The Value of Detoxifying Your Body: Ridding Your Body of Toxins

Though other countries have been doing it for centuries, detoxification is fairly new in the United States. With its growing popularity among Americans today, many are asking the question, "WHY?" "What's the big deal? Why do I need to detox?"

The reason is we live in an unhealthy society. With hazardous chemicals being found in everything from children's toys to food at the grocery store, it seems nothing we interact with is healthy anymore. We have even been told that plastics, found in every home, often contain Xenoestrogens, a chemical that can disrupt fertility and sexual development.

These toxins build up in our bodies with constant exposure. While the body tries to rid itself of these toxins, many are not efficiently eliminated. Over time these traces of toxins build up in your system. This buildup can reduce our bodies' ability to heal itself, properly absorb nutrients, and prevent illness.

Endogenous toxins are created from normal bodily functions. These unavoidable natural toxins are found in every body. The body will naturally eliminate these toxins for you however; exposure to other toxins built up in the body (Exogenous toxins) can hamper the ability to expel them completely.

Exogenous toxins are pollutants we are exposed to on a daily basis that do not belong in our bodies. Air pollution, pesticides, and chemicals are exogenous toxins. Small traces of these toxins enter the body through exposure and build up over time. Gasoline is an excellent example of continuous exposure to exogenous toxins. Think about the number of times you pump gasoline into your car each year. Each time you breathe in those fumes you are adding to the build up of exogenous toxins in you body.

Avoiding exposure to these toxins is nearly impossible in today's world. A gentle detoxification of your body once or twice a year is the key to staying healthy. There are many ways to go about detoxifying your body. You should choose a method you feel comfortable with and are able to follow. No one method of detox is right for every one. Some prefer water fasting or water and juice fasting while others prefer a diet of supplements, high liquid intake, and "light" small meals of vegetables and detoxifying herbs. The amount of days you will spend detoxifying your body will vary with each method. Just choose the one you would feel most comfortable with. For most beginners, the best method is increasing liquid intake, taking supplements, and eating light meals of vegetables, grains, and yogurt or applesauce.

Do not allow yourself to become obsessive with cleansing your body. Your body needs time to restore after each cleansing. The body naturally has two cycles, restore and detoxify. While your body's ability to detoxify itself can become impaired from too many toxins, it still needs time to restore itself. Constant cleansing can become harmful if you do not let your body "rest" and restore itself. Cleansing only needs to be done one or two times a year. Most choose to cleanse in the spring and some again in the fall. This gives the body plenty of time in between cleanses to restore.

If you want to prevent toxin build up between cleanses try avoiding exogenous toxins as best as you can. Switch to homemade natural herbal cleaners for you home, eliminate refined foods from your diet, wash all your fruits and vegetables to eliminate pesticide residue, increase your water and supplement intake, and exercise regularly. Just remember, in today's society it's nearly impossible to avoid exposure to toxins because they are everywhere. So the best way to combat toxin build up in your body is to keep it strong, healthy, and functioning properly so it can better eliminate those toxins.

Those with chronic diseases should seek medical advise before attempting any detoxification method. In the case of a diabetic, some methods, such as water fasting, will drastically lower your blood sugar levels while others, like juice fasting, may increase you blood sugar. So speak with your doctor to come up with an appropriate detoxification program for you.