We are bombarded with toxins on a daily basis. From the foods we eat to the products we put on our body and the air we breath, chemicals and other toxins find their way into our bodies, our organs, and our cells. Even our thoughts and emotions create toxins.
The good news is that our body has naturally defense mechanisms that help eliminate some of these toxins. In fact, there are five main channels of elimination: kidneys, bowels, liver, lungs, and skin. It is important for you to provide your body with the support it needs to help keep these channels of elimination open.
Some basic things you can start doing at home today include:
1 – Monitor your poops: If you don’t already know what a good bowel movement looks like, read this blog post. You should be monitoring your poops and making sure you are having a quality bowel movement at least once a day. Things to consider is how much water you are drinking and if you are getting enough magnesium.
2 – Drink enough good quality water: Drinking water helps your body to remove water soluble toxins by flushing them out in your urine. You literally pee them out, but you need water (not fruit drinks, coffee, and sodas) to do the job. Filtered water is best. If you are drinking tap water and/or bottle water, you are most likely adding more toxins to your body in the process.
3 – Sweat it out: Getting your body to sweat through exercise, saunas, and/or taking hot baths will eliminate toxins through the skin. Just working in the yard during the summer heat can make a difference.
4 – Get good sleep: Did you know that while you sleep, toxins get flushed out from the brain? Quality sleep also calms the body down and helps the digestive system to rest and digest, allowing time for the body to move the toxins through the channels of elimination. Get to bed early enough, before your “second wind” comes along.
5 – Reduce daily toxin exposure: By reducing and eliminating your exposure to toxins, you allow your body more energy to do other things. Examples include eating foods without preservatives and pesticides, eliminating GMOs, changing the bath and body products you use, no longer using plastic products and containers, Limiting your exposure to electronics and EMFs, etc.
6 – Slow down: Taking even five minutes per day to sit still and re-center yourself can help your physical body. Do some deep breathing, pray, consciously release fear and judgment, meditate and clear your chakras are all helpful tools to detox on a mental, emotional and spiritual level.
Consciously reducing the toxins in our daily lives and removing them from our bodies is a necessity in today’s world in order to keep our bodies healthy. Yet, toxins can often accumulate faster than our bodies can process them, especially fat soluble toxins that tend to get stored in our fat cells. Other support may be required.
There are many detox programs available. You should know that not all programs are created equal and in some cases you need to take precautions. For example, it is critical that your major channels of elimination are open and are prepared to move the toxins completely out of your body, otherwise, you are just moving them around inside your body. When in doubt, it is best to work with a health professional. Life Design for Health can help you design a program specifically to your needs.
Doing a targeted detox program on a yearly or bi-yearly basis is a great way to keep your body in shape.
This article was written by Sharon Harmon, founder of Life Design for Health. She has a passion for helping people find their way back to optimum health. Please contact her if you would like to know more. There is a great deal of health-related information in her blog articles and on her website.