You only have one body and you should treat it as such. What you eat, your fitness level, your stress management skills, and your environment influence the state of your body. Unfortunately, pollution, food systems, the water supply, and dietary choices are not the most optimal nowadays. This blog delves into the reasons to cleanse and all the benefits of cleansing.
Reasons to Cleanse Your Body
The main reason to cleanse your body is to lower your toxic load. Toxins are everywhere and are part of everyday living. They are substances that are harmful or poisonous to living organisms. Toxins can come from various sources, such as plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, chemicals, and environmental pollutants. Toxins can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, or absorption through the skin, and they can accumulate and disrupt normal biological functions.
Toxins are damaging to your body at a cellular level. Toxic buildup can lead to cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, kidney failure, hypertension, nerve damage, allergies, asthma, gastric and skin problems, cardiovascular, respiratory, and visual disorders, and even death.
Toxins can be found in various places, both in the environment and within our bodies They can be found in the air you breathe, the water you drink and bathe in, and the food you eat. Here are some common sources:
- Environmental pollutants: Toxins can be present in air, water, and soil due to industrial waste, agricultural runoff, vehicle emissions, and other sources.
- Household products: Certain cleaning agents, pesticides, and even personal care products can contain toxins.
- Food and water: Contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, and harmful bacteria can be present in food and water supplies.
- Microorganisms: Bacteria, viruses, and fungi can produce toxins that cause illness.
- Metabolic byproducts: Our bodies produce toxins as byproducts of normal metabolic processes. For example, urea is a toxin that our kidneys filter out of the bloodstream and excrete in urine.
- Medications and drugs: Medications, vaccines, and recreational drugs can be toxic if they interact negatively with other substances, are not well-tolerated by the body, or are taken in excess.
- Biotoxins: Toxins can be produced by certain plants, animals, and marine organisms. Examples include venom from snakes and spiders, toxins in certain mushrooms, and harmful algae blooms in the ocean.
Environmental toxicity can change from place to place, with more industrialized cities being the most polluted. Yet, it’s challenging to find clean air even outside urban environments. The increase in environmental toxins and pharmaceutical products is correlated with the rise of certain diseases.
For instance, since 1950 cancer rates have risen over 50 percent. From 1980 to 1994, asthma escalated to 75% in adults and 160% in children. Autism in children went from 1 in 25,000 in the 1970s to 1 in 36. Now, 1 in 6 (17%) children aged 3–17 years are being diagnosed with a developmental disability (autism, ADD, ADHD).
What To Do To Decrease Your Toxic Load
I know that the picture seems bleak and you may be wondering what you can do to decrease your toxic load and keep your body systems functioning well. Reducing the toxic load in your body involves adopting lifestyle changes that support your body’s natural detoxification processes and minimizing exposure to harmful substances. Here are some tips:
- Eat a Clean Diet: Consume a balanced healthy diet full of whole, organic foods rich in nutrients and antioxidants. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Avoid processed foods, fast food, vegetable oils, sugary snacks, and excessive alcohol.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to support your body’s natural detoxification processes. Hydration is essential for flushing out toxins through urine and sweat. Drink plenty of water (learn how to prepare the purest water), herbal teas, and fresh fruit juices.
- Support Liver Function: The liver plays a crucial role in detoxifying the body. Support its function by consuming liver-friendly foods like cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale), garlic, onions, and turmeric.
- Exercise Regularly: Physical activity promotes circulation and helps the body eliminate toxins through sweat and urine. Maintain appropriate levels of physical fitness
- Manage Stress: Chronic stress can impair detoxification pathways. Practice stress-reducing techniques such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, or spending time in nature.
- Limit Exposure to Environmental Toxins: Reduce your exposure to toxins by choosing natural cleaning and personal care products, avoiding plastic food containers and water bottles, and minimizing contact with pesticides and chemicals.
- Get Sufficient Sleep: Quality sleep is essential for the body to repair and detoxify. Eliminate sleep disruptors and aim for 7-9 hours of restful sleep each night to support overall health and detoxification.
