De-tox your Life

I believe one of the biggest health issues today is toxicity.  The increased consumption of processed (basically unnatural) foods, genetically modified foods, prescription and recreational drugs, and alcohol, coupled with less exercise and increased stress means that people are developing and retaining more and more toxins.  Whilst our body is generally very good at purging toxins, once it gets overloaded you may notice conditions like weight gain and skin breakouts right through to diseases like cancer.

The main saviours of a toxic system are organs like the liver, kidneys, spleen and our skin.  This high-performing team will do the job if you let it and detoxify your body.  The trick is, this can only happen if your body is purging toxins faster than you take them in, that is, a net loss of toxins on a daily basis.  Ideally we would all be better off toxin-free but one would imagine this scenario to be virtually impossible.  So how do we do it?

The net toxic loss I mention essentially then means two steps – stop putting toxins in and purging the old toxins out.  As I said, your body is good at getting rid of this waste but is assisted greatly by eating real organic foods, drinking plenty of water (daily at least 1.5 litres) and exercising regularly.  I also recommend being more aware of your portions not just from a weight control perspective, but to simply go easier on your digestive organs giving them the space to do their thing.  Similarly with the timing and speed of meals.  Eating late and ramming food down your throat must be tougher on your digestive system.  It may also be worth considering a specific liver/kidney cleansing diet(s) like the type espoused by Dr Sandra Cabot.

This leaves us with simply putting less toxins in.  Essentially, toxins can come in through what we ingest, through our skin, and through our bodily orifices.  It’s not enough to eat well some of the time if you consume a lot of processed food.  A fantastic naturopath I used to see called it “caveman food”.  If a caveman could access it, then it’s okay for all of us.  We have become so far removed from what real food is we should be ashamed.  For example, I have been informed that the “apparently” beautiful salmon that is farmed in my home state of Tasmania (which has such a clean/green image) has a naturally white flesh.  Yet, when you buy it at the supermarket it is a pink colour which I’m told is due to a food dye!  Why do intelligent beings mess with such an amazing food in the name of aesthetics?  I just don’t get it.  We must return to caveman food.

The even more hidden danger is over other parts of our body.  I have seen children in parts of Asia swim or bath in water that most of us  wouldn’t put our dog in.  They may not have another option, but many of us do.  We need to be aware that water carrying all types of germs can enter through our eyes, ears, mouth, nose, genitals and anus.  Some pathogens can penetrate our skin as well.  Have you ever bleached your hair, washed with shampoo, used deodorant, etc.?  chances are you have fed your body heavy metals, carcinogens and a host of other molecules that it doesn’t recognise, or know how to process.  That’s the issue, our de-tox team only knows how to deal with naturally occurring molecules.  Anything foreign typically gets stored in the liver and in fat cells away from our organs so they are protected.

Be the caveman, not just with your diet but with what you put on your skin and hair.  Be aware of what you immerse yourself in.  Ask your healthcare professional what’s in any prescriptions you are given and ask for alternatives where you can that are more natural.  Avoid radiation where possible also.  Drink fresh water and investigate chelates (bind and remove heavy metals).  EXERCISE!  This is not just for your heart and weight control.  Exercise draws toxins away from your core where your organs are and transports them out to your extremities.  From there, the magic of sweat helps take them out of your body whilst doubling as a cooling aid.  It’s a brilliant machine your body, just give it the best environment you can!

Hydration

Most people know to some degree how important hydration is, but how many of us actually manage our hydration properly? Popular diets usually instruct followers to consume at least 1.5 litres of water a day or more. Many of the molecules in our body are made up of Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H) and Oxygen (O) atoms and we all know water is H2O. Catabolic (breaking down) processes in the body often create water as a by-product which passes out of the body through urine and sweat (around 2 litres). Anabolic processes (construction) require water to form new molecules to replace those lost and for healing and growth. So it’s not just enough to know that our bodies are over 50% water, it’s also good to understand the importance of water at are more fundamental level. Minute to minute and hour to hour the balance is thus critical to our health.

Unfortunately, modern diets aren’t always conducive to good hydration. Diuretics like coffee are increasing in popularity. Alcohol consumption is also a great concern. Soft drinks (sodas) remain popular and the salts (sodium, potassium, etc.) and caffeine in them play havoc with hydration. Not to mention so-called “energy drinks” many of which are loaded with caffeine. Worse still, we have young people mixing energy drinks with alcohol – a double whammy of dehydration, coupled with stimulant and anti-stimulant properties! All these drinks are making your body fight against dehydration. As your body wages this battle, it cleverly tries to protect critical things like brain function, blood volume, waste removal, etc. So, to do this when you are dehydrated it takes from elsewhere. If you have regular headaches, muscle pains and cramps, erratic thinking and concentration, poor bowel movements and so on, chances are you are simply dehydrated.

Ah, what to do? “I don’t like drinking heaps of water Jason, it’s boring, tasteless, etc.” you say. Well there are other options. Limit your alcohol to a couple of glasses a week. Enjoy only one or two cups of coffee a day. Try and mix this with alternatives like herbal teas, fruit juices, vegetable juices, rice milk, almond milk… and just plain water! If you mix it up a bit, you may just have one a day from each of these categories and if you do have coffee you will appreciate it much more as a real treat. Also try to eat more fluid-friendly foods such as fruit and vegetables. Junk foods are not only fattening, but the salt and sugar content can leave you quite dehydrated.