Natural health professionals often cite detoxification as a vital component of any wellness plan. Detoxification (or detox for short) is a metabolic process where “toxins change into less toxic, excretable substances.” In simpler terms: detox is the work to get toxins out of the body.
We encounter environmental toxins every day. There are toxic chemicals and pollutants hidden in foods, beverages, water, and the air. While it may be impossible to clean the external environment from every toxin, the human body contains powerful, cleansing organs. Therefore, detoxification works best when we live in a healthy, optimally functioning body.
We need the right tools to enhance the natural detoxification process and support the body’s cleansing organs for better function. These organs (in the eliminative system) include the liver, kidneys, lymph glands, digestive tract, lungs, and skin. Here are some simple tools that may enhance detoxification and support these vital organs.
Sweat The Small Stuff...Out!
The skin is a cleansing organ, making sweat a practical means for the human body to remove microscopic excess waste. Therefore, a simple way to support regular detoxification is by increasing sweat output. Saunas, for example, are an easily accessible and effective tool to promote sweating as a natural detoxification method.
Physical exercise is another tool that can be beneficial for detoxification. We have all learned that if the exercise is vigorous enough, sweat is a natural byproduct. Exercise can also enhance the connectivity and communication of the body’s systems, allowing it to work more efficiently.
Herbal and Nutritional Remedies
Many herbal and nutritional remedies claim to help the detoxification process through two distinct ways of action: cleansers and binders. Cleansers stimulate the eliminative organs to purge a more significant amount of waste matter. Binders join with hidden toxins and impurities in our bodies to assist with their removal.
Some of the more common examples of cleansers are dark-green (chlorophyll-rich) supplements. These green cleansers often contain superfoods such as wheatgrass, barley green, and spirulina. Binders contain earthy ingredients such as activated charcoal, humic acids, fulvic acids, clay, pectin, and zeolites.
Keep Detoxification Turned On
Some modern tools and technologies, like cleansing foot baths, also claim to provide detoxifying benefits. Colon hydrotherapy is another water-based modality that can provide immediate results. While some of these modern methods may be more aggressive, that approach may be necessary in some cases.
We can easily support the eliminative system with simple strategies like nutrition, supplements, sweating, exercise, and sufficient hydration. Detox is always at work. However, we can choose how efficient and effective our detoxification process functions. We only need to put in the effort!
