What Is Detoxification?

Detoxification is the process of either clearing toxins from the body or neutralizing or transforming them, and hence clearing excess mucus and congestion. Fats (especially oxidized fats and cholesterol), free radicals, and other irritating molecules act as toxins on an internal level. Functionally, poor digestion, colon sluggishness and dysfunction, reduced liver function, and poor elimination through kidneys, respiratory tract, and skin all increase toxicity.

Detoxification involves dietary and lifestyle changes that reduce the intake of toxins while improving elimination. The avoidance of chemicals from food and other sources, including refined food, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, helps minimize toxin load. Drinking extra water (purified) and increasing fiber by including more fruits and vegetables in the diet are also essential steps.

Who should detoxify?

Almost everyone needs to detox and rest their body from time to time. Some of us need to cleanse more frequently or work more continually to re-balance our body. Cleansing or detoxification is but one part of the trilogy of nutritional action (the others being, building, or toning, and balancing, or maintenance). A regular, balanced diet devoid of excess necessitates less intensive detoxification. Our body has a daily elimination cycle, mostly carried out at night and in the early morning up until breakfast. When we eat a congesting diet higher in fats, meats, diary products, refined foods and chemicals, detoxification becomes more important, particularly to those who eat excessively, and to those who eat excessively at night.

Our individual lifestyle provides clues for deciding how and when to detoxify. If we have any symptoms or diseases of toxicity and congestion, we will likely benefit from detoxification practices. It is like a vacation for our body and digestive tract.

Common toxicity symptoms include headache, fatigue, congestion, backaches, aching or swollen joints, digestive problems, "allergy" symptoms, and sensitivity to environmental agents such as chemicals, perfumes, and synthetics. Dietary changes or avoidance of the symptom-causing agents is usually beneficial. However, it is important to differentiate between allergic and toxicity symptoms in order to determine the appropriate medical care. The detox program, fasting, and juice cleansing can be genuinely helpful in reducing allergy symptoms: however, allergies present a dynamic subtly different from toxicity.

Detoxification and cleansing can contribute to the healing of many acute and chronic illnesses that result from short- or long-term congestive patterns. Detox and cleansing benefits people with addictions to numerous substances. However, because of withdrawal symptoms can commonly occur with the detoxification of many drugs. I recommend conscious, informed management of the detox process.

Detoxification is also an important component in treating obesity. Many of the toxins we ingest or make are stored in the fatty tissues: hence, obesity is almost always associated with toxicity. When we lose weight, we reduce our body fat and thereby our toxic load. However, during weight loss we also release more toxins and need to protect ourselves from nutrient depletion through extra supplementation, including taking additional antioxidants to balance these toxins. Exercise will also promote the loss of excess pounds and help further detoxification.

Cleansing & Detoxification
can help restore & maintain optimal health

What Is Detoxification?
Detoxification is the natural process of filtering wastes and toxins from the cells, organs and the bloodstream.  Cleansing is the process of eliminating toxins from the body.  When these two processes function normally, optimum health is achieved.

Herbal cleansing programs use a combination of herbs and properties that support all the detoxification and elimination organs (lungs, liver, lymphatic system, blood, colon, skin and kidneys).

Most cleansing products today focus primarily on the colon.  They contain strong laxative herbs that force elimination.  Colon elimination is important, but is only on part of the cleansing process.  Herbal cleanse programs should support functions of all body systems, especially the liver.

Improve Your Health
One of the most important things you can do to improve your health is to undergo a detoxification and cleansing program.  We focus on cleansing the outside of our bodies with little thought to what is going on inside.  For most of us who have been eating dead and nutrient depleted foods for decades, you can bet there is a need for detoxifying.

Problem Toxic World
We live in a toxi world with chemicals from factories, trucks pesticides and oral drugs. In 1989, a total of 5.7 billion pounds of pollutants were released into the environment in just I year in North America. More than 1 billion pounds of chemicals were released into the ground, contaminating soil and the water table. Over 188 million pounds of chemicals were discharged into waters, and more than 2.4 billion pounds of chemical emissions were pumped into the air.

Where Do Toxins Come From?
Exotoxins come from outside sources including polluted air, water, soil, cigarette smoke, alcohol, medications, food additives and household chemicals.  Endotoxins are generated internally. Bacteria in the gut act upon undigested food particles. Undigested food putrefies, creating ammonia and alcohol.

How does your body eliminate toxins?
The body has seven chemicals of elimination that are directly utilized to eliminate toxins from the body:

It is suggested that everyone cleanse and detoxify their body’s channels of elimination twice a year!