Detoxification: What It Is and Why To Do It?

By Alan S. Weiss, MD

Annapolis Integrative Medicine

. http://www.annapolisintegrativemedicine.com/

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Detoxification: What It Is and Why To Do It?

We are confronted by an ever-increasing burden of toxins, chemicals, and compounds that humans have never had to deal with before. There is a growing body of evidence that environmental toxins have a role in causing many medical problems, including cancer, neurological disease, diabetes and even obesity.

One of the most powerful avenues available to optimize health is to go through a detoxification process, a cleansing from the inside out.

The human body has a remarkable capacity to produce hormones and other compounds as well as to interact with the environment. Every compound created by the body’s metabolic functions and what is allowed into the body by the skin, respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract must be dealt with so that the body does not get poisoned by the waste products that are generated by our metabolism.

Some of the signs and symptoms of being burdened by toxins include fatigue, fogginess, moodiness, lethargy, headaches, difficulty losing weight, achiness, persistent allergic symptoms, and skin rashes. People often experience being newly sensitive to substances like caffeine and alcohol as well as medications and supplements.

The main organs of detoxification in the body are the kidneys and liver. The liver is a complex organ of detoxification, having three phases of detoxification designed to take foreign and toxic compounds, render them harmless and excrete them.

The typical four-week detoxification process begins with looking at each person’s current state of health. We must look at the diet and whatever else our bodies are routinely exposed to that may be harmful. For the period of time a new healthy diet is instituted. Starvation is not necessary for detoxification.

Exercise is a critical component to accelerating the body’s ability to process cellular waste and debris. Using a sauna can also help with this process. Hot yoga is an efficient way of combining exercise and heat to speed up the body’s clearance of metabolic waste.

Doing this process once or twice a year under medical supervision can make an enormous difference in a person’s sense of well being and longevity. People report an increase in energy and well being, and lose nagging aches and pains, headaches, and extra pounds.

Some simple things we can do at home is to alkalinize our bodies through increasing water intake as well as fruits and vegetables. As well taking extra vitamin C and magnesium can aid in up-regulating our detoxification mechanisms.