Why Is Detox Vital For Health?

Detox is vital for health because our bodies are constantly bombarded with toxins. You don’t see them, taste them, and often don’t smell them, but they are there. Toxins are permitted to be sprayed on produce, added to processed foods and our water. They are included in our personal hygiene products and found in building and furniture materials.

The constant bombardment of our bodies with these toxins damages our ability to get rid of those very same chemicals. A downward spiral for certain, until you are aware and make changes.

One of the top concerning chemicals is glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round-Up herbicide. This best-selling herbicide is used on GMO crops in order to supposedly increase yields, and on non-GMO crops to ease the harvest process. And it is readily available for home use as well. But at what price?

Eliminating Pesticides For Better Health

There are many common myths about glyphosate, and it’s time we do some myth-busting.

• “It’s readily biodegradable.” No, it’s not and Monsanto lost a major lawsuit over this one.
• “It’s only lightly used and is washed off after application.” No, in fact, Monsanto recommends a final drenching of crops 3 days before harvest, and studies have shown concerning residues in common foods like the Cheerios we feed our toddlers and kids.
• “It’s only used on soy.” No, glyphosate is recommended for wheat, oats, canola, flax, peas, lentils, soybeans, dry beans, and sugar cane, which are some of the most common ingredients in processed and convenience foods.
• “It’s much safer than all the hype implies.” Not according to the World Health Organization which has classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen. It is known to be a potent endocrine disruptor and is questioned as a factor for increased gluten sensitivity through intestinal and microbiome damage.
• “We easily flush it out of our bodies.” No, we don’t. As mentioned above, glyphosate impairs our ability to detoxify it and hinders our body’s ability to produce glutathione, which is our primary antioxidant.

Detox At Home

I have written before about why avoiding pesticides is important, and this is a major factor in my position. Yet, even with a commitment to eating organic foods to avoid chemicals, living in the Western world by default exposes us daily to a toxic “soup” of chemicals.

This is why it is vital to adopt habits that support the body’s ability to detox. These would include:

• Eating lots of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. These feature substances which increase phase 2 detoxification in the liver and enhance our body’s production of glutathione, our most potent antioxidant.
• Eating lots of allium vegetables, such as garlic, onions and leeks. The high sulfur content of these help to escort toxins out of our bodies.
• Drinking plenty of clean water daily, to support proper organ function, and filter and flush toxins from the body.
• Taking a quality methylated B-complex supplement to provide critical cofactors of all phases of liver detoxification.
• Eliminating on a daily basis! Once toxins have been modified and gathered for excretion, they must be removed. Constipation promotes reabsorption of toxins through the colon wall, risking damage to the colon as well as persistent toxicity.
• Commit to a regular detoxification “cleanse” to support the liver and gut, and to reduce the burden of stored toxins. I used to encourage an annual detox, but as I’ve become more cognizant of toxin load, I now recommend quarterly.

Take A Few Steps

Don’t wait until you “get sick” to take charge of your wellness and reduce your toxicity. The best defense is a good offense. Incorporate these new habits to help clean house and keep toxins moving out.

Not sure how to start? Filter your water as both municipal and well water sources are frequently contaminated. Review the hygiene products you use and switch to ones that don’t include the myriad endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Sadly, we can’t rely on our government to police the products available in our stores.

Together, we can discover what it feels like to be in a body that is set free from the toxic burden. Clearer thinking, renewed energy, and a wonderful lighter feeling is just around the corner. It doesn’t have to be a miserable process. I can show you how.

You and your body will be so glad you said ‘yes’ to pursuing wellness and goodbye to toxins!