Detoxification is big business in the natural therapies industry. There are thousands of products manufactured by hundreds of companies worldwide that are sold based on a basic premise – that by completing a 1 or 2 week detoxification program you can reverse the damage caused by the weeks, months and years of unhealthy living that preceded it. The truth is that significant cellular damage caused by an unhealthy lifestyle can trigger a cascade of events ending in any number of chronic diseases, and a short term cleansing program will not be enough to reverse this process once it has begun. To truly detox your body is to ensure that you are supporting your basic inbuilt detox mechanisms on a daily basis, which as you will see is not so difficult to do.
Your body is an incredible detoxification machine
Every second of every day, your body is performing some mind blowingly complex chemical processes to rid you of the many toxins to which you are constantly exposed. Your digestive tract, liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, and pretty much every one of the billions of cells in your body has the ability to absorb nutrients and discard toxins. These processes are generally fairly robust, which is just as well in light of the incredibly toxic environment in which we live. For every person, however, there is a breaking point at which detoxification cannot keep up with toxic burden. It is at this point that serious illness is likely to develop. The good news is that by following the simple tips laid out here, you can support your in built detoxification pathways and keep the breaking point at arms length.
Keep those bowels moving
Imagine your liver is a water purification machine. Dirty water comes in at one end and the liver separates the contaminants from the clean water. The clean water is sent back to the body for essential processes, and the waste is flushed into an outlet pipe for removal from the body. That outlet pipe is your gastro intestinal tract. Now imagine that all the way along that outlet pipe are tiny little holes that normally function to absorb any nutrients from the waste – the body is nothing if not efficient. If everything works correctly, the waste moves through at a good pace and exits the body, taking the contaminants with it. If, however, the waste moves slowly (ie constipation) then the little holes lining the pipes also reabsorb the toxins from the waste, which recirculate in the body and end up either back at the liver (best case scenario) or elsewhere in the body where they begin to cause damage. If this happens over a long period of time, the end result is an over burdened liver and most likely some significant cellular damage in an organ system. Note that if the waste moves too quickly (ie diarrhea) this is also an issue, as it reduces the nutrients that body can absorb.
Let’s get basic – it is incredibly important to have a poo every day (even 2 or 3 so long as they are well formed and not loose). If this is not the case, I strongly suggest addressing this issue first before looking at anything else. The following tips will help achieve a regular bowel motion, as well as contribute to other detoxification processes.
Drink more water
I know, you’ve heard it a million times before. But the truth is that there are still many people that simply do not drink enough water throughout the day. You should aim for 2-3 liters a day, depending on the environmental temperature and the level of activity. Get a metal or glass 1 liter drink bottle and aim to finish at least 2 full bottles before 5pm. If you notice that you drink copious amounts of water but do not feel hydrated, or that is flushes straight through you, you can add a pinch of sea salt to each liter as this will help you absorb the water. It’s basic but important – dehydration equals constipation.
Eat more fiber
Fiber is incredibly important in maintaining an adequate transit time for your stool. It adds bulk, which helps stimulate the nerves in the bowel to perform the muscular contractions (called peristaltic waves) that keep the stool moving. It also absorbs water into the stool (particularly true for soluble fiber) which softens it and also helps transit time. What’s more, fiber can bind the toxins present and prevent them from being reabsorbed into your body. Fiber can also act as a supportive food for your probiotic colonies (discussed below). In truth, the best way to increase your fiber intake is to eat more fruits and vegetables. If however you need an extra hit, you can supplement with psyllium husk or flax meal.
Move your body
Your lymphatic system is a network of tubules that specialise in carrying nutrients (especially the fat soluble variety) to the body’s cells, and carrying toxins back to the liver for processing. It is highly dependent on the natural contractions of skeletal muscle tissue for maintaining flow, as it is not linked to a powerful pumping mechanism (the heart) like the blood vessels are. If you are sedentary and perform little physical activity, your lymphatic system will be far less efficient at removing toxins from the body’s organ systems, and tissue damage will likely ensue. Exercising is not just for weight loss and the maintenance of muscle mass (as important as they both are) – it is also crucial for detoxification. 20 to 30 minutes of exercise per day is a great way to support lymphatic movement, especially if you also spend the majority of your day sitting at a desk.
Maintain a healthy bowel flora
Probiotics are all the rage these days, and are suggested as a treatment option for any number of health conditions. They are definitely an essential component of your detoxification processes, as they can increase gastrointestinal transit time, metabolise toxic compounds, and inhibit any number of pathogens (amongst many other things). In supplemental form they are fantastic at providing short term modulation of the immune system. However your natural bowel flora consists of thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands as research seems to identify more every day) of different species of bacteria. The truth is that a few specific strains present in a supplement will not ultimately restore a healthy probiotic colony in your gut. The advise here is simple – avoid those things that destroy your probiotic colonies as much as possible (alcohol, drugs, chemical food additives and stress are the main culprits), and feed them what they need (fiber as mentioned above, but also fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and yoghurt).
These tips are the foundation for an effective detoxification system, and it is crucial to understand that there is no point in pursuing an intensive detoxification program involving multiple supplements and treatment options until the steps above are being followed on a daily basis. I hope this advice serves you well.
In wellness,
James
