Metabolic Detoxification
What is a Toxing?
A toxin is a poisonous substance, especially one produced by a living organism. Toxins can be products or byproducts of ordinary metabolism, such as lactic acid, and they must be broken down or excreted before building up to dangerous levels.
When waste builds up, we get sick. And the key is to figure out how to enhance your body’s capacity to detoxify and get rid of waste while minimizing your exposure to toxins.
This is so important, because many diseases of our society are actually related to toxicity.
What is a Detox?
Detoxification is what your body does naturally to neutralize, transform or get rid of unwanted materials or toxins. It is a primary function of the body, constantly working and interacting with all other functions of the body.
When we talk about detoxification, it is about improving and optimizing the function of your body’s own detoxification systems.
This is done by decreasing the amount of toxins you put into your body while at the same time supporting your body’s detoxification and elimination systems with the nutrients it needs to function properly.
A detox plan is an effective way to clear your body of toxins.
What are the Benefits of Doing a Detox?
Every day we are exposed to a myriad of foreign chemicals and toxins ranging from commercially synthesized pharmaceuticals, chemical by-products, and food additives to naturally occurring environmental toxins.
Each year, more than 4 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released into the environment; these toxic chemicals can accumulate in your body and affect overall health.
Long-term exposure to even small amounts of these substances has been linked to a number of unwelcome health effects. Under normal circumstances, your body is able to rid itself of harmful chemicals and pollutants.
But sometimes, the sheer volume of toxins to which you are exposed can overwhelm natural processes and accumulate in your tissues. Add to that an unhealthy diet lacking in proper nutrients, and the problem can get even worse.
Generally, there are three main reasons people should do a metabolic detoxification plan.
The Role of Toxins in Health and Disease
The following is a list of the common symptoms of chronic toxicity. If you suffer from any of the following, detoxifying might be critical for you to get healthy and feel good again:
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Joint pain
- Sinus congestion
- Postnasal drip
- Excessive sinus problems
- Headaches
- Bloating
- Gas
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Foul-smelling stools
- Heartburn
- Sleep problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Food cravings
- Water retention
- Trouble losing weight
- Rashes
- Skin problems
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Canker sores
- Acne
- Puffy, dark circles under the eyes
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Other menstrual disorders
- Bad breath
Here are some of the diseases you may suffer from if you are toxic:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Dementia
- Autism
- Attention deficit disorder
- Depression and other mood disorders
- Insomnia
- Heart disease
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Cancer
- Autoimmune disease
- Food allergies
- Arthritis
- Digestive diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcers, and colitis
- Menstrual problems like heavy bleeding, cramps, PMS, menopausal symptoms, mood changes and hot flashes
With so many conditions on that list, it might seem that everyone is toxic. That may be true to differing degrees.
Problems with detoxification form one of the roots of illness–and signify one of the core systems in the body that must be working well for you to be healthy. If you feel lousy, it’s likely you’re detox pathways may be congested and you are not detoxing correctly.
To understand toxicity, you must understand the concept of “total load.”
Total load is the total amount of stressors on your system at any one time–it’s like what happens when a glass fills over with water. It takes a certain amount of water to fill the glass and then, after a certain point, you put more in and it overflows.
When your detoxification system is overwhelmed, it gets overloaded. That’s when we start developing symptoms and getting sick, but it may take years of accumulated stress and toxins to get to that point.
Factors that can contribute to your total toxic load:
- Exposure to heavy metals like mercury and lead, petrochemicals, residues, pesticides, and fertilizers.
- Food allergies, environmental allergies, molds, and toxins from molds.
- Eating a standard American diet.
- Mental, emotional, and spiritual toxins — isolation, loneliness, anger, jealousy, and hostility, all of which translate into toxins in our system.
- Medications can sometimes be toxins. Often we need medications, but the reality is that most of us are overmedicated and use medications to treat problems for which there are better solutions, such as lifestyle and diet.
- Internal toxins–things like bacteria, fungus, and yeast inside our gut as well as hormonal and metabolic toxins that we need to eliminate.
That’s a lot of toxins for our bodies to manage.
