5 Reasons To Detox Your Body

Most of us don’t even think about all of the crap we put our bodies through each day. Or we may not be aware of it.

We wake up and lather ourselves in toxic chemicals. We get our morning caffeine buzz from a soda packed with aspartame, high fructose corn syrup and benzene. We drive to work inhaling car exhaust, construction fumes and that nasty smell from the slaughter house. For lunch we use plastic to microwave our processed leftovers made with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), preservatives, artificial colors and other ingredients we can’t even pronounce, and we don’t even think twice about it. Maybe we’ll snack on a piece of fruit in the afternoon and feel good about ourselves because an apple a day keeps the Dr. away, right? Well, maybe if it’s an organic apple. Otherwise doused in pesticides, it may not exactly keep the Dr. away.

These days, we are at an all time high for developing diseases – and it’s not normal. 

Take women and infertility for example. Women’s bodies were made to reproduce, yet so many women have issues getting pregnant and according to the American Pregnancy Association, 10-25% of all pregnancies will end in miscarriage! Doctors may tell us this is normal and we just go on believing such is life. But, Paula-Baillie-Hamilton, author of Toxic Overload, explains it well,

Studies have looked at the level of pesticides in those women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have discovered that the higher the level of toxins detected in body fluids, particularly of the persistent pesticides and environmental pollutants known as organochlorines, the lower the chances of successful fertilization. IVF rates are also significantly lower if the male partner has had previous exposure to pesticides. As pesticides are designed to kill all forms of life and to suppress reproduction in unwanted bugs and animals, these antifertility effects should come as little surprise. Increased exposure to toxic metals such as mercury and lead is also linked to infertility. Unfortunately, studies show that the levels that affect fertility appear to be those at which we are currently exposed.

When I was in the hospital after giving birth, my drink options were soda or a juice box. I couldn’t believe they offered me a Coke at the hospital!  Don’t they know soda is not healthy?

There’s no way to avoid toxins all together and our health continues to get worse. This is why we need to be aware of what we can avoid. We also need to give our bodies a good cleaning once in a while to get rid of some of the crap we take in. Just as you shower to clean the outside of your body, you should detoxify to clean your inside too. I like to think of the human body like a vacuum that sucks up dirt. What would happen if you didn’t clean the filter or empty the bag? It would eventually quit working or explode in your face! Same is true for our bodies.

Here are 5 good reasons to detox.

1. The Air We Breathe

We are constantly breathing in particles, pollutants, and other hazardous toxins from the environment.  In fact, we take about 26,000 breaths each day equaling about 150 bathtubs full or air. But, these bathtubs aren’t just air. They are a combination of-

• Combustion of medical and hazardous wastes from industries like metal smelting, refining and recycling.
• Combustion from industrial and domestic coal and wood.
• Exhaust emissions from vehicles, controlled burn-offs and accidental fires.
• Hazardous air pollutants released from burning  plastics.
• Smoke, solvent base paints, combustion from fiberglass manufacturers, synthetic rubber manufacturers, oil refining, adhesive manufacturers, and particle board mills.
• TSP, which comes from dusty roads, soil tiling, quarries and fuel combustion.

The list goes on and on. We are blindly breathing these things in each and every day. These toxins linger through our bloodstreams and our poor bodies suffer the consequences.

2. The Food We Eat

Ask yourself this…if the world powered down and we had absolutely no electricity, what would you eat? Interesting to think about right? Well, it really comes down to this. The most healthy foods for you are raw and organic. If it comes from the Earth and doesn’t get treated by anything but sunlight, water and good soil – then you’re in the clear. The sad news is – we are surrounded by Big Food and Big Pharma, and together they rule. It has become so hard for us to be healthy just from the foods we eat because even the “healthy choices” aren’t healthy! Sure, you’ll get some nutrients that may benefit you. But, the treatments used in today’s food manufacturing processes along with the pesticides, GMO’s and artificial growth hormones used to create faster-bigger-and more, completely outweigh the benefits.

PESTICIDES

Many farmers are treating their crops with highly toxic pesticides like organophosphate insecticides which are harmful to the nervous system. Organophosphates are currently not banned from agricultural practices so they are still being used as a pesticide. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency admits,

Laboratory studies show that pesticides can cause health problems, such as birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time.  However, these effects depend on how toxic the pesticide is and how much of it is consumed. Some pesticides also pose unique health risks to children.

They tell us that a small amount of pesticides won’t hurt us, but they don’t remind us that the cumulative amount over time is not a small amount anymore. So of course children are more at risk for developing health issues because they’re not even 50 pounds!

In 1983, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) studied 3,827 Florida pesticide applicators. The NCI found that these people that applied pesticides to the crops had 3 times the risk of developing cancer.

It’s common sense really. Maybe you won’t have issues right away. But, what about 10 or 20 years down the line?

GMO’S

GMO’s are used in as much as 80% of conventional processed food according to the NON-GMO Project, even though the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) reported animal studies that have indicated serious health risks associated with genetically modified (GM) food.

