Why You Should Detoxify and Cleanse to Stay Healthy

Happy May! Time for a new health topic, but before we get started click here if you are interested in listening to a FREE webinar that I did last month on last month topic “gut health.” 

This month it will be all about cleansing and detoxifying and how can it benefit not just your body but also your overall well-being. Now let’s get started with the basics!

To understand how to cleanse and detoxify, let’s begin by talking about toxicity. Toxicity is the degree to which a substance, either a toxin or poison, can cause harm. Here are two medical distinctions of toxicity:

1. Acute toxicity involves harmful effects in an organism through a single or short-term exposure.
2. Chronic toxicity, on the other hand, is the ability of a substance or mixture of substances to cause harmful effects over an extended period, usually upon repeated or continuous exposure, sometimes lasting for the entire life of the exposed organism.

My definition of toxicity also includes the toxins created in our bodies by negative emotions and the negative people in our lives, since both create biochemical reactions in our bodies that impact our health. More on this on the weeks to come.

The body’s natural process for detoxification is done by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymphatic system, and skin.

Since we are continually bombarded with various chemical and environmental toxins which can overload our system and slow down the body’s elimination process. These are the top offenders that we are often exposed to:

• Foods like sugar and sugar substitutes, non-organic gluten, caffeine, dairy, meat, processed, and refined foods, and soda.
• Environmental toxins found in our foods, water, air, household and skin care products, such as BPA, phthalates, pesticides, lead (Pb), mercury, radon, formaldehyde, benzene, cadmium, carbon monoxide, fluoride, chlorine, antibiotics and other medications, and electromagnetic fields (EMF).

​In excess these toxins have been scientifically proven to cause the following disorders:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obesity
• Some types of cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Inflammation (the origin of most chronic illness)
• Autoimmune disorders
• High cholesterol levels
• Imbalance in gut bacteria (a right balance is needed to keep your immune system healthy)

The process of detoxification involves resting, cleansing, and nourishing the body from the inside out. Detoxifying several times per year helps prevent disease by removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients.

The goal of any detox program is to help boost the body's natural cleansing process by:

• Resting the organs through fasting
• Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body
• Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys, and skin
• Improving the circulation of the blood
• Refueling the body with healthy nutrients

​These are some results others have reported to experiencing after a detox:

• Clearer skin
• Weight loss
• Increased immunity
• Lessened cravings
• Food intolerance relief
• Improved clarity and sense of well being
• Elimination of excess waste
• More energy

When it comes to detoxing, many different options are available depending on your need and the practitioner you are working with. Detox programs can last anywhere from 3 days to a month. My preference is to not put the body under a lot of stress during the cleansing process. Therefore, I choose to take my clients through a gentle cleanse with foods and herbs that will last a month, unless the person is has a medical condition or is super toxic then the cleansing could take months. But for general ongoing cleanses a month is enough.

Fasting programs should be done with extreme care and for a short duration. It’s always recommended to discuss significant changes with your doctor or qualified natural health practitioner to ensure you are aware of any potential risks to your health.

Three- to seven-day juice fasts (drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water) can be an effective way to release toxins from the body. However, this type of detox can be too extreme and stress your body. Other longer duration detox diets include:

• Simple Fruit and Veggie Detox
• Smoothie Cleanse
• Juice Cleanse
• Sugar Detox
• Hypoallergenic Detox
• A 21-day elimination diet (eliminate from your diet dairy, meat, sugar, etc.)

TO PREVENT DISEASE, CLEANSES AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR AND EVEN BETTER IF YOU DO IT ONCE A QUARTER.

To get started, it is essential to first identify your goal and select the cleanse you think is right for you. Your goals can be anything like:

• Weight loss.
• Get rid of headaches, document the duration, intensity, frequency, and surrounding factors of your discomfort.
• To have more frequent and less painful bowel movements.
• de-stress
• Improve your overall health
• For maintenance and disease prevention. 

​Next, determine if you would like to implement the cleanse by yourself or with the help of a qualified health care practitioner. 

Remember I’m here for you. If you need guidance on anything health related in the future, I’m here to help!

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