Removing Toxins and Waste From our Bodies

Detoxification is important, but we need to understand the basics. In general, four primary toxin removal systems must all be working in harmony with each other to remove toxins and waste from our bodies.

These four systems involve:

1. The disposal of cellular waste products, especially lactic acid (a chemical your body produces when your cells break down carbs. for energy).

2. The removal of larger waste products through your lymph (smaller waste products go into your veins and are exhaled or sent directly to your liver).

3. The processing of toxins by your liver, most of which then go into bile and then into your digestive tract for final clearance (some are made water-soluble and go to your kidneys to be excreted in urine).

4. The final clearance of waste products by your digestive tract.

   
   

These four systems flow from one to another. Any glitch in any one of these major systems of detoxification will back-up waste up in your body and cause problems.

We are constantly exposed to toxins, even worse if we eat poor quality food, drink unfiltered water, live near pesticide and herbicide spraying (sadly near many farms), live near heavy pollution, or live in a moldy house. In addition, through the body's natural chemical reactions, your body produces toxic trash metabolites that must be cleared. This can be made worse if you have digestive problems, sinus problems, are under high stress, are fighting a bug, are recovering from surgery, do not sleep enough, or if you physically wear yourself out over working or over-exercising.

Every day there is a certain amount of housecleaning you must do depending on different variables. This means your need to employ various detoxification strategies can vary on different days depending on what is going on, what you have been exposed to and how you are doing.

Our sleep time is our primary housecleaning time, exactly how you feel when you wake up in the morning and how long it takes you to get your energy systems up and running are fairly good measures of how your detox systems are working. If you wake up feeling like you didn't sleep well you most likely have a toxic back load.

So What Can We Do To Support our four detox pathways?

As mentioned above, make sleep a high priority. Go to bed routinely at a good time to get sufficient hours of sleep. Avoid news and excitement before bed. As well, try to avoid the blue screens and incorporate a relaxation routine instead. Keep your room dark, cool, and comfortable.

Drink plenty of filtered water throughout the day. Avoid water in plastic bottles if at all possible. (Please, only use bottled water when absolutely - no other way possible necessary).

Eat wholesome, nutritious foods. Foods that will supply your protein, carbs, and fats are necessary for your body to function optimally. Your body needs the essential nutrients to function properly. You can only get that in wholesome, nutritious foods (whole foods, minimally processed foods).

Support your lymph circulation by dry brushing, movement, and certain stretches. Healthy lymph circulation helps ease congestion or pressure in the shoulders, neck, and ears. Feeling a little off? It could just be your lymph system is stagnating and backed up.

Use a proven air purifier in your home and office or work area.

These five steps mentioned above are an excellent way to support your body's detox pathways, and sometimes it's all that is necessary to get things flowing and out and make you feel better.

But, many live in a polluted environment. Exhaust fumes and industrial pollution exceed Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for air quality in most metropolitan areas. Processed foods contain numerous chemical additives and estrogen-like pesticides that are toxic. Poor ventilation, molds, and off-gassing of carpets, mattresses, paint, and building materials are other problems in many homes, schools, and offices. Plus, the natural waste made by the body from normal metabolic functions must be cleared.

These toxins add up, can stagnate, make you feel ill, and cause disease. The toxins add a burden to your body. If not cleared the toxic load will accumulate all the while the liver is working overtime!

Besides the 5 steps mentioned above, there are herbal and nutritional products that can support and aid your body in the natural process of detoxification. Some of the top nutritional items are chlorella, milk thistle extract, dandelion root extract, NAC, resveratrol, taurine, and r-alpha lipoic acid.

Then, additional support can also come in the way of saunas. These help you sweat some of the toxins out, including heavy metals.

We will discuss some of these top choices next time. Meanwhile, check out our Detox Aid Page.

So stay tuned! ( :

Wishing you all the best in health

~ Val

---