- Practice Sauna Therapy: Saunas can help the body sweat out toxins and promote detoxification. Infrared saunas, in particular, are believed to penetrate deeper into tissues and promote detoxification at a cellular level.
- Consider Detoxifying Foods and Supplements: Certain foods and supplements can aid in detoxification, such as spirulina, chlorella, cilantro, and milk thistle. You can incorporate an organic green blend powder with powerful superfoods that help achieve this goal.
- Fast: Since fasting gives your digestive system a break and allows your body to repair and heal, your body’s detoxification and elimination systems, primarily the liver and kidneys, can focus on detoxification and reset. Additionally, fasting promotes autophagy, a process in which cells remove damaged components and cells.
CLEANSE: This is the ultimate process to help your cells detox. It entails giving your body only nutrient-dense foods (organic fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats) while eliminating caffeine, alcohol, processed foods, vegetable oils, sugary snacks, and refined carbohydrates – as they can contribute to inflammation and sluggishness. This supports your body’s natural detoxification processes.
During this period, you can incorporate detoxifying foods and supplements. Certain foods and beverages, such as lemon water, green tea, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage), and herbs (dandelion, milk thistle), support detoxification. You can also add Oxy-Powder, Paratrex, organic green blend powder, and others.
[Learn how to detox your cells and cleanse your body properly at the Energetic Health Institute]
Benefits of Cleansing Your Body
Many cultures have implemented body detox practices throughout history. Currently, cleansing is crucial due to the overwhelming amount of toxins encountered daily and the unhealthy eating patterns practiced by most people. Cleansing the body can offer several potential benefits but you need to know how to do it properly.
Here are some benefits of cleansing:
- Removal of Toxins: Cleansing can help the body rid itself of accumulated toxins and acidic waste from environmental pollutants, processed foods, and other sources. This can support overall health and well-being.
- Improved Digestion: Many cleansing protocols involve consuming natural, whole foods that are high in fiber and nutrients. This can help improve digestion and nutrient absorption, promote regular bowel movements, and support the health of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Increased Energy: By eliminating processed foods, sugar, caffeine, and other substances that can contribute to energy crashes, cleansing can help boost energy levels. Having more stable, sustained energy throughout the day is another benefit of cleansing.
- Enhanced Mental Clarity: Some people report feeling more mentally alert and focused and having less brain fog during and after a cleanse, possibly due to the removal of toxins and the consumption of nutrient-dense foods that support brain health.
- Improved Skin Health: Clearing the body of toxins and consuming hydrating, nutrient-rich foods can lead to clearer, healthier-looking skin.
- Reduced Inflammation: Another benefit of cleansing is reducing inflammation. By removing inflammatory foods and substances, you reduce your risk of chronic disease.
- Support for Immune Function: A healthy diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can help support the immune system, potentially reducing the risk of illness and promoting faster recovery from illness or injury.
- Balanced pH Levels: Eating processed, fast foods, and the standard American diet (SAD) can lead to an acidic environment in the body, which contributes to diseased states. Cleansing inundates your body with alkaline-forming foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and eliminates acidic foods, helping rebalance pH levels.
- Weight Loss: While not the primary goal of all cleansing protocols, some people experience weight loss as a result of eliminating processed foods, reducing calorie intake, and supporting metabolism through healthy eating habits. Fat loss can be another important benefit of cleansing since it can help decrease cravings and break bad dietary habits and weight loss plateaus.
- Antiaging: Cleansing helps restore the function of your internal systems, including your hormones. Growth hormone is one of them, which is involved in antiaging.
Eliminating the toxin buildup that compromises your detoxification systems and doesn’t allow internal systems to function appropriately is one of the many reasons to cleanse. You should know that your body can heal itself – when given the appropriate tools, your body is extremely grateful and responsive. Now that you know all the benefits of cleansing, you can implement cleansing protocols to reset your body and allow it to function at its best. Try to do it at least once a year, not only to get healthier but to look and feel great!
To a Fitter Healthier You,
The Fitness Wellness Mentor
