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DETOX Detoxing
has become quite fashionable recently with various celebrities hailing
it as the way to health, happiness and weight loss. Studies indicate
that generally speaking we are feeling sicker and lacking in energy
more than we have ever done before. Millions of working days a year are
lost due to illness and a large proportion of the population are
complaining of feeling tired and even exhausted during the day.
If
we are to regain our strength and wellbeing we need to know how to go
about helping our bodies to detox and how to protect ourselves in
the future. There are several excellent books available on the subject that can be bought from Amazon that give step by step instructions of the best way to do a detox. (see below) However
caution needs to be exerted when doing a detox, as the effectiveness of
the detox depends largely on the body's vitality and ability to
eliminate the toxins without creating an adverse reaction. The
liver is the key organ of detoxification, although other organs also
play a part. The liver's role is to chemically alter the toxins to make
them more water soluble. These toxins are then excreted through the
urine or the faeces. Other avenues of elimination include the lungs and
the skin. It
is important to ensure that the liver is well supported and that other
measures such as appropriate exercise, massage, herbal support and skin
brushing etc are performed to enhance the programme In order to rid the body of toxins it is important to *
Get the toxins from the cells to the liver/kidney. This requires
physical movement to move the lymph (exercise or massage) * Provide the liver with the necessary nutrients to process the toxins * Have good bile secretion and bowel function * Drink enough water to help the kidneys to release the toxins from the body Common side effects that might be experienced during a detox are * headaches When a detox may not be a good idea *
For individuals who have an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa. A
restrictive detox diet may only serve to exacerbate their already
obsessive habit. * Pregnant and lactating women as the toxins will be excreted via the baby |
Exposure
to toxins is inevitable. Our busy lives lead us to succumb to that
ready meal, that cup of coffee or that night of alcoholic bliss, and
who can blame us for wanting to enjoy life and take the line of least
resistance. We can hardly avoid the toxic fumes as we walk to work or
the pesticides on many of our fruit and vegetables. All these toxins
add up over the weeks and months. So rather than being too hard on
ourselves, perhaps a better option would be to become more aware of how
to deal with the toxins to lessen their effect on our bodies.