Do I Need a Body Detox If I Am Not Overweight?

“I have never been what one would call a healthy eater. I eat whatever I want. I eat pizza when I want and cheesecake when I want. My friends are all jealous. They tell me that if they ate like I do they would look like an elephant. One of my friends does look like an elephant and she practically starves herself. So, what about the detox diet? Is it for me or for my fat friend?”

This is a very good question and the answer is that the detox diet is for both of you. Just because you can eat anything and not get fat doesn’t mean that your body is “clean”.

Other symptoms of a toxic body include but are not limited to allergies, sinus problems, arthritis, digestive problems, and bowel problems. If you have bad breath, guess what ? Your body is toxic. Your fat friend needs the detox diet too. Her body is not clean from the toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis. Her digestive tract is not working properly and her colon is more than likely clogged with decaying fecal matter. A good detox diet will benefit both of you.

“Where did all these toxins come from?” This is another great question. They are found in virtually everything in your daily life Here are some examples:

Do you eat french fries? Even if a fast food restaurant uses the “good oils” that are not hydrogenated, guess what? When most oils are heated above 150 degrees they become hydrogenated. So much for the “good” french fries.

Do you drink or bathe in water that is chlorinated? Chlorine is very poisonous to the body and seeps into the pores of the skin, the bodies largest and most important organ. When chlorine enters the body it acts as a cancer causing agent and is suspected to be a leading cause of bladder cancer. It can cause other problems in the respiratory system as well.

Do you eat boxed or “prepared” foods, such as hot dogs? These items contain preservatives and dyes that are toxic to the body. These ingredients have been connected to hyperactivity in children as well as to certain types of cancer. Because they are “unnatural” they are foreign to the body and are treated as unnatural. This overworks the immune defense system and eventually causes a low immune response.

Do you use pesticides? Obviously pesticides are harmful to the body, and normally we know how to avoid being around them. But if you “forget” to properly wash our fresh veggies or fruits, we are exposed to them. If we live in certain parts of the country where farming is the predominant industry, the air is sprayed with pesticides every time a crop is grown. You can’t get away from the pesticides that you have no control over.

Do you use personal hygene products such as shampoo, lotion or soap? Even these products are laced with chemicals like antifreeze (propylene glyclol) and sodium laureth, which when exposed to your body become lethal free radicals that attack your healthy cells and render them useless or harmful to the natural function of your body.

Do you smoke or live or work in a smoking environment? There are well over five hundred poisonous chemicals in one cigarette. One chemical that is poisonous to the body is cadmium. It is a prevalent element in cigarettes and is evidenced by the “blue” cloud seen in rooms where there are smokers. If the body doesn’t have the essential elements ( vitamins and minerals to keep healthy), amino acids pick up cadmium or other poisonous elements and carry them into the cell. Once in the cell, the cadmium turns the cell cancerous.

” How do I detox? Is it painful? “

The first step in cleansing the body of the toxins it is exposed every day is to clean the colon. Good health starts in the colon. The colon is the organ that “feeds” the body. Most of us think that the colon is just to eliminate waste. This is only part of what the colon does. Once food is digested it goes into the intestinal tract broken down into all its components. These components consist materials vital to the body’s function, and materials that are waste, which includes toxins. The colon, through an absorption process “feeds” the nutrients into the blood, which carries the food to the cells. The waste materials are then pushed out of the body as a normal function. If the colon is working properly there should be no need to “strain” or push the waste out. The bowels should “move” on their own and the “urge” should warn you in time to be in an appropriate place for the movement. Holding back the “movement” is not healthy and can lead to malfunctioning bowels.

When the colon is “overloaded” with toxins, it automatically secretes a rubbery like mucous that prevents toxins from entering the blood stream. When the mucous becomes very thick, it prevents even the nutrients essential to health from entering the blood stream. All that digested food then, backs up in the colon and begins rotting, thus the foul odors. This introduces even more toxins into the enclosed area….as well as the bathroom or any other place it might escape.

Cleaning the colon can be as simple as eating foods high in fiber, such as bran muffins. However, eating one cup of fruit such as organically grown ( to avoid the pesticides) blue berries or raspberries might be healthier because of the other ingredients in the bran muffin that may not be so beneficial. You would have to eat ten bran muffins to get the same amount of fiber in one cup of fruit. Increasing your fresh vegetable intake will also add the needed fiber to your diet to cleanse the colon. The chlorophyll in green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and greens of all kinds, is excellent for detoxifying the colon and helping to clean it out. The fiber not only absorbs the toxins, it helps push the waste out.

“Does fasting get rid of toxins in the body?”

Yes, fasting is another way to detoxify the body, but it is not for everyone Fasting is a way to relax your body systems and give them time to use the nutrient available to replenish the cells and eliminate the wastes properly. It is like giving the body a “catch-up” time to center attention on healing and eliminating toxins. No food at all should be eaten during a fast and only limited amounts of water are taken in. Fasting should last for no more than two or three days unless supervised by a physician.

“Are there any easier ways to detoxify?”

There are some easier ways for people who are “too” busy to go throug all the routines that are involved in the above methods. There is a product on the market that is used to detoxify the body through the feet. Many naturapaths and healthfood stores utilize this method very successfully on clients. Your feet “soak” in a bath of water that is specially treated to remove the toxins through the feet. Two ways you are aware of the removal of the toxins are by the change in the water color and by the way you begin feeling. Depending on what system is being targeted for the cleanse, whether it is the lymph system, the circulatory, or respiratory or digestive system, the water will be a different color. Likewise, you will feel the difference in whatever system has been cleansed.

The number one effect that doing a body cleanse will have on you is an increase in your energy levels. So, come on, admit it, you need a body cleanse. Everything in your environment is screaming for you to get one. Grab your fat friend and choose a detox program that will make you and your friend the envy of all your other friends!