Detox is the latest trend in the dieting world. There are all sorts of recipes, juices, and regimens that claim to overhaul your body systems and remove all wastes. But what does detoxing entail? Let's look at it in-depth:
What is detoxing?
Detoxification is the process of removing harmful elements from your body and mind. We typically think about contaminants when we work with detoxing our bodies, but that's not all.
If you're working on removing toxic elements from your body, looking at the sources of both artificial and biological contamination will benefit your health more than only consuming lots of green juice and herbs.
Toxins Vs. toxicants
A toxicant is an artificial substance that can build up in the body and have adverse results. Examples include the chemicals in air pollution, antibiotics, manufactured makeup and skincare products, heavy metals, pesticides, alcohol, and drugs.
TOXICANT EXPOSURE
We encounter lots of toxicants daily, by choice, and some which occur in our environments. Reducing toxicants where we can is the most beneficial route to take.
For the environmental pollution that we can't control, detoxification is vital.
TOXINS
These are biological entities, for instance, fungus, bug bites, yeast, food allergies, bacteria, and even emotional and spiritual trauma.
When our body systems experience imbalance, we may overproduce some substances which act as toxins in the body. For example, LDL cholesterol and stress hormones are necessary in specific amounts but become toxic when produced in excess.
REMOVING THESE SUBSTANCES
Removing excess toxicants is relatively straightforward, but eliminating excess toxins may involve balancing your body's natural substances to get everything in check.
This extra step is challenging but helps you feel better instantly while increasing your body's ability to combat the effects of toxicants.
Understanding and supporting your detoxification process
NOTE: If you decide to detoxify, your elimination organs need help to process the toxic agents throughout the process. It's essential to strengthen your organs before detox so that they're ready for the procedure.
Fat-soluble toxic agents
Fat-soluble toxic agents occur in many products that we use regularly — pesticides, antibiotics, BPA in plastics, and processed foods.
If the body can't eliminate them, it stores those toxic agents in fatty deposits. That's why toxicants make you gain weight because the body coats these poisonous agents in more fat to protect you from the adverse effects that they could have on your health.
TOXIC AGENTS IN YOUR BLOODSTREAM
NOTE: If you're losing fat rapidly during detox, most likely, your body is releasing the poisonous agents into your bloodstream, and they can make you sick. Therefore, take weight loss and detoxification at a pace that's comfortable for your body. It's even better if you consult a health practitioner for proper advice.
Protect your liver using herbs while detoxing
Be kind to your liver by strengthening it before you start your herbal detox. You don't want to overload it with extra work on top of its usual functions.
MILK THISTLE
Milk Thistle, when taken internally, is one of the best liver-protecting herbs. Desert- trotting herbalists carry at least 4 ounces of milk thistle extract with them to protect against poisonous snake bites. Ideally, the toxins from a snakebite will wear out the liver, but drinking the 4 ounces protects it from the poison and saves your life.
So if you're releasing many toxins into your bloodstream, make sure your liver is safe. Drinking milk thistle before, during, and after a cleanse can help you process toxins faster.
DANDELION ROOT
Dandelion root helps to stimulate the liver safely. It's also an excellent prebiotic- it feeds the enzymes in your stomach so that they can digest food more effectively, preventing the build-up of toxins.
Water-soluble toxins
After the liver enzymes break down the fat-soluble toxins, they either leave the body through the digestive tract or go into the bloodstream. The toxins in the blood are now water-soluble.
While in this form, they act as independent toxic agents and can cause internal damage.
For this reason, you want to strengthen and support your kidneys. They need to be strong and fast enough to filter the blood continuously and to spot toxic agents on their first filtration and eliminate them immediately.
Protect your kidneys throughout the detox
The kidneys control fluid transportation in your body, remove toxic agents from the blood, regulate blood pressure, and decide which minerals to retain in circulation and which to release through urine.
Even without a detox, our kidneys have a massive job. So if you do a detox, ensure they are ready to filter tots of toxic agents.
DRINK WATER
Drinking at least half a gallon of water daily before, during, and after your detox is crucial and ease up the whole process. We also recommend adding some healthy salt to your water to replenish any lost electrolytes throughout the day.
DANDELION LEAF
Dandelion leaf is a gentle diuretic and also stimulates the immune system. It strengthens your body because your kidneys can use the diuretic and astringent actions to pull more toxins from the blood. Also, the immune system detects anything left and removes it.
Maintaining your optimal functioning after detoxification
The truth is your body is continually detoxing. The trick is to help your body systems function optimally so they can eliminate the gunk we encounter daily. If you keep your waste elimination systems strong and healthy, your overall health will improve, and you'll be less likely to fall sick.
DRINK WATER
Drinking half a gallon throughout the day is the ideal situation. If this is challenging, start by drinking a large glass of water first thing in the morning and before going to bed.
MORE GREENS!
Eating greens gives your body essential minerals and nutrients and promotes the function of the liver. Take more salads, green smoothies, and green juices and enjoy a smooth detox process as well as better health.
USING HEALTHY SALTS
Choosing healthy salts like Aztec Sea Salt or Himalayan pink salt in place of iodized table salt will give you extra minerals that will help your body clear out harmful contaminants. Such salts also help to boost your electrolytes, giving you more energy!
DRINKING GREEN TEA
Green tea contains many antioxidants that help process toxins (especially heavy metals) and acts as a natural diuretic. Replace coffee with green tea and enjoy the caffeine boost while reaping better health benefits.
To achieve a deep coffee taste, add roasted dandelion root to your green tea.
With love,
The Sole Toscana Beauty Team
