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One of the most important steps you can take in order to clean up your diet is to eliminate toxins from your food. Although most groceries are generally safe to eat, there are a few additional considerations that you should make in order to ensure that the food you eat will not pollute your system with additional pesticides, preservatives, and toxic metals. The following are five quick fixes for eliminating added toxins from your diet.

Choose Premium Produce and Meat

Eating organic food will nourish your body and prevent it from absorbing additional chemicals. Studies have shown that chemical pesticides and artificial fertilizers used in non-organic food are known carcinogens in high doses and can be responsible for developmental delays in children. Organic meats are free from antibiotics and synthetic hormones. These can indirectly affect your immune and endocrine systems. In total, these natural foods taste better, boost cardiovascular function, and prevent cancer and premature aging.

Prepare Meals at Home

In addition to eating clean and natural foods, try to avoid foods that are not made from whole ingredients. Yes, you may spend a little bit more time in the kitchen preparing your meals. However, you will know exactly what ingredients you are ingesting. If you compare the ingredients of whole-food recipes to those of their shelf-stable and frozen counterparts, you will avoid consuming significantly higher doses of sodium, sugars, and chemical preservatives.

By preparing meals at home, you will be much better nourished, feel overall healthier, and notice less bloating and inflammation. Kitchen updates can go a long way toward making cooking seem more appealing. If this is something that is holding you back, then it may be worth looking into your options.

Consider Your Cookware

Few people actually consider the effect that old or poorly manufactured cookware and tableware can have on their food. Teflon is a particularly popular synthetic chemical used in non-stick cookware. When heated, Teflon releases toxic gases that can contaminate both your food in small doses and consequently your body over time. Some cookware is also made with lead, which is a highly toxic chemical that can affect neurological function, cause muscle soreness, and even result in kidney disease. When it comes to choosing cookware, the safest options are made of cast iron, stainless steel, glass, ceramic, and stoneware. If your pots and pans are old and eroded, consider investing in a new set made from non-toxic materials to ensure better health.

Wash Foods Thoroughly

Even if you cannot afford organic food on a regular basis, one crucial step to take during food preparation is to wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly. We already know that residual pesticides remain on produce until it is thoroughly washed. Commercial produce is also often sprayed with a chemical-wax formula that protects insect contamination, prolongs shelf life, and adds an extra gloss to products on display at the supermarket. Most produce should be soaked for 1-2 minutes and later rinsed thoroughly in order to properly remove harmful toxins and bacteria that can build up in your system and do massive damage over time.

Be Cautious of Seafood

One of the proteins to be most mindful of in order to avoid heavy metals from accumulating in the body is seafood. Tuna, swordfish, and orange roughy are among the fish most highly contaminated with mercury. Mercury is an element known to pollute the food chain as it builds up in the system over time. Ultimately, mercury can cause brain damage, lung dysfunction, vision problems, and developmental delays in children. Among the best seafood to eat in order to avoid mercury poisoning are salmon, shrimp, cod, tilapia, and mussels. Whenever purchasing fish, always opt for organic and wild caught as opposed to farmed fish. Farmed fish are often fed artificial diets and live in densely populated and sometimes murky waters that can ultimately contaminate the fish and add extra toxins to your diet.