Detoxification – do you need it?

Have you ever gotten headaches from strong scents like perfume or gasoline? Or noticed an increased sensitivity to strong smells? Are you dealing with persistent headaches, fatigue, brain fog, skin rashes or bouts of intermittent blurry vision? As allergy season approaches – are you getting prepared with a Costco sized package of Claritin? If you or someone you know experiences these types of symptoms (which are only a few of the many toxicity can cause in the body), and seems some detoxification support, continue reading to learn more.

What is it?

Detoxification is your body’s natural process of eliminating toxins from the air we breathe, water we drink, food we consume, medications and pharmaceuticals, containers we drink from or cook in, products we clean our homes with, and the products we put on our hair and skin. There are so many areas in our daily lives that release toxins, which as a consequence, end up in our body. Although our body has built in ways to detoxify, sometimes our exposure to toxins is in such high amounts that it can cause quite a bit of havoc. Unfortunately, due to the increase is toxins, this is when you experience a wide variety of symptoms and begin looking for someone who can help.

 

Here’s a little bit of how toxins are stored in the body:

Toxins get absorbed from the body through the lungs, digestion tract, or skin. They travel through the blood stream sometimes reaching the liver for filter and removal; however, some get stuck in the blood stream and end up getting deposited in the tissues and fat. As we start to lose weight or mobilize that fat to use for energy, those toxins can get re-released into the body and can cause rashes, headaches, fatigue, blurry vision/ brain fog, and all sorts of different symptoms.

 

Because of this, one important aspect of a safe detox is performing it slowly over time to prevent a major overload of toxins and an increase in symptoms.

 

I mentioned earlier that your liver does a lot of the detoxification for the body; however, other systems like your skin (sweat!), your kidneys (urine), and your gut also work to facilitate the removal of toxins.

You can support the detoxification process with different types of foods.

 

  1. Good filtered water, 1-3 liters of water per day, helps flush out toxins through the urine.
  2. Foods high in fiber like vegetables, protein, and legumes are super high in fiber and help create bulk in the gut, promote gut motility and movement, and facilitate removal of toxins from the liver and intestines.
  3. Foods that support Phase I and Phase II detox in the liver like garlic, brassica family vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts etc.)
  4. Increasing your dietary intake of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories: such as blueberries (antioxidant) and curcumin (anti-inflammatory)

Purpose of detoxification

There are so many sources that increase the body’s  toxic load. Supporting natural detoxification systems helps to reduce symptoms that may be from increased toxins.

Toxic load is your body’s level of toxins and how much it can handle. For example, it will be different for everyone, but we all have a threshold of exposure that we can handle before we start seeing symptoms of toxicity like I mentioned above.

 

What kind of symptoms can it help?

Fatigue, brain fog, skin rashes, blurry vision, head aches, heart palpitations of unknown cause, GI tract discomfort, muscle and joint aches and pains, sensitivity to smells and strong scents, ALLERGIES!, neurologic/psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, mood disorders and others that medication just doesn’t seem to help.

What resources are available to you?

1.) This post is shared from Dr K’s website. She focuses on nutrition and wellness. The site is designed to give you helpful information that you can trust and find solutions that you can put to practice in your life to reach your goals. www.discoverfunctionalnutrition.com

2.) All of us at Source Health Center! Charollette, Dr Mike and Dr K know a lot about Chiropractic, detox, and detoxification products that we carry. We can answer any questions you may have!

3.) Standard Process Purification Program: follow the link below to learn more. They have dietary guidelines to help you during your 21-day program. There are kits available in the office and all of the introductory materials and instructions are available.

https://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process/Purification-Program#.WNFvURIrKRs

4.) Whole 30: I recommend looking at the Whole 30 website and looking at their guidelines of what to eat and what not to eat. Their recipes are also VERY good and can help give you some variety during this process.  www.whole30.com

 

Lastly, what are your goals? Maybe you’re trying to get rid of symptoms so that you can feel healthier and get out there doing more of what you of love. Or, are you dealing with a health issue or concern that you can’t seem to find an answer, or medication to help? Maybe you have a lot of exposure to toxins and need help identifying the cause. Whatever it is, doing it with a doctor’s help can monitor your progress and make sure you are doing it safely.

 

Get started today! Make an appointment with Dr K or Dr Mike to take the first step towards reaching your goals and a healthier you!
Serving you in health,

-Dr K

 


References:

  1. Hodges RE, Minich DM. Modulation of metabolic detoxification pathways using foods and food-derived components: a scientific review with clinical application. Journal of nutrition and metabolism. 2015.
  2. Cline JC. Nutritional aspects of detoxification in clinical practice. Alternative therapies. 2015 (21)3.
  3. Genius SJ. Elimination of persistent toxicants from the human body. 2011. Human and experimental toxicology. 30(1)3-18.