Living in a modern, industrialized society has its benefits in terms of convenience and quality of life, but all too often in the news we hear of pollution and environmental contamination as a result of it. In the year 2001 alone, 6 BILLION POUNDS of chemical pollution was released into our environment. Efforts are made to reduce human exposure to chemicals used in industry and as byproducts of our daily activities (such as burning gasoline for our cars), however quantities of these chemicals manage to get through. While they can’t usually be seen, every time you drink water, breathe the air, or eat foods that used fertilizer or other chemicals to aid their growth, you are probably taking trace amounts into your body. While not deadly, they can certainly make life a lot less comfortable over time by causing your organs to not function as efficiently. These substances include, but are not limited to:
• Pollution
• Pesticides
• Heavy metals
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• First/Second-hand Smoking
• Food additives
Your body does have means to filter out these toxic substances. While there are several systems in your body that help regulate toxicity, the liver is the biggest player in the detoxification process. If the liver comes across a substance that it is incapable of filtering out, the toxin is passed along to other organs and has negative effects on the liver. What substances your body cannot get process are stored in the fat cells. As time goes on, this buildup of substances can lead to:
• Migraine headaches
• Fibromyalgia
• Generalized arthralgias
• Chemical Sensitivity
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
As mentioned above, the body has its own systems in place for keeping toxin levels low, but to help you body help itself in these essential cleansing functions there are specific nutrients that aid the body’s natural processes. These include:
• Zinc, pantothenic acid, and beneficial probiotics
• Vitamins A, B3, B12, C, E, beta-carotene, and folates
• Amino acids L-cysteine, L-glutamine, and taurine
• N-acetylcysteine, sodium sulfate, and L-glutathione
• Green tea catechins
• Low-allergy-potential protein/carbohydrates
A full body detox should become part of your personal health and wellness routine once every four months to keep your body’s toxin levels as low as possible. Don’t let our society’s quality of life affect your quality of life.