Springtime Detox!

A person’s ability to detoxify environmental toxins is a major factor in health and wellness. Exposure to food additives, cleaning chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and other toxic elements can cause a wide array of physical and psychological symptoms. Many bacteria and yeast normally present in the body can also produce toxins that are absorbed by the gut. These are all capable of disrupting function within the body in their own unique way. Combine them together and we have a complex cocktail of toxicity and a wide range of symptoms.

There are 5 systems primarily responsible for getting rid of toxicity within the body. These are the liver, colon, lungs, skin, and kidneys. Our bodies are designed to deal with this toxic exposure but with so many new chemicals being released each year it is hard for our bodies to keep up. It is often beneficial to give the body some rest and support to deal with these chemicals.

The simple things to do to decrease your toxicity would be to eat a diet of primarily whole unprocessed foods, organic whenever possible, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The most important things to eat organic are dairy and animal proteins because the toxins tend to accumulate in the fat of an animal. Vitamin C has been shown to increase the level of glutathione, a naturally occurring antioxidant and liver detoxification compound. Milk thistle has also been shown in numerous studies to improve liver function for detoxification. Dietary fiber is important for proper bowel elimination and release of toxins. Without proper elimination your body can not detoxify but will simply reabsorb those toxic compounds as they sit in your colon!

A comprehensive Detox program once or twice a year is helpful to decrease the amount of toxicity we each live with day to day. This type of program will help people to address a wide range of conditions like chronic fatigue and headaches to PMS or depression and anxiety. It will help to address many of the underlying causes of chronic disease. Most people will benefit from a detox program, particularly those suffering from autoimmune disease, hormone imbalances, adrenal fatigue, and many neurological problems. A program to work with your lifestyle and address the toxic issues underlying disease is a good choice toward health and wellness.

Hormone imbalances manifest with issues of PMS, infertility, menstrual cramping, headaches and menopausal symptoms. All of these symptoms can be positively impacted by a detox. People who have immune system imbalances like auto-immune disease benefit because detoxifying helps to decrease inflammation in the body. This is helpful for people suffering from arthritis to asthma and allergies.  Your body’s primary immune defense resides in your colon. Without good colon health your immune system will not function properly and your body will accumulate toxicity at a faster rate. Detoxification helps to balance the flora in the gut and improve your immune system’s ability to function fully. If you suffer from IBS, Crohn’s disease or other stomach problems a detox may be just the thing for you!