergy. So, lactose intolerance means you
don’t have the enzymes in your digestive system to digest lactose, which is a dairy sugar.
However, lactose intolerance can be the result of a dairy allergy, and sometimes, the two
are confused.
Copyright © 2014 Alexandra Jamieson. All rights reserved.
Now, those common complaints with dairy include abdominal pain, acne, even ADD/ADHD
in children and adults, anxiety, arthritis, canker sores, constipation or diarrhea, ear
infections, fatigue, fibromyalgia, gas, heartburn, reflux, bloating, headaches, heartburn,
indigestion, iron-deficient anemia, irritability, irritable bowel syndrome, joint pain, lactose
intolerance, osteoporosis, mucus, frequent illnesses caused by a compromised immune
system, and sinusitis.
Now, dairy is an issue because a toxin is any substance that causes irritating or harmful
effects in your body. So if dairy is causing any harmful effects in your body, we will
consider it a toxin, and health problems resulting from dairy allergy and lactose intolerance
can lead to surgeries, lifetimes of prescription medications, and just an overall decreased
quality of life. And asthma and seasonal allergy sufferers will notice that their symptoms
improve greatly and even disappear within a few days of removing all dairy from their diet.
But one concern with dairy is how will I maintain strong bones without dairy, because we
believe and have been taught that dairy is the best way to get calcium into your body. Well,
you can start by eating leafy greens at least two cups every day. Some of the benefits from
eating dark leafy greens like kale, bok choy, broccoli are blood purification, cancer
prevention, immune strengthening, and promoting healthy intestinal flora. It improves
liver, gallbladder, and kidney function, and greens lift the spirit and fight depression, as well
as providing the strong bone-building calcium that we used to get from dairy.
That’s why we’re also adding greens into our shakes or smoothies during this cleanse. The
greens help to get those wonderful calcium and other minerals into your body. So, two to
four cups or one to two servings is about your daily recommended green-and-lean clean
protein smoothies. Green smoothies are a fast food that’s very healthful, and you can
make a smoothie the night before, put it in a thermos in the refrigerator, grab the
smoothie, a straw, and a napkin, put it in an insulated lunchbox with a re-freezable cold
pack, and take it to work or school, very simple to do.
Now, you may have more questions about bone health. How is your diet affecting your
bones? Just to dive deeper into calcium. Our highly acidic diets, which means that we’re
eating a lot of refined white sugar, white flour, high-fructose corn syrup, soft drinks, sweets,
dairy, corn, caffeine. They tip our pH level into dangerous levels. So, our blood likes to
maintain a specific pH level in order to support human health. If your pH levels vary from
about 7.1, you start to suffer rather destructive side effects, and when we eat constant
amounts of highly acidic foods like the sugars, refined flours, dairy, corn, caffeine, too many
animal products, then those foods are causing an acidic state in our body, and our body
Copyright © 2014 Alexandra Jamieson. All rights reserved.
wants to balance it with alkalinity, alkaline materials, minerals, by reaching into your bones
for calcium and magnesium.
 Caffeine
So, let’s talk about caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant found in over 60 natural plants, ranging
from cacao or cocoa to coffee beans and tea leaves. In beverage form, caffeine begins to
reach all of your tissues through your bloodstream within five to 15 minutes, and the
effects of caffeine peak about one hour after consumption. Now, caffeine has a half-life of
six hours. That means what you drink at noon is still barely affecting you at 9:00, 10:00 pm
at night, and some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, so caffeine drunken
early in the day can affect your sleep at night. Not only does caffeine play a role in
degrading bone health, even moderate intake of two to three cups of coffee a day can
cause stomach irritation, headache, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and
sleep disturbances.
Now, kicking caffeine, how will you do it? So, we’re all going to support you. I’ve got great
recommendations for you, and here are my top recommendations as you start weaning off
of caffeine.
o Hydrate
Start your day with two glasses of water when you wake up. When we get up, we are
generally dehydrated. We’ve been respirating or breathing all night. Our bodies are
dehydrated. So often when you drink one to two glasses of water in the morning, you’ll
find that you’re more awake, you feel more refreshed, and that your need for caffeine is
naturally reduced.
o Regular Bedtime
Try to maintain a regular bedtime and waking time, including on the weekends. We want
to create a consistent flow of sleep and rest.
o Decaffeinated Alternatives
Now, three of the reasons why we love caffeine are the ritual, the taste, and the effect. We
like the caffeine, but we also like making it, and we like the taste, because coffee and tea
and other caffeinated beverages have a natural bitter flavor to them. So, try other bitterflavored foods like Teeccino, which is a naturally brewed, non-caffeinated, non-coffee drink
that looks and tastes and smells like coffee, because it’s roasted herbs. Very delicious, lots
Copyright © 2014 Alexandra Jamieson. All rights reserved.