Read this article for more information on what types of foods are the worst GM foods.

The health risks associated with GM foods include infertility, immune problems, premature aging, faulty insulin regulation and changes in major organs as well as the gastrointestinal system.

The AAEM asked physicians to tell patients to avoid GM foods. FDA scientists repeatedly warned the FDA about GM foods before they were introduced. They explained how GM foods may create side effects like allergies, toxins, new diseases and nutritional problems. They even insisted on doing long-term safety studies. But, nobody listened. Now GMO’s are out there and are creating issues. The FDA won’t even label foods with GMO’s even though 96% of 45,000 people voted that they want GM foods to be labeled.

If the FDA knows that GMO’s aren’t healthy, why are they allowing our food to be handled this way? And why are they not allowing GM foods to be labeled?

3. The Products We Use

PBS.org explains that

There are more than 80,000 chemicals on the market today, but only about 200 of them have been tested for safety. That’s because the Environmental Protection Agency can only require safety testing after there is proof that a substance poses a health risk under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 —

Most people use shampoo, cosmetics, lotions and creams and don’t realize what ingredients they are absorbing right through to their bloodstream.

Do you know that what gets put on your skin, goes straight to your bloodstream? It doesn’t have the chance to be broken down by your saliva and digestive tract. Women ingest 5 lbs of skin products into their body each year according to New York Times Best Selling Author, Dr. Joseph Mercola.

It’s not just products that we use for our bodies either, it’s household cleaning products, aerosols, fertilizers for lawns and gardens, bug sprays or other bug killers like RAID. Then there are things like packaging and plastics. Think about the toys your children chew on or other products they might put in their mouths.

When’s the last time you looked at the ingredient lists on the products you use everyday? If you have, how much research have you done on the unpronounceable words in that list? Read this article that highlights the top 12 toxic chemicals that your skin is absorbing. You may be surprised at some of the ingredients used to make these products and what they are capable of doing.

What about birth control and other pharmaceuticals? Ever wonder what those are made of and how they affect our health? Everyone has heard the ads on TV for drugs with a laundry list of side effects or health issues that may come as a result of taking them! But, who cares about your health when there are big bucks to be had.

4. Vaccinations

Many of us have been vaccinated as children and maybe even as adults and the ingredient list used to manufacture those vaccines is unbelievable!  Some ingredients include aluminum, mercury, tissue from aborted fetuses, dead animal tissues from chicken embryos, rabbit brain, dog or monkey kidney, and other toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and phenol – just to name a few. These things have been lingering in our bodies and have most likely caused health issues for some of us.

These health issues don’t always come later on down the road. Many people have vaccine injured children or have even lost their child from vaccines.

If you’re interested in knowing more about why vaccinations may not be the best choice, read the following articles and keep doing your research.

• Is Vaccination Really Necessary?
• 19 Things You Don’t Know About Vaccines
• Vaccine Questions & 7 Resources You Can Trust

5. Toxic Hand-Me-Downs

I recently learned that babies are born with with an average of 287 chemicals, most of which are very harmful. Dr Alan Greene, author of Raising Baby Green, sources a study done by the Environmental Working Group in his book,

The study examined the umbilical cord blood of ten babies born in 2004 in U.S. hospitals. Greene writes, “These babies each carried an average of 200 chemicals, which included mercury, fire retardants, and pesticides. The report states, ‘Of the 287 chemicals we detected in umbilical-cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.’”

Even if a pregnant women has amalgam fillings from the dentist, the mercury from those fillings will be passed down from her body to her baby! These are things many of us don’t think twice about. We simply trust that our government agencies and health care industry care about our health. But, I’m telling you, you may want to do your research.

The Solution – Detox & Avoid Toxins

So, what do we do?

Avoid toxins as much as possible. Perhaps you can choose not to spray pesticides in your home and in the yard. Try buying organic meat from grass-fed cows at a local farm. But, at least use the

“This product is great lots of nutrition in a quick great tasting shake! I love it and my kids do to!” User from Albany, NY on 3/2/12

EWG’s Clean 15, Dirty 14 List as a guide for buying your produce.

Maybe give some natural cosmetics and beauty care products a try. Use natural plant based cleaning products.

Whatever you do, give your body’s insides a cleaning every once in a while! Do a detox, get a routine massage, fast for a while, and take a supplement like King Chlorella that basically works like a magnet for toxins.

There are many ways you can clean up the dirt. Just remember, there’s no way to avoid all toxins from entering your bloodstream, but there’s always something you can do to clean them out!

If you have a good story to share about a Detox experience you’ve had, or if you have a question or opinion you want to ask or share, please do so in the comments section below!

Read More:

Is Fluoride In The Water A Good Or Bad Thing?

Change Your Gut Flora To Loose Weight

What Toxic Chemicals Is Your Body Absorbing?  

Dirty Dozen And Clean Fifteen Plus Two

Sources: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 71(1), July 1983. http://www.toxicsinfo.org/Lawn/Pesticides%20&%20Cancer.htm Raising Baby Green, Dr. Alan Green