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Why Detoxify?
Why Detoxify?
Very simply, toxins undermine our health and removing
them from the body is one way to maintain digestive health as
well as good overall health.
Elson Haas, M.D., in his
book Staying Healthy with Nutrition, defines a toxin as
“any substance that creates irritating and/or harmful effects
in the body, undermining our health or stressing our
biochemical or organ functions.”
More specifically, a
body overloaded with toxins can result in a number of
symptoms. These include constipation, stomach bloat, poor
digestion, gas, fatigue, weight gain, excessive mucus, poor
concentration, headaches, poor skin, poor memory, depression,
body odor, and bad breath.
Some health practitioners
relate toxins to specific diseases such as chronic fatigue
syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, and fibromyalgia
(muscle and joint pain). Indeed, there is a new medical
category, clinical ecology, which deals exclusively with how
toxins in the environment affect our health.
DetoxificationThe body does have a system in place to
detoxify these harmful toxins. The most important cleansing
organ is the liver. Eliminative channels include the bowels
(the digestive system), kidneys, skin, lungs, and lymphatic
system.
When the body is doing its job and is not
overburdened with toxins, the blood carries toxins to the
liver, which uses enzymes to detoxify the harmful substances,
rendering them harmless or converting them into a
water-soluble form, which is then eliminated via the urine or
feces.
Unfortunately, this system can handle only so
many toxins and was built for “natural” toxins, not the
man-made ones we have to deal with today. For example,
protection against an age-old toxin—alcohol—is built into our
genes. One gene, expressed in the liver, codes for an enzyme
that converts alcohol into substances the body can use or
excrete.
Our body does not, however, always know how to
handle the new toxins in our lives. It cannot understand how
to excrete them, and they may then accumulate to harmful
quantities or be converted to odd, unknown substances that can
interfere with metabolism. According to the textbook
Nutrition, Concepts and Controversies, this can result in
cancers or birth defects.
Helping your body detoxifyWhen our bodies are
bombarded with unfamiliar toxins, are producing too many
toxins, or are not eliminating toxins effectively, the toxins
build up and can cause health problems. Then it is time for a
detoxification program—supporting the body’s natural
elimination process and preventing the day-to-day buildup of
toxicity.
The key to detoxification is knowledge:
understanding the link between feeling subpar and toxicity,
understanding where toxins come from, and understanding what
you can do to help yourself:
Drinking water is
instrumental in detoxification. Water flushes toxins and waste
from the body and transports nutrients to where they are
needed. Try to drink eight to ten glasses of pure water a
day.
Water is also useful externally: baths and
saunas can help detoxification. Hot water increases blood flow
and capillary action near the surface of the skin, causing
faster release of toxins. The heat also increases sweating and
opens up pores. Be sure to bathe in pure water and be mindful
that hot water and the detoxification effect can cause
dizziness. Also, there are a number of substances you can add
to your bath to help the detoxification
process.
Eating a healthy diet ensures that you
get proper nutrition and also helps the cleansing process.
Fresh, raw foods and grains ensure that you get the enzymes
necessary to adequately digest your food. Avoid foods that
contain additives or are nutritionally bankrupt. Avoid sugar,
salt, saturated fats, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Avoid
meat, as animal protein puts a tremendous strain on the
digestive system. You should also eat yogurt, as this helps
maintain a proper bacterial balance.
Exercising
stimulates body systems so that metabolic efficiency is
stepped up. This, of course, includes the systems that are
integral to cleansing, such as the digestive system. It also
strengthens the body and the mind.
Practicing stress
management is important because stress affects us
physically. It weakens the immune system and robs the body of
important nutrients. Stress hinders digestion and the
cleansing process.
Using herbs, fiber, and
supplements can be very important to a cleansing program.
Many herbs facilitate the cleansing program and contribute
important vitamins and minerals. Fiber "sweeps" the digestive
tract clean and quickens the transit time of waste
elimination. It absorbs toxins and escorts them out of the
body. A probiotic supplement helps balance the good and bad
bacteria in the digestive tract.
Fasting has been used
for centuries to cleanse the body. However, fasting can be
harmful and should only be done under the supervision of a
health practitioner.
Using enemas and colonic
irrigation helps flush toxins out of the colon. Enemas can be
self-administered, but colonics should be done under the
supervision of a health practitioner.
Preventing toxins
from building up in the future should be ongoing. This is
easily done by drinking pure water, eating a plant-based diet,
exercising, and practicing stress management. Avoid
environmental toxins as much as you can. Wear protective
clothing or a mask when working with household or workplace
toxins.
Detoxification programsA number of heath
professionals have developed detoxification programs. These
programs usually combine the previous factors in a set
schedule, and prescribe specific foods and herbal and fiber
supplements.
If you follow a program, or simply take
the previous factors to heart, you initially may notice that
your overall health appears to worsen. You may experience
acne, fatigue, headaches, coated tongue, cold extremities,
intestinal and digestive stresses, and mood swings during
detoxification. These are positive signs that mean the
elimination process in the liver and other organs is
occurring.
The toxins in your body have been building
up, maybe for years! It can take much more than a few days, or
even a few weeks, to flush out the toxins and begin to feel
better. Most people experience a cycle; at first they feel
somewhat worse, and then better. As they continue the
detoxification program, toxins buried deeper come out, and
symptoms reappear, only to disappear as they are eliminated.
With each cycle the feeling of being healthy is longer, and
feeling worse is shorter. Eventually, you feel better
all-around. This is a modified reprint of an article that
first appeared in the May 1997 issue of Partners.
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