Detoxification, an internal and external cleanse
How Dirty Are We?
In August and September 2004 researchers analysed the umbilical cord blood from babies born in U.S. hospitals and found 287 chemicals and pollutants. These included pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage. The sad news is it is not much different here in South Africa.
Just like you would take good care of your car, sending it for regular services, keeping it in good working conditions, just the same if not better should you treat your body, it is after all the vessel that has to last you until your last day, and you don’t know when that is.
What Is Detoxification?
When we speak about detoxification it may refer to a medical treatment for someone who abused certain substances including alcohol or other chemicals, but it may also refer to a metabolic detoxification.
Metabolic detoxification is a process in which you assist your body in its physiological processes to rid itself of chemicals, compounds, hormones and by-products accumulating in your body due to exposure, poor lifestyle habits, incorrect foods and even poor genetic expression of your detox genes.
How Do You Know Your Machine Needs A Tune Up?
If you answer YES to any of the following questions, you definitely need to consider a detox
1. Do you feel less vibrant or healthy than others your age?
2. Are your energy levels low?
3. Do you often have difficulty thinking clearly?
4. Do you often feel depressed or have a low mood?
5. Do you get more than one or two colds a year? (or other infections)
6. Do you suffer from PMS, fibrocystic breast tissue, or uterine fibroids?
7. Do have aches and pains for no particular reason?
8. Do you have bad breath or stinky stools?
9. Do you have less than one stool per day?
Can You Associate with These Warning Signals?
• Acne
• Allergies
• Cancer
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Infertility
• Inflammatory and auto immune diseases
• Metabolic syndrome
• Neurological disorders
• Obesity
• Psoriasis
• Type II Diabetes
What Are Toxins?
A toxin is any compound that has a detrimental effect on cellular function or structure. We can basically divide toxins into 2 groups, endo-toxins, toxins produced inside our bodies, and exo-toxins, these are toxins from outside.
Exo-toxins are pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, food additives, chemicals used to treat water, heavy metals, air pollution, plasticides, amalgams in dentistry, chemical drugs (I’m referring to prescription medications), personal hygiene products (including all the creams you put on your face, hands and body), household cleaners, etc. Other toxins we are exposed to include bacteria, viruses and parasites.
Endo-toxins are produced from inside our bodies, often through totally normal processes, but due to circumstances such as poor nutritional choices, constipation or genes we are not always able to get rid of them, and that leads to a condition referred to as auto-toxaemia. Some of these toxins I am referring to are metabolised hormones, not just hormones from your body, but even hormones that the animals are treated with that you may consume in either dairy or meat products, then there is stress, and others.
How Toxins Cause Havoc in Your Body
Heavy metals used in chemicals and some household cleaning products, personal care products, previously even in vaccines and medicine block the activity of enzymes. For example, mercury blocks the enzyme that converts the thyroid hormone T4 to the more active T3 form, which will lead to hypothyroidism. Lead and other heavy metals may displace minerals like calcium, causing weaker bones. Heavy metals cause oxidative stress, which affects all tissues and functions in your body. Heavy metals and other toxins are lipophilic (meaning they attach to fat), which means it is difficult to excrete and affects nerves, brain and kidneys.
Environmental toxins, drugs, alcohol, solvents and food additives are dealt with by the liver, but you can imagine the enormous load your liver has to deal with on a daily basis and it often doesn’t have all the right nutrients to perform its life-preserving tasks. Symptoms of exposure vary but are often psychological, neurological, mental confusion, headaches, abnormal nerve reflexes and other impaired nervous system function, as well as sensitivities to chemicals, respiratory tract allergies and increased risks to cancers.
Toxins produced by bacteria and yeast are absorbed in the gut and can also affects functions in your body and cause symptoms such as ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, psoriasis, asthma, immune disorders, Crohn’s disease and lupus. Antibodies formed against these microbial invaders can cross-react with the body’s own tissues and cause autoimmune disorders.
How Does Your Body Deal with These Toxins?
You have 3 major detox organs, your liver, kidneys and skin. Your kidneys will excrete all the water-soluble toxins after the liver has done its job, it will also excrete ammonia and urea, the toxic waste produced when proteins are broken down.
Your liver is a complex organ, it requires vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that we get from good quality food in order to work properly, it detoxifies the content of our bowels, the food we eat and the water we drink and even the air we breathe. It filters our blood and removes large toxins. It is a complex process but in very simple terms, all things taken into the body go through a two phase enzymatic process in the liver. Phase I is where these toxins are neutralised or converted to an intermediate form, often into a more harmful molecule because it is an unstable molecule but a necessary process to be able to excrete it. It is during phase I that a lot of free radicals are produced. In phase II these unstable molecules are made water-soluble and bound or conjugated to certain nutrients to make it less harmful, and then lastly these conjugated water-soluble molecules can then be excreted via the kidneys and bowel.
Here lies the crisis; firstly, you may be over-exposed every day, secondly, genetically not everyone may produce all these enzymes effectively to assist the liver during phase I or II, thirdly, should you not consume quality nutrients, mainly fruit and vegetables, your liver may not be able to effectively go through phase I and phase II, and lastly if you do not have regular bowel movements these very toxins that your liver has worked so hard to excrete may get a chance to be reabsorbed in a slow colon.
10 Ways to Assist Ones Liver That Doesn’t Cost You the Earth
To reduce the toxic load on your liver without having to move to another planet, start implementing the following:
1. Avoid using plastic containers.
2. Do not overeat proteins, especially meat products and dairy.
3. Drink enough water, at least 6-8 glasses, if you exercise longer than 1 hour per day or weight more than 80kg increase the amount.
4. Drink no more than 3 units of alcohol per week.
5. Eat enough fibre, especially from seeds, vegetables, fruit and nuts (careful too much nuts means too much protein)
6. Eat your green leafy vegetables as well as – cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, watercress, rocket, and coriander – aim for a daily intake.
7. Get rid of household chemicals, there are many products available that contains no harmful chemicals – its better for the environment too!
8. Sweat a bit, it helps the body to get rid of toxins through the skin – you can exercise, sauna, ozone or lie in the sun, but not between 12 pm and 15 pm.
9. Switch your skincare range to natural oils and products – we have wonderful products on the market.
10. Where possible eat organic, if not possible, grow your own or buy the best you can afford.
WARNING!
Do not make sudden changes to your diet if you are ill. Consult with a professional.
Metabolic Detoxification Programme and Genetics
Gene testing now assesses these genetic variations that may cause some people to have a reduced activity of phase I or phase II enzymes, which may increase their risk for certain disease conditions.
We offer scientifically based metabolic detoxification programmes. These programmes are nutrient based and depending on your health may last 10 to 28 days.
What Most People Experience After A Detox
• Enhance cognitive function
• Improve sleep
• Improvement in pain
• Increase sense of well-being
• Increased energy levels
• Mood lift
• Weight loss
Guided Detox Programme
If you can associate with the symptoms above or maybe just want to press your body's reset button and would like me to keep you informed of our guided detox programmes, then click here to send me an email.