Over time, our bodies can start to be brought down by the toxins, chemicals, and waste that build up in our systems. Whether it is from external, environmental factors (like pollution or natural exposure to toxins) or something wrong internally (such as a poor diet ofunhealthy foods), it’s important to maintain your health by ridding these built up toxins.

The topic of "detox" is overwhelming and you will come across nearly 56 million webpages. Let’s skip the sales pitch and find out some simple principles of detoxing, shall we

Natural detox: your body knows how

Your body is detoxifying all the time. The natural processes of metabolism create streams of waste, and we’re also ingesting, inhaling, and absorbing pathogens, chemicals, allergens, and other toxins. Our bodies work continually to deactivate and eliminate these harmful substances.

Natural detox is a collection of responses that occur throughout your body, literally without pause. And the human body is remarkably successful at disassembling and removing the majority of toxic substances and metabolic wastes.

What is the source of body toxicity?

In addition to the old-school toxins we’ve encountered for years, we now have an array of allergens, by-products, wastes, chemicals, and organisms that our bodies simply do not know how to process. It’s true that the human body is amazingly adaptable, but our systems have not yet adjusted to these diverse “foreigners to life,” or xenobiotics. Instead, these outsiders become part of an enormous “toxic load” we carry indefinitely.

Where are all these toxins — old and new — coming from? They’re all around us — in the air, water, food, and environment, and they may be disguised in some clever camouflage:

• Air, water, and environmental pollutants (including jet fuel residue)
• Food contaminants, such as pathogens and by-products of certain industrialization processes
• Chemicals we absorb, inhale, or ingest (from construction materials, furniture and flooring, clothing, cleaning supplies, personal care products, and more)
• Pharmaceutical medications (antibiotics, HRT, NSAID’s, etc.), recreational drugs, second-hand smoke, and alcohol
• Radiation and electromagnetic fields
• Heavy metals, aluminum, and toxic halides
• Hormones and endocrine disruptors
• Mold, mildew, and “superbug” pathogens
• Free radicals

In addition, problems with detoxification can occur right inside us. Because the gastrointestinal tract is your body’s initial interface with a large percentage of the toxins it encounters, any chronic digestive issue can interfere with detox. If you have IBS, for example, you may have trouble detoxifying — but an imbalance in your gut flora can also limit your gut’s natural detox function.

What’s surprising is that we ourselves generate some of the strongest, or most reactive, poisons and toxins. Many lifestyle factors have a grave impact on health, including poor diet, low water intake, lack of exercise, and inadequate rest. But emotions can be poisonous, too. Stress, anxiety, depression, and even “toxic” relationships affect you physically and add heavily to the load your body is trying to detoxify.

Some people have innate limitations in their ability to detoxify. In some cases, these factors can be “pathological” (leading to disease) when left unaddressed. Either they’re born with genetic traits that interfere with healthy liver function (such as a GSTM 1 polymorphism) or normal metabolism of nutrients (for example, an MTHFR polymorphism), or they develop detox issues as a result of lifestyle influences or hormone imbalance during perimenopause.

Even under such challenging conditions, toxicity is not your destiny. There is a tremendous amount you can do — right away — to limit and offset the effects of toxins. And of course, stopping poisonous substances from entering your system in the first place should be a top priority.

Natural detoxification systems — the whole-body concept

Detoxification is accomplished by many internal systems and organs working in unison to identify, deactivate, and eliminate toxic substances. These mundane reactions help clear out toxins and purify your internal environment.

• Respiration: breathing (gas exchange), coughing, sneezing, clearing mucus
• Skin: sweating, sebaceous (oil) gland secretion, tears
• GI system: liver function, intestinal tract function (our “first line” defense), including stool excretion
• Kidneys: acid/alkaline balancing, urination
• Circulation and lymph systems: blood flow, lymph circulation, node function

Because all these systems cooperate for whole body detoxification, problems in any one can allow toxins to accumulate, or interferes with the removal of highly reactive compounds, which can then move in and camp out in your organs and tissues.

Let’s take a closer look at how the job of detoxification is divided up.

Liver

The liver is the powerhouse of detoxification, since one of its primary functions is to isolate and biotransform toxic molecules so they can be eliminated. With its ability to create various enzymes and chemicals, the liver quickly deactivates most poisons you take in or create. Our special page on liver function shows how you can provide support to keep this critically important organ functioning well.

Kidneys

Your kidneys act as an advance filtering system to catch wastes and toxins circulating in your blood and eliminate them through urination. If this process becomes sluggish or begins to fail, poisonous substances build up, and your health can deteriorate rapidly. Supporting kidney function involves eating an alkalizing diet, with mineral-rich fruits and vegetables, and drinking plenty of pure water (distilled, filtered, or spring). Alcohol, particularly in excess, can be very hard on the kidneys.

GI tract

For natural detoxification, there is nothing more important than good digestive health. Your gut is the gateway for most pathogens, but it is also your initial defense against toxins, germs, and unwanted substances. Taking care of the GI tract starts with choosing non-toxifying foods, and results in better elimination — the prime vehicle for toxin removal.

Your GI tract is lined with a mucous membrane that, when healthy, forms an “intelligent” barrier that helps prevent toxins from entering your bloodstream and allows escaped xenobiotics to pass back into the intestines for elimination (called “antiporter” detox). Good GI health through proper diet can help keep this membrane intact and functioning well. A healthy supply of “friendly bacteria” in the gut helps you handle the food you eat and wards off any pathogens lurking in your food. Gut flora can also stop pathogens from re-entering your system until your body can dispose of the intruders.

Fluidity is Key

First things first: fluidity is key! When it comes to detoxifying the body, you want to provide the body with a simple, seamless route for excavation. By and large, removing the waste and toxicity through fluids is the most promising. (Some argue in favor of “sweating it out”, but this will require keeping hydration levels high as well!). Keep these things in mind:

Sustaining a Healthy Body

When it comes to detoxing, be sure to keep in mind that you are what you eat. It’s actually quite likely you’re feeling groggy, weakened, and frustrated because of the food you’ve been eating. That being said, the next time in detoxing naturally is to supply yourself with the nutrients you need to get full nourishment. Follow these simple tips for better eating:

I'ts a Lifestyle

Having a healthy, whole body does not need to be hard- make it simple and make it successful.

 

Reference:  Womentowomen.com