Are Toxins Real? Get the Facts About Detoxing

[quote]It is important to cleanse the body regularly to purge toxins.”[/quote]

“Toxins cause cancer”, “Detoxing is important”, we have all heard about toxins and detoxing, but most of us understand very little about it. Is it just clever marketing to sell seaweed wraps, juice cleanses and supplements? Is there something more to this detoxing thing?

Let’s explore the facts about toxins and detoxifying the body.

What Are Toxins?

Dangerous, cell destroying, disease causing toxins are discussed regularly, but these ambiguous entities are seldom understood.

First of all, let’s debunk the myth that toxins do not exist. Toxins are very real; defined as a chemical or poison that is known to have a harmful effect on the body. They can be found in our food, water, air and chemically based products.

The body naturally process and excretes these toxins through urine, sweat and feces with the help of the liver and kidneys.

Examples of toxins found in the environment include:

Food: Take a stroll through your supermarket and you will find a plethora of foods that contain toxins. Highly processed foods are the worst culprit, they often contain additives, genetically modified ingredients and even chemically based ingredients such as dyes and flavorings. These all increase the toxic load put on the body and force our liver and kidneys to work overtime to process and excrete these toxins.

Water: Crisp, cool, refreshing and essential for life as we know it, water plays a major role in our body’s natural ability to detoxify. However, harmful additives are often found in water sources, from chlorine, ammonia, fluoride and even prescription medications. Contaminated water supplies across the globe have prompted an increased demand for purified bottled water.

Air: While measures can be taken to minimize toxic intake from food and water, air pollution is much more difficult to avoid. Pollution refers to toxic gases and chemicals found in the air we breath. Pollutants are primarily released through car exhaust and factory emissions.

Chemicals: Unfortunately, our world is filled with chemicals that slowly accumulate in our body. Pesticide residue can be found on unwashed, non-organic produce and can cause serious health problems over time. Some of the worst non-organic produce as far as pesticide residue is concerned are: peaches, strawberries, apples, bell peppers, lettuce and grapes. Always choose organic whenever possible.

OTC and prescription medications often contain harmful chemicals that can damage our body and deplete our antioxidant reserves.

Heavy metals are some of the worst toxins on the block. They are so harmful to our health because they are difficult for our body to process and purge. Accumulating over decades, they can cause severe cellular damage, neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment.

Many products that we use on our body’s everyday contain harmful chemicals that increase the toxic burden placed on our body. Personal care items such as anti-perspirant deodorant, shampoo, hair styling products, sun screen and even make up often contain toxic chemicals that leach into our body and reak havoc. The toxins these products leach into our body must be dealt with consistently in order to ensure optimal health and well-being.

Why We Should Detox

Our body is exposed to stress and toxins on a daily basis, our natural detoxification mechanisms simply cannot keep up with our increasingly toxic environment. Actively boosting your body’s natural detoxifying mechanisms is the best way to ensure these toxins are not accumulating in your system.

Eating well and living an active lifestyle help our body naturally detox, but it is only the first piece of the puzzle. Supplementing your diet with certain antioxidants and nutrients is critical in the fight against toxic overload.

How We Can Detox

Time-to-detox

There are many ways we can assist our body’s natural detoxification process, here are a few of the best ways you can detox your body regularly.

Our skin plays a major role in the detoxification process, being the first line of defense against exogenous toxins. Sweating is a great way to purge toxins from the body and skin. Try a sauna, steam-room, hot yoga or skin brushing.

Our circulatory system is another key player in the detoxification process. Staying active helps keeps everything moving throughout the body which helps the body naturally detox. A massage is a great way to both relieve stress and purge toxins from the body. Rubbing our muscles and deep tissues allows our cells to more readily release built up toxins.

Staying hydrated is absolutely vital to the detoxification process. Drink plenty of water each day to ensure our detoxifying organs can operate at full capacity.

It is no surprise that eating well helps keep our body free of toxins and full of antioxidants. Eating sulfur-rich foods helps boost our body’s master antioxidant glutathione, a powerful molecule capable of clearing away toxins, heavy metals and repairing cellular damage.

Supplementing with certain vitamins, minerals and amino acids can be the most effective way to cleanse the body of unwanted toxins. Even with a well balanced diet, research suggests that supplementing with quality nutrients is still essential to our health.

There are plenty of benefits to supporting our body’s natural detoxification process, from increased energy levels, mental focus, sleep quality, immune function and disease prevention. Detox regularly and enhance your well-being and quality of life.

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