Thursday, February 8, 2007

Safe And Natural Ways To Detox And Cleanse The Body

All across America, harmful toxins including hair spray, lawn
fertilizers, food preservatives, dry cleaning, and flea
repellant are exposing us to more chemicals and toxins than
ever before. They are present in the air we breathe, the food
we eat, and the water that we drink. These products that we
depend on daily expose us to literally tens of thousands of
chemicals and contaminants each day, making the question clear,
how do we detoxify? With the hundreds of detoxification products
ranging from one simple supplement to complicated regimens, how
do we choose the best product for us?

Detoxification, which is the elimination of poisons or toxins,
includes a wide variety of treatments that aim at getting rid
of the body's toxins and improve health. Although we have a
natural detoxification system in our body such as our liver,
lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and skin all work to
eliminate the toxins we take in, the huge amount of
contaminants and toxins in today's environment presents too
challenging of our job for our body to handle on its own. This
results in a dangerous accumulation of toxins in our body. When
toxins are found in the food we eat and the water that we drink,
sometimes they can not be destroyed by the digestive enzymes,
detoxified by the liver, or eliminated by the immune system,
causing them to build up and affect every part of our body,
slowing our metabolism, taking our energy, reducing our
immunity, possibly leading to serious chronic illness.

Since most detoxification supplements only focus on the liver
and colon, the only way to make sure that detoxification is
truly successful is to cleanse the whole body, which demands
detoxification of the blood and lymph also. If toxins are
present in the blood and lymph, this means that every organ,
tissue, and cell will be exposed to these toxins, even if you
are currently undergoing detoxification. The blood and lymph
fluids need detoxification too, for your body to perform its
best.

Many detoxification programs are complicated and hard to
follow, even with instructions. If you can't understand what
you need to do, the chances are that the detoxification program
will not work very well. Be wary of which product you choose
because some programs contain ingredients that are so
ineffective and useless that they are a waste of money, while
others contain products that are known to harm your health.
Avoid programs that are based on senna and cascara, which are
laxatives that often create bowel dependence, deplete vitamins,
minerals, and enzymes, and leave you feeling drained and
fatigued. Enemas and colonics place a large demand on bowel
health and, although helpful, should not be used at home, but
rather under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner.

When choosing a whole body cleansing program look for something
that is based on safe, effective, all-natural herbs and
nutrients. It should be a gradual and gentle program that works
with your body's own detoxification ability and normal patterns
of elimination. The two-week initial phase should scrub your
intestines naturally, stirring up and freeing stored toxins,
bind the freed toxins with fiber for excretion and elimination,
restore power to the liver, purify the blood, and cleanse the
lymph.

Magnesium hydroxide, which is one of the most effective yet
gentle laxatives available, draws water into the intestines,
which causes its contents to soften and swell. It then scrubs,
loosens, and cleanses the intestinal walls. Herbs such as
Slippery Elm Bark, Marshmallow Root, and Peppermint Leaf
extract, coat irritated mucous membranes, draw out toxins, and
soothe the lining of the intestinal wall, help white blood
cells seek and destroy disease-causing germs, increase the bow
of bile, relax intestinal muscles, and reduce cramps and gas
that may occur during detoxification.

After stirring up toxins and scrubbing them from intestinal
walls, they must be grabbed onto with natural detoxification
fibers. Upon entering the intestines, the fiber expands and
soaks up the toxins and waste minerals, preparing them for
elimination through the intestines. The safest fibers to use
during detoxification are oat bran, pectin from citrus fruit,
psyllium husk, and guar gum. However, even the best detox
fibers can't cleanse the colon if they can't absorb and
eliminate toxins. The most effective fibers are designed to be
thoroughly dispersed throughout the entire colon.

With the use of milk thistle, the best known herb for the
health of the liver, liver cells injured by toxins can be
regenerated and toxins can be blocked from entering the liver
in the first place. However, not all milk thistle products are
the same. Only milk thistle that is standardized to contain 80%
silymarin and formulated with phosphatidylcholine are capable of
preventing liver damage in persons suffering from alcoholism or
hepatitis and improving the way the liver works in people with
cirrhosis of the liver. When milk thistle is combined with
artichoke extract, licorice, and dandelion, the result is
healthy bile production and a better flow of bile into the
small intestine.

Because blood nourishes every organ as it flows through our
body and transports oxygen from the lungs, nutrients from the
small intestine, hormones from glands, and immune cells to
fight infection and reduce inflammation. It also takes toxins
to the liver and transports waste to the kidneys. However, if
the liver is unable to detoxify as it should, the toxins will
remain in the bloodstream, influencing every cell, tissue, and
organ. Burdock, one of the most effective natural blood
purifiers and cleansers, helps the kidneys filter impurities
from the blood more quickly and helps to cleanse the
respiratory, lymphatic, urinary, and circulatory systems also.

Since lymph is the fluid of health, the lymphatic system is the
first to alert the body that there are toxins within it. One of
the most effective herbs for lymph detoxification is red clover
extract because it is able to keep harmful toxins out of the
lymphatic system, while keeping the liver strong and
stimulating bile production.

Although most people will have excellent results from the whole
body cleansing program, there are additional nutritional
supplements that help detoxification needs. Humifulvate, which
reduces lead and cadmium levels in people who have been exposed
to highly toxic metals, binds harmful metals in the intestinal
tract, without draining the body of the healthy minerals it
needs. Following a cleanse with a high potency pancreatic
enzyme supplement will help to keep intestines parasite-free,
while helping your body to produce digestive enzymes, immune
secretions, and beneficial flora. Oregano, thyme, peppermint,
and goldenseal are also important in keeping the body from
growing bacteria, viruses, candida, and fungi after
detoxification. An inulin and oligofructose supplement can help
our immune system fight bacteria and viruses and improve the
strength of our heart, while keeping our digestive tract
healthy. Finally, a probiotic supplement can help to deliver
helpful bacteria to the intestine, where the previous
beneficial bacteria had been depleted due to retained
intestinal toxins.

When deciding to use a detoxification program, one must know
that it is safe for most people. However, pregnant or nursing
women should not use any detoxification program, even if they
are designed to be extremely gentle. It is also recommended
that a person does not detox more than four times in the same
year, unless it is recommended by a health care provider. While
on a detoxification program, it is important to drink at least
64 ounces of water every day. With a good detoxification
program, the whole body will be cleansed gently and gradually,
while working with your body's own detoxification ability and
patterns of elimination. All the above mentioned herbs and
vitamins are available at your local vitamin store as well as
internet vitamin stores.


About The Author: Visit VitaNet Health Foods at
http://vitanetonline.com/ VitaNet sells high quality vitamins
and herbs at discount prices and name brands like Source
Naturals and Now Foods. Please link to this site when using
this article.