Facts on Detoxification

1)    The first sign of increased health during detoxification can actually be feeling worse.This occurs because toxins are coming out and can be referred to as a cleansing crisis.  It usually exists for no more than 7-10 days.  The body makes mucous to protect the toxins, therefore preventing them from going into the rest of the body.  When detoxing occurs, mucous breaks down and toxins go into body at first. It is vital to make sure the
channels of elimination are open before detoxing.

2)   If you’re on a weight loss plan, do a gentle detox with it in order to prevent further problems.  Most toxins are stored as fat so if you lose weight, they are released into the body.  Since these toxins lie in fat deposits, it stands to reason that cleaning up our diets will benefit in the whole body system.

3)   Today there are many products on the market trying to sell their detoxification properties.  To get the most out of detoxification, we need to eat foods that support our bodies’ primary detox organs: the GI (gastro-intestinal) tract and the liver.  A healthy GI tract will act as a physical barrier to toxins trying to gain access into our bodies.  Fresh, whole foods contain fibre, nutrients and probiotics that will support overall detoxification within the body.

4)   More extreme is not always better.  If someone is currently eating a Standard American Diet (fried foods, packaged foods, rancid fat, meat, refined foods, few fresh foods), an extreme cleanse could be dangerous.  Toxins usually don’t have enough fibre in them to facilitate regular elimination.  As more toxins are being released than can be eliminated, this backlog could potentially cause symptoms beyond a normal cleansing crisis.  The key to effective and safe cleansing is to take steps towards more cleansing, starting where you are.