Why Do We Need To Detoxify? Especially in the modern world, we are constantly being bombarded with toxins. It is in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the products we put on our skin and hair, the pharmaceutical drugs we take, and the liquids we drink. Even our “healthy” fruits and vegetables are covered in pesticides. It is no wonder that we see depression, diabetes, and obesity on the rise. All three of these common ailments are associated with too many identified toxins in the body.
Our bodies are designed to naturally detoxify themselves by neutralizing the toxins or eliminating them altogether. Detoxification happens naturally through the combined efforts of a variety of organs and systems such as the liver, intestines, kidneys, lungs, skin, blood and lymphatic systems. Unfortunately, due to the extreme amount of toxins we come in contact with every day in modern day society, sometimes our bodies cannot keep up and toxicity begins to build. This chronic toxic state is even more common with people who ingest additional toxins through lifestyles choices like alcohol, poor eating, drug use, or job-related contact with metals or chemicals.
What Are Symptoms Of Someone Who Is Chronically Toxic? People who are chronically toxic will often suffer from one or more of these symptoms:
- Difficulty losing weight/ overweight
- Low energy
- Liver dysfunction
- Digestive problems
- Allergies
- Diabetes
- Difficulty sleeping
- Depression/poor mood
- Chronic headaches/migraines
- Chronic skin conditions
- Sore muscles
- Stiff joints
How Often Should We Detoxify? Regardless of whether or not you suffer from the above ailments, I recommend that everyone go through a detox diet at least once a year in order to keep their bodies healthy and prevent disease as well as to prevent the above ailments from even happening because an annual detox can prevent chronic toxic states. A detox diet will set the reset button on your body, giving a boost in its ability to ward off toxins and thereby, maintain an equilibrium that will fight and prevent disease. Of course, detoxifying more often is even better and often highly needed, especially for those who suffer from the above conditions, but at the very least, we should do it once a year. I believe that spring-time is a great time to detoxify as most of us are mentally gearing up for summer anyway. We are spring cleaning our homes and our lives and often starting to exercise more. It is a great time to detox and a more likely time for you to do it with success.
What Does A Detox Diet Look Like? Detox diets come in a variety of forms but they all center on significantly reducing the amount of chemicals ingested (for example, eliminating processed foods or eating only organic produce), increasing nutrients intake through diet, herbs, and/or supplements as well as increasing intake of water and fiber/probiotics in order to encourage more elimination of waste through the bowels and urine. Some detoxification diets will include resting the organs through fasting (will vary in degrees and method) and others also include other herbs or supplements that work specifically at increasing your body’s ability to absorb nutrients or purge toxins through one of your body’s systems (liver, skin, or lymphatic systems for example). The diets themselves can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of months, depending on your personal goals and needs.
What Can Dr. Kelly Do To Help Me Detoxify? For those who wish to take their detox a step further, they can come in for what’s called a glutathione IV Push. Glutathione is one of the strongest anti-oxidants in the liver, and is considered the “Master Detoxifier”. The liver is considered in Chinese medicine as the “General of the army” as it is the “detox organ”. It is a quick 5 minute push which can really help the liver do its job.