of different flavors including, my favorite, chocolate mint. Or try decaf coffee or
decaffeinated tea for your normal coffee breaks.
o 10-Minute Walk
Get up and take a 10-minute walk at least twice a day. Outside is best, getting some fresh
air, getting out of your sitting routine. This will help you with the effect of feeling more
awake. You can also take a break and do some bathroom aerobics, which I’ll go into more
in a later module, during the day at 11:00, 2:00, and 4:00, where you go to the bathroom,
take a break from your desk, do some jumping jacks, do some stretches, maybe do some
pushups against the bathroom sink to help wake up your body.
 Sugar
Now, let’s talk about sugar. Now, my own health transformation was completely tied to my
sugar addiction as a child. I ended up with caffeine addiction, sugar addiction, candida, 30
pounds overweight, depression, headaches, constant pain, because I was eating a constant
diet of sugar, refined carbohydrates, and caffeine through my mid and early 20s. Now,
eliminating or greatly reducing refined sugars from your diet has a dramatic effect on your
weight loss, your energy, your skin, and your clarity of mind. Americans eat over 100
pounds of added sugars a year, which contributes to countless illnesses, obesity, diabetes,
dental problems, and mood disorders. Now, sugars include alcohol; natural sugars like
agave, brown sugar, maple syrup; and all artificial sweeteners. So, we will be avoiding all
artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and any natural sugars as well.
Now, sugar contributes to pain, illness, and inflammation. Higher blood sugar contributes
to pain. We feel pain faster and more intensely the more sugar we have in our blood. That
can be joint pain, carpal tunnel, menstrual pain, headaches. So the more sugar you eat, the
more pain you feel. And long-term overuse of sugar depletes calcium from the body, B
vitamins which deplete your mood, and other minerals which contribute to exhaustion,
inflammation, and a lower immune system.
Now in my experience, October 31st or Halloween is the beginning of cold and flu season.
That is because the more sugar we eat throughout the holidays lower our immune system
and ends up causing or exacerbating our cold and flu season. Now, sugar isn’t just sweet
for us. Germs and bacteria love it too. The more sugar we have in our diet, the more we
are feeding the unhealthy bacteria and yeasts and molds in our body. So, yeast infections,
colds, and flus are all exacerbated by a high-sugar diet.
Copyright © 2014 Alexandra Jamieson. All rights reserved.
But wait, all sugar ain’t bad. There is something called D-mannose that I want to talk about.
Now, one in five women have less than optimal urinary tract health. I was one of them. I
had constant urinary tract infections, and because of that, I was on antibiotics almost
monthly for over a year in college, which contributed to my downfall and my health
problems in my mid 20s. D-mannose, however, is a simple sugar molecule that occurs
naturally in fruits like cranberry. D-mannose has no side effects and is safe to take for
extended periods. The amount of D-mannose that should be taken depends on the
severity of the infection and the individual’s body weight. It’s great for both men and
women, as well as pregnant women and young children, and what happens is D-mannose
is used for urinary tract infections and people with urinary tract health issues.
So, here’s how D-mannose works. It’s absorbed within the upper portion of the
gastrointestinal tract. As a result, it never gets anywhere near the intestines. Therefore, it
does not disturb the normal healthy growth of bacteria in that area. Here’s how it works to
fight urinary tract infections like caused by E. coli. Instead of fighting the E. coli using
antibiotics to kill them, which causes the bacteria to fight back and develop resistance and
exposes you to the side effects of other complications, patients take 3 to 5 grams of sweet
D-mannose powder. It’s a safe, simple sugar that you can find in health food stores and
online, which the E. coli likes very much. So, the D-mannose is not metabolized, but it’s
kicked out through the kidneys and into the bladder, and here, the bacteria are very happy
to cling onto the D-mannose and these great swirls of their favorite sugar. So, they leave
the bladder walls, attach to the D-mannose, and you can probably guess what happens
next, they are flushed out the bladder the next time you urinate. So instead of fighting to
kill the bacteria with antibiotics which kill all the good bacteria in your body, the Dmannose gets rid of the infection by flushing it out in a very short time by taking it out the
easiest and best way with the least complications.
So, this has been a demonstration of all of the toxic six ingredients and why we will be
avoiding them just to give you a little bit more background. Now in future modules and all
of the other resources, I’m going to tell you how to find these toxic six on food labels, how
to replace them, and don’t forget to look at the wonderful cookbook I’ve put together for
you so that you can begin to swap out the toxic six in your diet without feeling deprived
and start feeling great right away.
Copyright © 2014 Alexandra Jamieson. All rights reserved.