Talking about detox is usually used to relate to temporary and express diets. Nothing is further from reality, throughout our lives and on a daily basis we are exposed to many toxins or substances that are harmful to our body, but our own physiology is capable of trapping and eliminating them on a daily basis. Specifically, the liver is the main organ, along with the intestine, kidneys, lungs and skin, responsible for keeping our body clean of these harmful substances that can accumulate in our body.
Therefore, when we talk about doing a detox plan, we refer to the process that our body has to naturally eliminate toxins from the body, although we can also help the body in this cleansing process by taking supplements that help us promote and stimulate function of the above mentioned organs. In relation to all this, it should be noted that modernization has brought extremely positive things to our society and lifestyle, although it has also brought about some negative changes that can directly affect our health.
Dr. María Pérez, a doctor in integrative, natural and biological general medicine, tells us in depth about the body’s detoxification process and all those things we should do to be less toxified and thus enjoy an optimal state of health.
Let’s start from the beginning, what does it mean to do a body detox?
What a broad question! Let’s see, detoxifying the body can be similar to doing a general cleaning of the house. In other words, we do not need to be sick or have specific pathological symptoms to help cleanse our body.
“We are an open system and in permanent contact with the outside world.”
For example, the food we eat, in addition to the properties and nutrients of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, salts, … we must also take into account that, depending on their origin, they can contain pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and heavy metals that may be in the soil, in the water, in the environment itself, or that have been added directly to plants or animal feed. What about this? Well, our body also ingests it.
The quality of the air we breathe is essential, it is not the same to breathe in the middle of the forest or by the sea than in the middle of a city, where environmental pollution invades us with many heavy metals and environmental toxins.
Finally, our own metabolism also generates toxins or Endotoxins as a result of combustion or metabolization during respiration or digestion, and internally within cells, the result of which is metabolites that must also be eliminated.
All these foods and nutrients that enter through the lung and digestive system have to reach all the cells of the body through the bloodstream. Even so, before reaching the cells they pass through the mesenchyme, which is the tissue that surrounds the cells where most of the toxins are generally deposited, as well as the intracellular residues that are collected from the cell.
For this reason, it is very important, at least twice a year, mainly the 15 days before spring and autumn, to help the body detoxify. This will favor the cleaning of the mesenchyme of toxins to be eliminated mainly through the feces or urine.
What are the main purification organs of the body?
We have five main purifying organs, the liver, intestine, kidneys, lung and skin. Our body will always try to eliminate toxins through these five ways. Normally it will start with the digestive tract, the most important and the urinary tract. The liver is the organ that filters absolutely everything. If our body is not able to eliminate toxins through the liver, will try through the skin.
When we do a detox we will need to stimulate or help these organs, that is why detox is usually related to a specific diet, specific natural remedies, exercise and exfoliation of the body in order to eliminate toxins that may be produced or remove through the skin.
Why is skin exfoliation related to detox?
When we detox it is a good time to first exfoliate and then nourish the skin. In general, it is recommended to do it every week. It is not recommended to do it daily since we have a whole bacterial layer that acts as exchange, protection and reinforces the skin barrier. One of the problems that currently exist with the indiscriminate use of shower gels or other types of gels, is that excessive cleaning removes our protective layer and, therefore, makes us more susceptible to any harmful agent.
Why should we help our body to detoxify?
First of all, I would like to highlight a fundamental concept for me, and that is that cleaning is important because we need to create space so that new material can enter, both organically and energetically. That is why it is so necessary to cleanse the body to maintain optimal health. If we do not make space, it is as if we had a house in which we enter furniture without stopping but we never remove any and, therefore, there is no space for new things to enter and great chaos and disorder would be generated.
I also like to do the simile with a fish tank. We have to imagine our internal body as a fish tank where the fish are the cells and they feed on the water that surrounds them and the food that we give them. Keep in mind that these fish defecate in the water. For this, we have some treatment plants in that fish tank that recycle the water but if that device is blocked or the amount of dirt is larger than what the treatment plant is capable of cleaning, that water will become dirty and the fish will get sick and die.
It is important to keep the space clean and try not to contaminate it excessively.
What are the symptoms of an intoxicated organism?
When the cells begin to have little oxygen and few healthy nutrients, the internal environment becomes acidic and symptoms such as fatigue, contractures, lack of energy, tiredness in the morning, slower thinking, lack of concentration, heavy digestion, etc. appear. Let’s say that the whole organism slows down.
What happens if we don’t detoxify properly?
As we said, when our body acidifies, it is filled with heavy metals and generates inflammation, as a defense system of the body. This inflammation is initially “low grade” and although it is not too powerful, it is latent and is the basis of all the degenerative and autoimmune processes that appear.
There are small signals to detect this inflammation due to excess toxins. Pathologies ending in ‘’ itis ’’ appear first, such as tonsillitis, pharyngitis, arthritis, dermatitis, etc. Normally it will manifest itself in the organ where we have the most weakness.
When we have an ‘itis’ we usually take an anti-inflammatory but that is nothing more than a patch and yet we still do not hear what the body is really telling us. If we ignore our body and “cover” the inflammation, it will gradually shift, increase and become chronic. This is when the ‘’ osis ’’, osteoarthritis, dermatosis or other more powerful inflammations come in that invade and injure the tissues leading to slightly more serious diseases.
What can we do to reduce toxification?
The basic things we can do to reduce toxification would be first, breathe properly and be more aware of our breathing. Also try not to smoke and go out from time to time to the forest to oxygenate ourselves.
Food must be, if possible, organic or local, with the lowest level of chemicals such as pesticides…. Our diet should be much more abundant in fruits and since they are rich in substances that will promote the detox process. Chew a lot because chewing produces an increase in the energy of food, with which, if a food is not “too alive”, we will revitalize it.
We have poor digestions because we eat too fast. We must be aware of what we are eating to have and promote good digestion and that the food reaches the liver in better condition. Walk, we are talking about half an hour every day. I would also like to emphasize that it is very important to have a space of inner silence on a daily basis to listen to our thoughts, sometimes very toxic, and thus give them the necessary attention and be able to have an inner conversation to see how to manage them.
As for high frequencies such as wifi, mobile, etc. we have to “disconnect” because these networks distort our internal electromagnetic field a lot and confuse our cells. Although of course technology has its positive effect, it is necessary to limit the time of use, and it is essential to sleep without the mobile in the room and with the router turned off as well as the rest of the electronic elements unplugged so that the body does not have distortions.
Having dinner early is also important so that when the time of maximum liver cleansing activity arrives, between one and three in the morning, the digestion process has already been done and we can clean what we have eaten, drunk, heard, seen, felt, etc.
You have to hydrate very well and with quality water. Water is the vehicle for all our mineral salts, among others, which will help us with the detoxification and homeostasis and even so, in general, people drink little water.
Finally, the contact with nature. There are many studies that prove the healing and harmonizing action of nature. We are part of it. It is a powerful regenerator in itself. It regulates our heart and respiratory rhythm, reducing blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It lowers the level of stress, and makes us feel more revitalized, stimulates rest, relaxation and calm, promoting sleep and improving mood. And this is thanks to the phytoncides found in tree oils, which also stimulate our immune cells, making us more resistant to infections. Nature allows us to see, not just look, reconnect and listen to ourselves.
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