The role the environment plays in our health is becoming more understood. It is known that certain pesticides and other chemical toxins may be associated with some cancers and diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and even cardiovascular disease. Every day we are exposed to free radicals far more than we used to be. Luckily, you can help your body protect itself with a body cleansing diet.

Your body is a miracle machine designed to protect itself from bacteria, virus and many other pathogens it may come into contact with. Unfortunately our exposure to non-natural chemical toxins makes it harder for your body to do its job. There are no genes coded that know how to deal with these man-made toxins so the body becomes less efficient as it becomes more burdened.

Your body does need help to detoxify and cleanse itself of these toxins. Consider this - your body manufactures its own blood cells. But it cannot do this without the building blocks we call nutrients. Your liver can regenerate itself and repair damaged tissue - but not without proper nutrition. Your body also creates and maintains a whole immune system dedicated to fighting disease. Again, it needs good nutrition to do this.

With all that the body is capable of, none of it is possible without our help. We must eat the right foods and nutrients for the body to maintain itself. This is also true for our organs that cleanse and detoxify. These organs need specific foods and nutrients so that they can continue to neutralize and remove environmental toxins.

A body cleansing diet will help you accomplish this. By eliminating junk foods that add to your body's toxic burden, and adding the right foods, your body can do what it was designed to do - detoxify and cleanse itself. The following is an example of how a body cleansing diet works.

Start a body cleansing diet by first eliminating all junk foods and most processed foods. This includes fast food, sugary treats, all sodas, all fried foods, and most processed foods. Replace these with whole fruits, vegetables and unprocessed grains and unprocessed proteins such as lean meats, poultry, beans and legumes.

Begin each day with one or two pieces of organic fruit. This assists with your body's natural cleansing process. Wait for about 20 minutes then have a breakfast of yogurt or eggs for protein. Getting enough protein throughout the day helps your liver to do it's job of detoxification.

For lunch eat a large, fresh green salad. Add chopped vegetables to ensure you get enough natural fiber to help sweep your system. Add some type of fresh, unprocessed protein to complete your salad. Try chicken breast, fish or a handful of sprouts which are high in protein. You may have whole grains on the side, such as brown rice or quinoa, if you want to cleanse a little more slowly.

Start dinner with a small, green salad. Follow this with steamed vegetables which will be easier for your body to digest in the evening, when your digestive enzymes are slowing. Add to this a lean, unprocessed protein such as fish, poultry, or steak. For vegetarians, use tempeh, the fermented version of tofu, nuts or a handful of sprouts.

During your body cleansing diet, be sure to drink plenty of water and herbal teas throughout the day to help flush the dislodged toxins. For extra nutrition try some fresh pressed vegetable juice. Use herbs in your juice or food such as parsley and cilantro. Both of these help the cleansing and detoxification process by attracting chemical toxins and helping to eliminate them from your body.

Help your body help itself with a body cleansing diet. It is an inexpensive way to help protect from ailments and degenerative disease that is becoming way too rampant in today's world. Learn all you can, take care of your body and it will take care of you for many years to come.