DE-TOXIFICATION

THE TOXINS AROUND YOU

Our planet is being bombarded with thousands of tonnes of harmful pollutants everyday. Our air is becoming increasingly unfit for breathing. Our soil and water are being poisoned by hazardous chemicals, and it is all going into our bodies, accumulating over time and affecting our health. The excessive stress of modern day life creates high levels of stress fighting hormones which can adversely affect our optimal health. Mental, emotional and spiritual intoxication also poses serious threat to the overall well being.

Studies have identified 287 toxins in the body and the majority of them are neuro-toxins. These include petrochemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, fertilizers, additives, coloring agents, processing agents, preservatives, everyday cosmetics, personal care and other home care products. Intentional toxicity includes abuse of alcohol, caffeine, gluten from wheat, medicines, sugar, diary, and white flour

SO HOW DOES THE BODY HANDLE THESE TOXINS?

Detoxification (cleansing) in the body system is performed by the liver, kidneys, colon, skin and lungs. According to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicinal system, heavy metals, pollutants and chemicals from the food are first absorbed by the thousands of villi in the Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue (GALT). Hence your lymphatic system (twice larger than the arterial system) and its quality drainage are important. Bad drain, clogging, congestion, and ineffective circulation of lymph can lead to a variety of diseases. 

SYMPTOMS OF TOXICITY

Fatigue, Bloat, Muscle ache, Joint pain, Brain fog, Headache, Sinus congestion, Skin rashes, Sore throat, Allergies, Digestive problems, Hormonal imbalances, Memory problems, Bad breath, Parkinson’s disease, Dementia, cancer, Fibromyalgia, Auto-immune diseases, Infertility, Menopausal disorders, Pre-menstrual syndrome, Heart diseases 

HOW TO ELIMINATE TOXINS- DE-TOX PROGRAM

Rather than adopting a draconian diet which may produce quick fix solutions, its better to develop and adopt life long strategies for detoxification. The basis of any detox program should be to lower our body burden of toxins by reducing the intake and an optimal functioning of the body’s elimination mechanism. Then our body responds with vibrant health and performance.

The following is a list of day-to-day tips you can adopt for effective detoxification. Just see how many you can work on and experience how amazingly our body responds to this:

THE 13 WAYS TO DE-TOX

1.       Hydration- Keep the body cells hydrated, always, with 2-3 liters of purified water, at regular intervals throughout the day. Adding a pinch of Pink Himalayan Rock salt can enrich the water with 84 ionized minerals. Try with fresh squeezed lemon which can be alkalizing, diuretic and a digestion stimulant. In his book, ‘ The Master Cleanser’ (1940), Stanley Burroughs recommends 6-12 glasses of water, + lemon, + cayenne pepper + maple syrup which can totally reboot and cleanup the body system.

2.       Stay Alkaline- Daily intake of 8-10 servings of colorful, cruciferous vegetables, greens, beans, fruits and freshly preserved juices keeps your system alkaline and greatly helps detoxification. They soothe the gut mucosa and enhance the function of GALT. Carrying a junky green juice is a status 

      symbol in fitness circle. The ABC Juice ( Apple + Beet +Carrot) 

      is an excellent liver de-tox drink.

3.       Grocery and Shopping list- Keep a close eye on your shopping list. Go for organic animal products and foods and avoid GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) foods. Remember the slogan ‘Go fresh, Go Local, Go Organic’  

4.       Sweat it out- Helps elimination of toxins through skin by exercising at least 5 days of the week. Have a scientific

      fitness program incorporating conditioning, strengthening

      and stretching. Steam bath and sauna bath can also help cleansing. 

5.   Oxygenate- Deep breathing exercises, yogic breathing (kapaala bhati) strengthen the diaphragm , heart and lungs, clears stale residual air containing carbon dioxide and toxins and saturates body cells with oxygen and life force energy

6.       Bowel Habits- Regular bowel habits with 1-3 bowel movements is good. If you are ‘not going’ support your mornings with lemon and hot water or previous nights with 2 table spoons of ground flax seeds/ pro-biotics/ magnesium citrate/ fiber supplements/ enzymes/ thriphala/ senna tea. Colon cleansing is extremely important in detoxification. 

7.       Body Massage and rubs- At least once a week do a self body massage with coconut oil or castor oil. It improves lymphatic flow, relieves muscle stiffness and fluid retentions. Dry body brushing once a week is also a lymph care method. 

8.       Tongue Scraping- Clears food coatings, bacteria, fungi, dead cells and toxins. Improves breath, taste and oral health. In Ayurveda, the practice is called JIHWA PRAKSHALAMA. 

9.       Elimination Diet- Avoid or reduce gluten (present in wheat), white sugar, white flour, milk (lactose intolerance), alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and trans-fat containing foods. Avoiding consumption of large fishes can reduce toxicity of mercury, lead and arsenic.

10.   Include herbs, spices and supplements- De-tox Green tea, Milk thistle, dandelion, turmeric, ginger, garlic and neem can help the body clear out toxins. Include a high quality multi-vitamin- mineral supplement, Vitamin C supplements, lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine as a part of a regular nutritional supplementation program

11.       Probiotics – Even though many fermented foods contain good and friendly bacteria needed for our gut its better to have regular probiotic supplement containing lacto bacillus and bifido bacteria taken in capsule or powder form. Improves digestion, immunity and provides healthy skin and joints

12.       Adequate sleep- Sleep is a time for the body to repair and de-tox. Try to keep the biological clock intact

13.       De-tox Mind and Spirit- Guilt, fear, anxiety, grudge, and worry are all toxin emotions that need to be addressed. Meditation, Yoga, Nature walk, reading etc can recharge your mind and enhance your spiritual energy. Living in the present, forgiveness, gratitude, socializing are all great acts of detoxification. 

A detox program is like your monthly defragmentation and clean-up performed on your computer or your smart phone. It speeds up the system, clears unwanted data, corrects errors and adds life to your years and years to your life.