Detoxification Q & A

Detoxification: What is it?

Detoxification is a normal body function for the elimination of metabolic wastes from the foods we eat, the water we drink and air we breathe. Our body has a daily elimination cycle that occurs mostly at night and throughout the early morning up until breakfast. How well our bodies perform this function depends in large part on the health of two organs: the liver and the kidneys. We also clear some toxins throug our skin from sweating and through our sinuses via mucus.

Who needs to detoxify?

Almost everyone needs to cleanse, detoxify, or rest their body functions periodically. Our bodies generally maintain a balance between building, repairing, breaking down and eliminating. When we eat a diet high in fats, sugar, and refined foods, or consume chemicals such as caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, other recreational drugs and some prescription drugs, we can end up with a toxic overload that the body can’t handle without some help. Exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment can also overburden the liver and kidneys. Symptoms of toxicity can include headaches, fatigue, aches and pains, coughs, digestive problems, skin rashes, and immune weakness.

How do you detoxify?

Helping the body to detoxify can be as simple as drinking more water (8 to 12 glasses a day) and eating a non-toxic diet. Adopting a diet of organic fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and raw seeds and nuts and eliminating refined foods, saturated fat, fried foods and sugar will go a long way to bringing us into better balance. Another aspect of the non-toxic diet includes avoiding drugs (over the counter, prescription and recreational)and substituting natural remedies that have fewer side effects.

Some people find that a seasonal fast (Spring and/or Fall is typical) revitalizes them. This involves eliminating solid foods for one to three days and consuming only fresh-squeezed vegetable and fruit juices.

Fiber, such as psyllium seed husks and flax seed meal, is an important supporting factor in detoxification. Fiber creates bulk in the intestines and helps to bind and pull toxins out from the intestinal wall as well as strengthen peristalsis.

Herbs such as Barberry, Oregon Grape Root, Yellow Dock, Red Clover and Burdock can be great allies of the liver and kidneys in performing their detoxifying functions. This herb combination can be found in Taos Herb Company’s Detox Compound, made with the highest quality herbs.

For a complete Cleansing and Detoxification, try Taos Herb Company’s Cleansing & Detoxification Kit.

How we choose to detoxify may be as unique to us as we are individuals, but each of us would do well not to ignore the signals our bodies give us to aid it in this all important function.