What is Detox
What is detoxification or in short detox? Is it a quick diet that will help you to lose weight? … Not totally, detoxification is the process of removing harmful substances or poisons from something. Our bodies do it naturally, it’s not a strict diet plan for a few days. It is something that happens in our bodies all day, every day.
Our bodies are amazing; the different organs work holistically together to neutralise, transform and remove harmful toxins in your body. Some of these are your skin, respiratory system, immune system, intestines, kidneys and liver. Of these, the liver is the central hub receiving blood from the heart and the digestive system and preforming over 500 functions.
Liver facts:
- The largest and most complex in function gland in the body.
- A healthy liver filters about 1.7 litres of blood per minute.
- It contains 300 billion specialized cells.
- As far back as 400 BC, the importance of bile (a fluid that is made and released by the liver) was recognised.
- At any given moment, the liver holds about 13% of the body’s blood supply.
Toxins in our bodies
There are mainly two kinds of toxins, water-soluble toxins, which are just taken out by your blood or kidneys, and fat-soluble toxins which are mostly unnatural toxins like heavy metals, pesticides, food additives, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), phthalates, and bisphenol-A (BPA) and this is where the liver plays a vital role. It filters blood to remove large toxins, synthesizes and secretes bile to remove fat-soluble toxins and disassembles unwanted chemicals with enzymes. However, if our livers are damaged or there are too many toxins they cannot contain the toxins and they spread through the body and are stored in e.g. fat cells throughout the body.
Body areas like the armpit can contain alarming amounts of toxins because our armpits are where we sweat. Some of the deodorants and antiperspirants contain toxins themselves and prevent normal sweating. So, toxins that were transferred to your armpits to be expelled now just build up.
Our body is incredible and has many ways to naturally eliminate toxins, but if we do not take care of our bodies and proactively limit toxins from entering our bodies we overload those organs and they may not be able to perform properly. This cannot be achieved with a quick strict diet every now and then, it needs to be a lifestyle change and being conscious of what you allow in your house and body.
What you can do:
Look at your eating habits – a healthy balanced diet with all the different food groups and in the right portions. Try to eat only natural, non-GMO products, avoiding toxins like artificial flavours.
Drink water – everybody knows this, but not everyone does it. Water helps to flush out toxins via sweating and urination. – drink about 8 glasses of water per day.
Toxic free cleaning – It is very scary when you start looking at what toxic chemicals are in our cleaning products. The answer – Ditch and switch – there are many natural alternatives to clean your house with. Young Living has a range called Thieves, plant-based cleaners to help you to create a healthier home environment for your family.
Personal care - Read the labels of personal care products like toothpaste, creams and deodorants – and see how many have toxic chemicals in them. There are many natural alternatives and also easy DYI with essential oils and other plant-based products that can help you to keep your body healthy.
Limited your drug intake – Taking pills regularly does put more strain on your liver. Why not explore natural remedies, like essential oils to help with sinus relief before reaching for over the counter drugs.
Exercise – yes, exercise – by working out you firstly improve your blood circulation and secondly you increase your sweat which means you excrete more toxins.
Support with nature – Citruses especially lemon and grapefruit can provide the body with support to the detox process. There are plant species like Geranium that also aids. A practical way of getting the plant-based goodness is through essential oils.
Benefits of toxic free living
By incorporating healthy daily lifestyle choices, you can experience the benefits of detoxing:
- Help with the prevention of chronic diseases
- Increased energy and mental clarity
- Radiant skin
- Assistance in healthy weight management
- Improved quality of life
- Vibrant longevity
- Slowing ageing
- Preventing diabetes
- Protecting the liver
- Improvement of your gut health
- Cancer prevention
- Reducing body inflammation
- Protection of your heart
- Improvement of Thyroid function
- Maintaining a healthy brain
Some Additional Resources
- https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/the-liver-an-amazing-organ/
- https://www.ewg.org/research/body-burden-pollution-newborns
- What does the liver do? - Emma Bryce
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279393/
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-dubious-practice-of-detox
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/detoxing-your-liver-fact-versus-fiction
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1369152/
- https://essentialoilacademy.com/detox-safely-with-essential-oils/
- https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/recipes/massage-oils-blends-for-detoxification.html