Are Toxins Invading Your Body and Threatening Your Health?

"Detoxification is the missing link to rejuvenating the body and preventing such chronic diseases as cancer, cardiovascular problems, arthritis, diabetes and obesity. The modern diet with excess animal proteins, fats, caffeine, alcohol, and chemicals inhibits the optimum function of our cells and tissues. The cleansing of toxins and waste products will restore optimum function and vitality." Elson Haas, MD Director of the Marin Clinic of Preventative Medicine and Health Education.

Is Your Lifestyle Hazardous to Your Health?
It appears the 20th century lifestyle can be dangerous to your health. The typical diet of the past few decades has increasingly included more processed and contaminated foods than ever before; Hormones, Steroids, Antibiotics, Pesticides, Additives, Waxes, Dyes, Preservatives, Colourings, Irradiation - we are exposed to more chemicals in far greater concentrations from every source imaginable, than any previous generation. Everyday products such as petrol, paint, household cleaners, cosmetics, pesticides and even dry cleaning fluid pose a serious threat to our health. These toxins set off reactions in the body and cause a variety of problems. Add contaminated water and polluted air, and it’s no wonder that many of us feel tired, are more frequently sick, lack energy and look old before our time.

How serious is the problem? It has been said that people now carry in their bodies a modern-day chemical cocktail. As the earth becomes more and more polluted, the body inadvertently becomes a filter that "traps" more and more of these pollutants. They become a serious threat to our health because the body cannot easily break them down and eliminate them. As these toxins "Bio-accumulate" you are at higher and higher risk for serious and dilapidating disease.

What do Toxins do to Your body?
Dr. Elson Haas defines a toxin simply as, "Any substance that creates irritating and/or harmful effects in the body, undermining our health or stressing our biochemical or organ functions." Toxins enter the body’s cells in basically two ways. We can inhale or ingest them - as we do with airborne chemical pollutants or pesticides in our food - or they can be created inside the body as a response to conditions that may arise for a number of reasons. We can be under too much emotional stress, eat an unbalanced diet over a period of time, or simply eat too much food.

According to Dr. Haas, a normal functioning body can handle certain levels of toxins. The concern is when we take in or produce an excess of toxins. Our elimination process (liver, skin, kidneys, lungs, colon) become overloaded and we can no longer eliminate toxins efficiently and effectively. Over time, these toxins begin to poison us. Common toxicity symptoms include headache, fatigue, mucus problems, aches and pains, digestive problems, "allergy" symptoms, and sensitivity to environmental agents such as chemicals, perfumes and synthetics.

Making Your Body Disease-Resistant.
The purpose of detoxification is to support the body’s natural elimination processes and prevent the day to day build up of toxicity so few of us seem able to avoid. Detox programs work because they reduce the number of toxic irritants to a manageable level. Simply stated, with fewer toxins to contend with, your body is less prone to disease. And if it does have a diseased condition, it is easier for your body to marshal its own healing powers and resources to fight it. For people who are interested in optimal health, detox is a necessity. People who detox regularly report having more energy and vitality than ever before. They feel stronger, healthier and even more attractive.

How can You Safely Eliminate Toxins from Your Body?
A very simple way to begin to detox is to allow the body’s natural systems sufficient time to eliminate daily toxic build-up. This takes only 12 hours and you can do it everyday simply by eating nothing after your evening meal until the next morning. This gives your body time to clear waste products that have accumulated during the day. It does this very efficiently if we don’t eat even more food before we fall asleep - especially hard to digest snacks like crisps, biscuits, popcorn and ice-cream.

You can also follow a detox diet if you have strong enough will power. Outlined by Dr. Haas and many others, these diets focus on natural, nutritious fruits, vegetables and grains - a low-calorie, low-sugar, low-fat, non-chemical diet of unrefined foods that your body can easily digest and eliminate.

Nature's Solution - Herbs.
One of the easiest methods of detoxification involves using herbs. Many have been known for centuries to purify the blood, cleanse the colon and other organs and generally aid in detoxifying the body. The advantage to using herbs is how simple they are to use. You take them regularly for a limited time, while continuing to eat your regular diet. Look for a product that is a professional grade program. Don’t try a "quick fix". Cleansing for a week or ten days is not going to do the job. I have also found that teas are not as effective because they do not supply the fibre necessary to bind with the toxins and sweep them out. The best programs usually combine a variety of herbs and take anywhere from 30 - 90 days to complete. This gradual process is much safer and more effective.

There are typically no side-effects except your skin should get smoother, your energy levels should rise, your weight should fall and you should feel excited, refreshed and alert! You may notice that your bowels are moving more frequently than normal, but that is to be expected. (Make sure your herbal cleansing program contains herbs that will work directly on the Colon but one for the whole body as well.)

Once the body has become detoxed, eating foods that build the right biochemical environment becomes the basis for building and maintaining the health of the whole body. Use a program to get out of the body what it doesn’t need. You’ll wake up its ability to keep itself cleansed, and you’ll feel an enormous resurgence of energy when your body is no longer burdened with the extra work of trying to eliminate the stored up toxins in your system. You’ll feel rejuvenated and lower your risk for many types of illness.