According to Chinese medicine, spring is about rebirth, growth, and renewal. What better time to purge the body of toxins that have accumulated over the fall and winter seasons?
In an ideal world, our diet and our environment would be toxin-free, and there would be little need to tackle a full-body cleanse.
The news is full of how our modern environment - whether it be the food we eat, the water we drink, or the air we breathe - is being contaminated.
But exposure to toxins is not limited to our environment. What happens when we overload the body with convenience foods that are full of refined sugar and processed oils? Or when we are so busy with work and family that we don’t have time to exercise?
Whether we overwhelm our bodies with too much food, too much work, or too much stress and stimulation, a full-body cleanse can give the digestive system a much needed rest. This, in turn, can restore and revitalize our energy centers, such as the adrenal glands, and it can also soothe the nervous system.
Working with the Body
It’s important to remember that some forms of cleansing can be shocking to the body. We may experience emotional outbursts. We may develop a rash, break out with cystic acne, catch a cold, or discharge large amounts of mucous from our lungs or even in our stool.
When the barrier systems in the body are not strong, the effects of a cleanse can be extreme and even debilitating. This is why it is essential to work with the body.
Most programs, cleanse kits, and detox fads are not meant to work with the body. Many attempt to flush your system with laxatives and bulking fiber to give you the sense that you are really eliminating a lot of toxins, which isn’t usually the case.
Or, there will be a reliance on fruit juices or honey that feed Candida and systemic infection in the body.
The detoxification process is much like removing the layers of an onion. In other words: the more we cleanse, the more layers we uncover that need support and renewal.
This is why there is no need to rush the process. In fact, the more gentle and patient you are, the more benefits you will receive.
Keep in mind too that as we cleanse, the process typically becomes easier to manage.
Working with the body during a full-body detox means that we:
Did you know that more than 140 contaminants have been found in tap water alone? Tap water could contain prescription drugs like antidepressants, antibiotics, painkillers, and even birth control pills to pollute your body with harmful chemicals.
- Cleanse the major pathways of elimination first - such as the colon.
- Support a cleanse with plenty of little helpers, such as beneficial bacteria - many of which can naturally metabolize toxins and heavy metals.
- Make sure that important barrier systems, such as the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and the blood brain barrier, are intact beforebeginning a more aggressive cleanse, such as chelation therapy.
- Support the body with plenty of antioxidant-rich foods and botanicals.
- Listen to the body and stop or slow down when necessary.
If you have never gone through a full-body cleanse that includes diet modifications, probiotic-rich foods, and botanicals, move through the detox program one step at a time.
Top 5 Sources of Toxins
Here are the top 5 sources of toxins, along with recommendations to reduce your exposure:
1. Food – Your food has more toxins than you may think. The biggest culprit for toxic exposure is processed foods, which are full of chemical additives that can create symptoms ranging from cravings and weight gain to poor digestive health and food allergies.
But it’s not just packaged food you must avoid. Conventional produce is also full of pesticides. In fact, over one billion pounds of pesticides are used on food in the US alone. These pesticides have been linked to symptoms ranging from muscle cramps and heart rate changes to irritability and emotional instability.
To reduce your exposure to food toxins: Choose whole foods instead of processed foods. In addition, choose organic fruits and vegetables. Organic produce is grown without harmful pesticides and even better, the soil is more mineral-rich. Eating organic, whole foods is a great step you can take toward health and wellness.
2. Water – Do you know the source of your water? These days, knowing where your water comes from is of the utmost importance. Your body is between 70%-90% water, and the water you drink is critical to hydrating your body at the cellular level.
Tap water is teeming with toxins. The Environmental Working Group found over 140 contaminants in tap water. In addition, over the past few years, studies have shown that pharmaceuticals, like prescription and over-the-counter drugs, are being found in tap water. Some of the most common drugs found in water are: antibiotics, anti-depressants, birth control pills, seizure medication, cancer treatments, pain killers, tranquilizers, and cholesterol-lowering compounds.
Many bottled waters have been shown to be just as bad as tap water in most cases, not to mention toxins that leach from the plastic bottles themselves.
To reduce your exposure to water toxins: Choose well sourced spring water and avoid drinking tap water or showering without a filter.
3. Environment – Whether inside your home or outside your home, the environment is also a major source of toxins. Pollution from manufacturing, cars, and second hand cigarette smoke can be challenging to avoid. However, you can avoid many of the toxins inside and around your home.
Too many people use harsh household cleaners containing bleach, ammonia, and other toxic chemicals that can cause health problems ranging from nausea to skin destruction, fluid in the lungs, and wheezing.
To reduce your exposure to environmental toxins: Some people choose to live in rural locations for the clean air and land. However, short of moving, you can do several things to avoid environmental toxins. At home, you can switch your cleaning products to those with all-natural ingredients.
4. Beauty and personal care products – The products we use to look our best may actually be the biggest source of aging and other adverse symptoms. Beauty products like toothpaste, lotion, anti-aging creams, soap, shampoo, conditioner, perfumes, and makeup are full of toxic chemicals.
To reduce your exposure to toxins in beauty and personal care products: Read ingredient labels on your personal care products. Anything you put on your skin is absorbed into your body.
Some important ingredients to avoid in your beauty and personal care products are: Sodium laurel sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, triclosan (found in antibacterial products), Parabens (Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, p-Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, n-Butylparaben and Benzylparaben), mineral oil, petroleum, Diethanolamine DEA, Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, alpha and beta hydroxy acids, talc, lanolin, and phthalates.
5. Stress and negative thinking – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 90% of all illness and disease is due to stress.
Stress can kill the good bacteria and yeast living in your intestines that keep your immunity and digestive health strong.
As the good bacteria and yeast die off, the bad bacteria and yeast are able to take over. Body Ecology teaches that this creates an imbalanced inner ecosystem, which can set the stage for illness and disease.
by Body Ecology
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