You may wonder: Why aren’t we all sick, given this incredible load of toxins?
The answer is simple.
It is because each of us is genetically and biochemically unique. Some of us are good at getting rid of toxins and waste, and others are not.
Five Key Steps to Optimal Detoxification:
- Identify and Get Rid of Toxins — Eliminating toxins is absolutely essential if you want to rebalance your detox system.
- Fix Your Gut — Gut imbalances are a key source of toxins for many.
- Get Moving — This help your blood and lymphatic circulation do its job.
- Get Your Liver and Detox System Working — If your detoxification system isn’t working properly, this is a serious problem and needs to be addressed. A great place to start is the 10-step approach outlined below.
- Detox Your Mind, Heart, and Spirit — This is just as important as detoxing your body, and it’s an area few of us ever think about as a source of toxins.
To completely detoxify your body you need to work through each of these steps carefully, and that can take some time. But you can start today by following this simple 10-step plan.
10 Simple Steps to Enhance Detoxification
Proper detoxification is so essential for health that you need to start enhancing your body’s ability to detoxify today. Here is how to do it:
- Drink Clean — Drink plenty of clean water, at least eight to ten glasses of filtered water a day.
- Eliminate Properly — Keep your bowels moving, at least once or twice a day. And if you can’t get going, then you need some help. This can include taking two tablespoons of ground flax seeds and taking acidophilus and extra magnesium citrate capsules. If you have any chronic diseases or problems, you have to be careful about taking supplements and should work with your healthcare provider.
- Eat Clean — You should also eat organic produce and animal products to eliminate the toxins, hormones, and antibiotics in your food.
- Eat Detoxifying Food — You should eat 8 to 10 servings of colorful fruits and vegetables a day, particularly family of the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, collards, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi) and the garlic family (garlic and onions), which help increase sulfur in the body and help detoxification. Avoid the White Menace — This includes white flour and white sugar.
- Minimize Drugs — Avoid stimulants, sedatives, and drugs, such as caffeine and nicotine, and try to reduce alcohol intake.
- Get Moving — Exercise five days a week with focus on conditioning your cardiovascular system, strengthening exercises, and stretching exercises.
- Sweat — Sweat profusely at least three times a week, using a sauna, steam, or a detox bath.
- Supplement — Take a high-quality multivitamin and mineral supplement.
- Relax — Relax deeply every day to get your nervous system in a state of calm, rest, and relaxation. Our Therapeutic Spa is a great resource. Many of our therapies, along with Foot Zoning, and Manual Lymph Drainage (Lymphatic Massage), and exercise work by increasing circulatory and lymphatic movement on a very physical level and so delivers more oxygen and nutrients to your body on a cellular level. This, in turn, leads to greater energy. Increasing circulatory and lymphatic movement also speeds up the exit of unwanted substances in the body from the appropriate organs.
- Soak in Celtic Sea Bath Salts or Magnesium Salts combined with your favorite essential oil in hot bath water helps to body to detoxify. Your skin is your largest eliminating organ found in your body. Celtic sea salt supplies 82 trace minerals required for the human body for better health and longevity. As it is not refined and lacks chemicals, additives and preservatives, you can use it in your diet. In addition to this, the most amazing point is that it is naturally harvested in France and Brittany near the Celtic sea. It eliminates the buildup of mucus and the main benefit is, it is helpful for those with asthma, bronchial congestion, allergies and sinus issues. As water and salt are the main elements for the creation of hydroelectric energy in the cells, Celtic sea salts are more important to help you get rid of the deficiency of minerals and fatigue from your body. The salt water and minerals available in the sea salt are natural electrolytes which gives your body a positive electrical charge and increase energy. It removes the surplus acid wastes and helps to maintain acid alkaline balance.
Simply following these steps will help to correct problems caused by toxicity, maximize your body’s own detoxification capacity, and help you safely eliminate toxins stores in your body.
Depending on your symptoms, genetic predispositions and environmental exposures, you may need different levels of nutrients and types of treatment, but this is an excellent way to get started on detoxification today.
Remember, getting rid of toxins and learning how to optimize your detoxification system is essential for creating lifelong vibrant health.