Body detoxification tutorial
Body detoxification
Detoxification, or detox in short, is the process of removing toxins from body. It is assumed that over a period of time, toxins from food and water get accumulated in body leading to various health concerns. Therefore,
many conventional and alternative medicine practitioners promote body detoxification to achieve better health. It is the body's natural, ongoing process of neutralizing or eliminating toxins
from the body. Toxins (anything that can potentially harm body tissue) are transformed chemically to less harmful compounds and excreted via stools or urine.
Why detox:
We live in sea of toxins. Environment is more polluted than ever. The sources of toxins are pesticides, industry wastes dumped in sea, petroleum products, hormones injected in animals etc.
Many individuals are exposed to chemicals at work, beauty supplies have toxins, fruits & vegetables have toxins as well.
The body might be able to handle all this if we all ate nothing but healthy food, drank pure water, got just enough of the right kind of exercise,
were emotionally stable and well adjusted and took just the right amounts of supplements while avoiding second-hand smoke and rarely indulged
in caffeine, alcohol or recreational drugs. Though some of us know people like that, for most of us are a bit more relaxed.
What that all means for your body. It means that your body, especially your liver, must process out all the toxins, along with the rest of its activities. Some of these activities include:
Metabolizing proteins, fats and sugars, providing the nutrients that sustain life,
Creating bile to break down fat. High fat, or even just a high quantity of any kind of food, places an extra load on the liver,
Metabolizing the drugs and alcohol many of us use to "take the edge off",
Metabolizing the caffeine most of us use to get up in the morning,
Breaking down and eliminates excess hormones,
Cleaning up toxins including those:
Resulting from the metabolism of that food;
From the environment;
Attached to the food we eat in the form of pesticides and herbicides; and
Dissolved in the water.
When the liver can't accomplish all these functions, you eventually begin to experience symptoms, such as fatigue, skin eruptions, headaches, allergies, and
numerous other health complaints that can lead to disease-states, mental confusion, inability to concentrate, "failure to thrive," or the blues. You thought it was
your boss, or your spouse, or your (fill in the blank _______). No, it's your poor overworked liver!
Types:
There are many different ways to detox. The most popular ones are:
Water fasting: A stringent and effective way to detoxify your body because it forces the metabolism of body fat and thereby releases stored toxins in the body
fat into the blood stream for elimination as the fat oils are used for fuel. Only the very healthy should go on short water fasts because the toxins released could overwhelm toxic and sick bodies.
Juice fasting: This is the king of detoxification methods because it nourishes the body, especially with live enzymes which jump start' a sluggish
immune system and provides nourishment for sustaining the fast for long periods of time.
Lemon juice and honey fasting: This is less stringent that water fasting as it supplies some basic nutrition and the cleansing progresses at a level that is more comfortable than water fasting alone.
Raw food diet:
This refers to vegetables and fruits, of course. Again, the live enzymes yield great benefit to a body that has been impoverished with cooked foods for a long time. Many people seldom eat any fresh vegetables and their only fruit may be a banana on their breakfast cereal.
You will notice immediate benefits. Your bathroom experiences will be virtually odourless and you will experience unbelievable regularity. The normal function is to have a movement for each meal. The fibre assures adequate bulk as the nourishment of the raw food enhances and cleanses the blood stream.
Tips & Precautions
Young children, the elderly, the chronically ill, those suffering from a serious disease, anyone addicted to drugs or alcohol or who has been exposed to dangerous
chemicals, heavy metals or radioactive material SHOULD ONLY UNDERGO DETOXIFICATION WITH THE HELP OF A QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER.
Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.
Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins
Drink at least 2 quarts of water daily
Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.
Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.
Exercising is also well known to aid in body detoxification. Some forms of exercise are beneficial to cleansing and detoxification, such as gentle jogging, walking or rebounding - however you should try not to place undue stress on the body during this time
Benefits:
A detox program can help the body's natural cleaning process by:
1) Resting the organs through fasting;
2) Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;
3) Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
4) Improving circulation of the blood; and
5) Refuelling the body with healthy nutrients.
Problems:
When detoxing people often experience what is known as 'detox flu' or 'detox crisis'. As your body is systematically cleansing itself of toxins and pollution, this is the period during the detox that these toxins are being eliminated from the body.
Different people experience different symptoms, but commonly they can include headaches, nausea, cold-like symptoms (blocked nose, shivers etc), spots and pimples etc.The symptoms also usually
occur between days 2-4, so it can be planned that these days fall over a weekend, or even better a long weekend/holiday.
The best medicine is to drink lots of fluids to help speed up the toxin flushing process, especially vegetable juices or 'green drinks'. Have lots of rest and try to relax -
but remember, try to steer clear of pharmaceutical medicines as these may end up putting more toxins back into your body.
