Detoxification

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There’s been no generation before us that’s been exposed to such an onslaught of toxic, man-made chemicals and substances.

Daily we are exposed to environmental pollutants found in the air, water, food and our environment. Not to mention the toxic stress we are also subject to through our modern lifestyle and sensationalising media. Because of this, our bodies are in a constant state of detoxification.  We are also more sedentary than ever before and extremely deficient in many essential nutrients, which isn’t helpful….

Thankfully our body is very efficient at self-healing.

We have our own metabolic pathways to neutralize and remove these chemicals from our bodies via the skin, lungs, digestive system, kidneys, lymphatic system and liver.

However, our body can only eliminate a certain amount!! When we accumulate too many toxins from environmental exposure or poor lifestyle choices, this can begin to affect our health and inhibit other bodily functions. After that, there is a tipping point, and the body will begin to shout out at you and say enough is enough!! The excess toxins get stored away if your body can’t eliminate them.  When your body holds too many toxins, ill health usually follows.

Clues of toxicity can show up in many different ways:

We need to stop and listen to these clues, act on it and not shut these signals off!! Rather than treating the symptoms, we need to look upstream and find the root cause. Read my article on taking back control.

Our detoxification pathways depend on adequate NUTRITON and in some cases our body may need additional support if we’ve had either prolonged toxin exposure, a dangerous toxin exposure or you have certain genetic conditions.

Toxic accumulation + Nutrient deficiencies = ILLNESS

The first step in ridding toxins from our body is to REMOVE THE SOURCE. These are typically hidden sources coming from;

• Infections
• heavy metals
• mold
• poor air quality
• drinking water
• medications
• drugs
• contaminants/pollutants
• insecticides
• pesticides
• food additives
• food preservatives
• flavourings
• beauty products
• cleaning products
• furniture
• plastics
• EMF’s
• amalgam fillings
• and much more……

Thankfully, our body is smart. So much so that it has it’s own built-in defense systems to protect us.

The first lines of defense are our skin, respiratory tract (lung and bronchi) and gastrointestinal tract. These three defense mechanisms filter and prevent many toxins from entering our blood stream:

• Firstly, our skin is a defensive layer, it also releases toxins though sweat.
• Secondly, our gastrointestinal tract (and microbiome) provides an internal barrier of defence from toxins entering the blood stream. It also supports regular bowel movements to excrete toxins.
• And thirdly, the respiratory tract mainly evacuates toxins in the form of carbon dioxide. It also excretes by creating phlegm. 

If toxins do enter the blood stream, we also have other internal organs to assist with detoxification:

1. Liver – filters toxic substances from the blood and then excretes them in the stool (bile) or in the urine.
2. Kidneys – purify the blood and provide a route for toxin excretion in the urine.
3. Gallbladder – stores bile and then dumps it into the small intestine.
4. Lymphatic system – an intricate network that allows the waste products to leave the cells. It is then carried away to the venous blood stream for evacuation.

Sadly, toxins are also passed on generationally.

These toxins are passed on from one mother to her children and ALSO to their grandchildren. This was initially discovered in a 2005 study by microbiologist Dr Michael Skinner. His study looked at the generational effects of toxic endocrine disruptor exposure in rats.  He found that toxins are passed on through at least three generations and effect us both physically and epi-genetically (affecting the way our genes are expressed).

As a result, unfortunately some children start off life with a toxic burden right from the start. There’s no wonder chronic illness and behavioural issues are on the rise!

Our bacterial microbiome can also produce toxins internally. This can add to our toxic load. However, if our microbiome is healthy it enhances our health. If it’s out of balance (overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, parasites or an undergrowth of essential bacteria) it can add an additional toxic burden and extra work for our body.

In this world full of toxins, detoxification now HAS to be part of our daily lives. So if we fail to nourish our bodies with the nutrient dense foods and live a toxic life, we are going to slide down a slippery slope to ill health.

Thankfully there ARE ways and means to assist our body (and our children’s bodies) to enhance and cope with its daily job of detoxification.