The world we live in is heavily inundated with toxic elements – every single day, we have to contend with pollution in the air, water systems, and the food we eat. Our bodies are tasked with filtering environmental and dietary toxins on a daily basis, and while the human body is resilient and always working through a cleansing process to release these toxins, a build-up can easily occur that alters our internal environment and impacts our health.
Systems that can be impacted by toxicity, and their association symptoms include:
Metabolic
Fatigue
Neurological
Cognitive Dysfunction, Brain Fog
Endocrine
Thyroid, Adrenal, Sex Hormones, ADH
Immune
Viral, Fungal, Bacterial Infection
Digestive
Dysbiosis, Leaky Gut, Malabsorption, Food Intolerances
Symptoms of Toxicity
There is a wide range of symptoms of toxicity in the body, and these are just some of the common ways toxic overload can present:
- fatigue
- sleep issues
- eczema
- depression
- brain fog
- Migraines
- memory impairment
- Allergies
- Arthritis
- sinus issues
- digestive disorders
- hormonal imbalance
- constipation
- bloating, gas
- frequent illness or infections
It can be difficult to diagnose toxic overload, as these symptoms are often attributed to other illnesses; however, as you move through the detox process, you’ll likely notice significant changes to your overall health.
The body’s systems are interconnected, and disease or disruption in one area can easily affect another. When one system becomes overwhelmed by toxicity, it interrupts healthy communication patterns with your other systems. This process, when left unaddressed, can create a domino effect of dis-ease in the body.
Your Path to Healthy Detox
Effective detoxification is not a 10-day cleanse; rather, it’s a lifestyle change that supports healthy habits, avoids overconsumption and exposure to toxins, and relies upon effective processes to continually flush toxins from the system.
If you feel as though you’re dealing with symptoms of toxicity (and let’s be honest – we all are, to some degree) – what are the best steps you can take to get well?
Lifestyle Practices to Support Detoxification
The foundation of a supportive and sustainable detox process is making healthy lifestyle and dietary choices. There is no quick fix, and your habits, thought patterns, and the things you put in (and on) our body will have an enormous impact on your ability to detox. Here are some practices you can implement to support yourself with detoxification:
- Drink lots of water
- Limit alcohol intake
- Improve sleep patterns
- Reduce processed foods and sugar
- Include daily exercise or movement
- Choose natural products (skin and hair care, cleaning products)
- Eat detox-supporting foods
- Support lymphatic drainage
Some foods you should be including in your diet to support the detox process are kale, beets, spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed oil, organic organ meats, dandelion and milk thistle tea.
Tools and Treatments for Detoxification
When you’re ready to take action in detoxing your body, you’ll want to include particular supplements and treatments to support this process.
The Detox Fix is a three-month program that covers all aspects of detoxification – downstream and upstream, and also the third, which is the brain. Learn more about this unique detox program here.
Some of our favourite tools for detoxification are available in the Longevity Lab at Divine Elements, and include: the Infrared Sauna, Bemer Mat, IonCleanse Foot Bath, and Glutathione Nebulizer.
We recently interviewed Spencer Feldman of www.remedylink.com for the Health Ignited Podcast about detoxification and some of the suppositories and products he’s designed to support this process.
You might also like to check out Dr. Nick’s detox webinar with lots of helping information about detoxing and improving cellular health.
Still have some questions? Meet with one of our naturopaths to discuss options for diagnostic testing and creating a treatment plan fully customized to your personal needs.
