DETOXIFICATION: PURIFYING THE BODY OF TOXINS
What are toxins? Medical dictionaries define toxins as a poison that is a protein or a conjugated protein substance produced by plants, some animals and pathogenic (i.e. capable of producing disease) bacteria; a toxicant is a poisonous agent. Medicine considers toxins to be any substance that creates irritating and/or harmful effects in the body, undermining our health or stressing our biochemical organ function.
There are many sources of toxins in our world: industrial and agricultural chemicals like toxic metals, solvents and pesticides; processed foods including synthetic sweeteners, colorings, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, caffeine and alcohol; environmental factors like available water, air and the amount of exposure to noise and radiation; and excess metabolic chemicals which are produced within our bodies.
Toxins can be both external and internal. Pollution is responsible for many external exposures. The exposure may be serious contamination, such as industrial pollution or unsafe water, or it may be as simple as exposure to cleaning supplies, perfume or cigarette smoke. Exposure to any of these can cause a variety of problems: headaches, muscle/joint pain, fatigue, gastro-intestinal upset, mental confusion, insomnia, allergies, skin rashes, neurological problems and cancer.
Our bodies also create internal toxins in response to various conditions, often producing excess metabolic products that become toxic to the body. For example, lactic acid, lymph and cell metabolic waste are all by-products of muscle contraction as well as normal body function. They become toxic when they get trapped in muscle tissue and are not flushed out. The body needs help to eliminate them through the lymphatic system. Massage can break up the toxins and allow them to disperse into the blood stream. If the toxins are not flushed out, they end up going back to the muscle and are trapped once again. When they are trapped, they become knots.
Fortunately, our body can absorb and then excrete some of the water-soluble toxins to which we are exposed. We eliminate many of these toxins through the lungs, skin, bladder and bowels. The menstrual cycle is an additional way that women can eliminate toxins. However, fat-soluble toxins are absorbed, but not excreted. In this case, the toxins inhibit fat oxidation and cause weight gain. From a clinical perspective, the accumulation of toxins around the fat cell is known as cellulite. After years of exposure to toxins, no matter how hard our body works to rid itself of the toxins, a build up of toxins will occur.
Detoxification is a way of purifying the body. It is a process that takes time-considering that most everyone has been exposed to toxins for many years. Drinking lots of distilled water is one way to help remove water-soluble toxins. However, the fat-soluble toxins can only be removed by using natural active herbs. Combination herbs, coupled with good nutrition and lifestyle changes, can remove toxins and strengthen the body. Detoxification is a way you can take control of your health and your appearance, ultimately adding many years and quality to your life.
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