You May Remove Bodily Toxins with Diet and Lifestyle Changes
Over time, our bodies slowly pick up toxins − small molecules, peptides, or proteins that cause disease − in many different ways, such as by eating or inhaling them. Some believe that these toxins can strain our organ systems − especially the liver, the main point of detoxification in our bodies − and eventually cause serious health issues, like depression and joint pain.
Some healthcare professionals believe that holistic cleanses and detoxifications (detox) can remove toxins from your body. As there are many different cleansing and detox programs to choose from, ask your healthcare provider to find or create one that treats your specific symptoms and accommodates your lifestyle needs.
To learn more about holistic cleansing and detoxification in , call (832) 532-0050 or contact us online.
What Do Holistic Cleanses and Detox Do?
While the words cleanse and detoxification are often used interchangeably, they refer to slightly different things.
The purpose of a holistic cleanse is to clean out the digestive tract, while the purpose of a holistic detox is a full body toxin elimination by turning toxins into waste, thus enhancing the body’s detoxification pathways (especially in the liver).
Toxins frequently found in our bodies may include:
- Pesticides
- Air pollutants like benzene
- Heavy metals like lead
- Alcohol, recreational drugs, and abuse of prescription drugs
Some believe that a build-up of toxins can cause many health complications, such as:
- Skin problems like acne, rashes, and eczema
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Headaches
- Muscle and joint pain
- Anxiety and depression
- Mood swings
- Digestion issues like constipation
- Constant weight gain
- High blood pressure
While there is no clinical evidence that diet changes positively affect liver function or other detoxification diet metabolic pathways, many healthcare providers believe that the toxin removal of cleanses and detoxifications can be genuinely helpful.
How to Cleanse and Detoxify
To prepare for a holistic cleanse or detox, some healthcare professionals believe that you should first:
- Choose a date to start your detox program, and stick to it
- Plan your meals ahead of time to help keep yourself on track
- Make sure you’re getting enough sleep
- Surround yourself with a support system of friends and family for encouragement and support
The specifics and duration of a holistic cleanse or detox depends entirely on the program you partake in. Talk to your primary healthcare provider before engaging in any kind of cleanse or detox program, as they can help you find or create a program that suits your specific symptoms and lifestyle needs.
During a holistic cleanse, your healthcare provider may suggest that you avoid processed food, such as canned vegetables and microwavable meals, and instead eat whole foods and organic foods instead, as they may have fewer toxic chemicals in them. Examples of whole foods include fruits, vegetables, nus and beans, while examples of organic foods are meat and animal products without antibiotics and growth hormones, and fruits and vegetables that have not been treated with pesticides, ionizing radiation, or bioengineering.
In a holistic detox, diet and lifestyle changes are believed to benefit your health. Lifestyle changes can include:
- Taking herbal supplements
- Visiting saunas for therapeutic sweating
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Exfoliation
It is recommended that you replace meat and processed food with fruits and vegetables. Some foods that may be especially good in a detoxifying treatment include:
- Apples, which may detox the liver
- Ginger, which may detox the liver and aid digestion
- Lemons, which may detox the digestive tract
- Pineapples, which may clean out the stomach
- Kale, which may clean out the kidneys
It is also recommended that you drink lots of water, as some healthcare providers believe that this may help flush toxins from the digestive system. Some detox diets may recommend that you regularly drink vegetable and fruit juices − such as kale, carrot, and lemon juice − as they some believe that these juices may provide nutrients and flush toxins from the gut, as some toxins are naturally metabolized there.
After Your Holistic Cleanse and Detox
Proponents of holistic cleanses and detoxes believe that by replacing your diet with healthy foods to help remove toxins from your system, you may experience:
- Reduced constipation
- Balanced stress levels
- Curbed food additions and controlled cravings
- Increased energy
- Improved immune system
As a holistic cleanse alters your diet, your body’s bowel movements may undergo the following changes:
- Increased elimination
- Bloating, gas, and diarrhea
- Changes in stool color
Some healthcare providers believe that irritability and moodiness is a natural part of the body’s self-healing process, so when you undergo a holistic detox, you may experience much worse but short-term irritability and moodiness. It is also believed that toxins being eliminated through the skin might cause acne or rashes.
It is believed that when your cells release these toxins, they first enter your blood stream and are carried through the circulatory system, resulting in symptoms like:
- Body aches and pains
- Headaches
- Stomach aches, nausea, or vomiting
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Cold or flu-like symptoms, such as coughing, fever, and fatigue
Some proponents of holistic detoxification believe that the severity of these symptoms may be reduced by starting your detox slowly rather than starting it quickly, as it gives your body more time to adjust to the changes.
Request Your Appointment Today!
Holistic detoxification may be able to use healthy eating to clear your body out of harmful toxins to improve your overall health, but you should never begin one without the help of a medical professional.
To find a healthcare provider in who specializes in cleanses and detoxification therapy, call (832) 532-0050 or contact us online.