Many popular dietitians and experts say the human body comprises toxic blood and stressed-out organs caused by decades of environmental toxins, food chemicals, and pesticides. Toxins in our blood slowly poison us over time. Our bodies are unable to eliminate them properly. In short, the experts are saying that we're sick because of this.
Proof of this should be plainly obvious as all the medical professionals and surgeons (you know, the people who evaluate our blood, examine our organs, and see inside them with their very eyes) are howling about the mounting layers of sludge and solidifying masses of chemical waste that are floating around in our livers, gall bladders, and colons.
Except they aren't. In fact, they aren't saying these organs need to be “cleansed” at all.
If surgeons actually observed undigested food, trapped fecal matter, and toxic film building up inside the colon, don't you think the pharmaceutical companies would be developing prescription drugs to treat these issues? There will be billions in profit to gain from such therapies if the problem is as rampant as some would have us believe.
Regardless of how trendy detoxing and cleansing have become, there has never been any scientific data that supports the notion that our organs require it, nor have any of the current methods been proven to be effective in any way.
What Exactly Are We Cleansing?
Detoxes and cleanses usually entail some sort of severe food restriction, the use of a magical mixture of ingredients in the form of a saleable smoothie or shake, or sometimes the complete absence of food entirely (fasting).
The idea here is that the body uses so much energy and is so overworked by the process of digestion that it can't clean itself unless we give it a break.
The lack of nutrition and food makes you feel terrible, which experts will tell you just means the detox is working.
But first, let's look at the symptoms of detox:
- Brain Fog
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Muscle Weakness
- Muscle Wasting
- Headaches
- Body Aches
- Extreme Cravings
- Insomnia
- Diarrhea
- Stomach Pain
These symptoms, however, are strangely similar to the symptoms of starvation.
The body cleanses best when it's fully nourished. Not when nutrients are being withheld.
Have you ever noticed that these “toxins” we're supposed to purge are never identified? What exactly are they?
The human body was designed with its own system of detoxification and purification. It's performing these tasks constantly, all the time, even right now in your body and mine, and it can do just fine on its own if:
- We stop poisoning it, and
- We provide it adequate nutrition
The Organs of Detoxification and Cleansing
We're not insinuating that the body doesn't get stressed when we consume too many chemicals in processed food or too much junk. We know that it does, but the body does not require a special product, formula, or system to cleanse itself.
All it needs is the right circumstances and time.
1. The Liver
The liver is the second largest organ in the body, mostly known for its duty in clearing the bloodstream of alcohol. But virtually every nutrient that goes in your mouth (and every ounce of your blood) passes through the liver at some point.
By attaching non-harmful molecules to harmful ones, the liver effectively deactivates toxins and poisons that arrive in the form of alcohol, chemicals, metals, insecticides, pesticides, and pharmaceutical drugs, so they can be excreted from the body before causing damage.
Aside from being the main detoxifying organ and the body's principal chemical laboratory, the liver performs over 500 functions and is intimately involved in nearly every aspect of metabolism.
It produces bile for the breakdown of fat, helps absorb vitamins, produces cholesterol, helps regulate blood sugar, stores (and can create) glucose for energy, makes protein, helps metabolize sugar, stores vitamin B12 and iron, creates chemicals for blood clotting, and hundreds of other processes, all of which are necessary to keep the body clean and to function optimally.
2. The Colon
The colon is the other major cleansing organ, and it's the very endpoint of digestion. The colon's main job is to absorb water, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes that have made it that far. Anything that is not used by the body at this point will be excreted.
Here is the really important part: the colon is a giant bacterial colony containing around 60 varieties of microflora that amount to trillions of health-promoting and cleansing bacteria.
They not only serve to digest what's left of our food, but they help maintain a healthy pH balance, support vital nutrient production, and prevent the proliferation of harmful bacteria.
How to Detox Your Body Naturally from Toxins
Most people we talk with are only interested in fasting or detoxing because they want to lose weight quickly, which is the absolute worst reason to consider such a drastic change in your diet. When weight loss is the only goal, dangerous measures are more likely to be taken.
If you follow these steps, your body will detox naturally without any help from potions, expensive shakes, or magical elixirs. *You should make lifestyle changes with the guidance of a licensed healthcare practitioner.
1. Stop Tox-ing
A toxin is anything you put in your body that it doesn't recognize. No matter what method you're trying to detox your body, whether it be a “detox salad,” a “detox smoothie,” or a “detox whatever,” nothing will get detoxed if you follow it up later with wine, a bowl of ice cream, or a burger and fries.
All artificial and unnatural activities must stop. This means all processed food, junk food, processed grains, dairy, sugar (especially fructose), soda, alcohol, smoking, and anything that puts added stress on the liver.
2. Real Food & Distilled Water
Eat nothing but raw fruits and vegetables, alkalized water, and distilled water for 3-4 weeks. The antioxidants in the fruits and vegetables will take some of the stress off the liver.
We also need to drink purified, alkalized, or distilled water because it contains fewer impurities than ordinary tap water. Tap water may contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, as well as bacteria and viruses. Distilled water removes these toxins and makes them safe for drinking.
Note: Most smoothies and juices you find at the grocery store are full of chemicals and other junk. They are not a good choice when trying to detox your body from toxins. The human body was designed to eat food, not drink it.
3. Support the Liver and Colon
This is one time you might want to use a targeted supplement that is meant specifically to provide the liver, colon, and kidneys with the nutrition necessary to work properly.
If you're eating plenty of leafy greens, raw vegetables, and low-sugar fruits, this shouldn't be necessary, but we recommend this one when people insist on some additional help.
Aside from that, the colon requires fruit and vegetable fiber to cleanse itself, so step #2 is imperative.
4. Repair The Gut
Once the liver and colon are healthy, the next step is to replenish the health-promoting gut bacteria most of us are lacking. We do this by eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, natto, kefir, kombucha and taking a high-grade probiotic.
5. Sweat
Once again, we espouse the endless benefits of exercise, but in order to detox your body from toxins, you have to get a heavy sweat going. Taking a stroll around the block won't get the job done here. Plyometrics, sprints, and high-intensity interval training will work best.
Conclusion
In the end, the best way to keep your body clean and functioning optimally is to eat whole, organically grown food, drink plenty of water, and work out. Your body will do the rest.
