Natural Detoxification

Just from being alive we natually buildup toxins in our bodies. This is completely normal and part of our ongoing bodily functions eliminate these toxins from our bodies.

Detoxification for the body may refer to the cleansing of the bowels, kidneys, lungs, the liver or the blood, since these are the organs involved in detoxification of chemicals and toxins from the body. The liver acts as an in-line filter for the removal of foreign substances and wastes from the blood. The kidneys filter wastes from the blood into the urine, while the lungs remove volatile gases as we breathe.

There are toxins in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water that we drink. Just prior to the writing of this article there were major news stories about some of the impurities that were being discovered in the public water supplies.

There were even traces of 12 different pharmaceuticals found in both sewage waters and drinking water. These drugs included pain-killers, antibiotics, and antidepressants.

These first tests were performed in the U.K., but the experts believe there is no reason to suspect that similar results wouldn't be obtained in the United States.

Some tests have revealed that there are more than 500 different chemicals in our drinking water that don't belong there. Part of this is due to the fact that most delivery systems in the U.S. include cement, asbestos pipes, cast iron, PVC (porous to certain solvents, herbicides and pesticides) and that lead, cadmium and other toxic metals leach out of valves and couplings of pipes between a water treatment plant and a faucet in the home.

When you have a poor diet, smoke, are overweight and have other factors affecting your health in a negative way, not only are you increasing the amount of harmful products being injested into your body, because of your poorer health, you're making it more difficult for your body to eliminate these poisons efficiently.

Drinking 4 to 6 glasses of ionized, alkaline water is known to help neutralize over-acidity, and should help your body to restore it's natural buffering ability. Some conditions when over-acidity can develop is when you have a cold, the flu or bronchitis.

Alkaline water, similar to vitamins C, E and Beta Carotene acts as an antioxidant because of its excess supply of free electrons. Ionized Alkaline Water also makes more oxygen available to your cells than distilled, reverse osmosis, filtered, bottled or tap water. Also, cancer cells don't thrive in an oxygenated body.

Antioxidants are molecules that prevent or slow the oxidation (loss of electrons) of other molecules. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals which can start chain reactions that can damage cells. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions by being oxidized themselves.

Antioxidants are also widely used as ingredients in dietary supplements in the hope of maintaining health and preventing diseases such as cancer and coronary heart disease.

Although some studies have suggested antioxidant supplements have health benefits, other large clinical trials did not detect any benefit for the formulations tested, and excess supplementation may be harmful.

An individual in excellent health, that consumes a healthy diet and gets plenty of exercise shouldn't often need a lot of additional help in detoxing, but as Dr. Steve Nugent was quoted as saying, 'Without exception, every North American now has in his or her tissues 300-500 known toxins that were not in existence before 1940.'

Since we now have DDT, dioxin, and PCB's as well as hundreds of other chemicals in our 'closed eco-system', I would recommend at least occasional use of some of the great products now available to help you cleanse your body.

There are many methods and products available to aid the body in the detoxification process. Below are listed some of the products and sources of more information that should be helpful for you in cleansing/detoxifying your body.

Also, fasting is a highly recommended method (while juicing) of cleansing. Obviously you should only fast for short durations (like 2 days), and not too often.

Long, unsupervised fasts can be dangerous.

 If you plan to fast for more than 2 or 3 days in a row, you must consult your natural health practitioner or doctor before you start.

Patricia Bragg PhD. and author of 'The Miracle of Fasting' covered the benefits of fasting quite well in this statement, 'Proven throughout history for physical, mental and spiritual rejuvenation, fasting promotes cleansing and healing; helps normalize weight, blood pressure, cholesterol; rebuilds the immune system and helps reverse the aging process. If we are to get these poisons out of our bodies we must fast. By fasting we give our bodies a physiological rest. This rest builds Vital Force. The more Vital Force we have, the more toxins are going to be eliminated from the body to help keep it clean, pure and healthy.'