Cleansing and Detoxifying for Improved Health

Help Your Body Detoxify!

While it’s true that our bodies are built for natural cleansing and detoxifying processes (say thank you to your liver every day!)—unless you live in a bubble, it is virtually impossible to avoid toxins and harmful substances of modern times that can overwhelm our bodies and leave us feeling sluggish and unwell.

In today’s world of technology, fast foods, pharmaceuticals and toxic chemicals, our bodies can be affected from energy levels and stamina to how well our organs are able to function. The amount of pesticides, herbicides, fossil fuel emissions, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals that we are exposed to on a daily basis have reached record proportions, leaving our bodies struggling to keep up with all of the cleansing and detoxifying that has to be done.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has reported that traces of toxic chemicals can now be found in nearly every American. Clearly our bodies are having to detoxify more today than they ever have before. This is where regular cleansing comes in. Many health care experts believe that in today’s modern world, it is a good idea to do a gentle cleanse at least a couple of times a year, to help remove excess toxins from your body and keep you looking and feeling great.

What are Toxins?

A toxin is any compound that has a detrimental effect on cell function or structure in the body. Some toxins cause minimal negative effects, while others can cause more serious effects, or even death.

Toxins are often divided into four categories:

1. Heavy Metals – Including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and aluminum. Heavy metals tend to accumulate in vital organs, often disrupting their function.
2. Liver Toxins – Including drugs, alcohol, solvents, formaldehyde, pesticides, herbicides, and food additives. Our livers are usually overloaded with these toxins because they are so prevalent in our diet and in our environment.
3. Microbial Compounds – Including toxins produced by bacteria and yeast in the digestive tract can be absorbed and transported throughout the body, significantly disrupting bodily functions. These toxins can also include toxic amines, toxic derivatives of bile, various carcinogenic substances, and endotoxins and exotoxins from bacteria.
4. By-products of Protein Metabolism – The kidneys are largely responsible for eliminating toxic waste products of protein metabolism, such as ammonia and urea. Excessive protein consumption and lack of water can inhibit proper kidney function.

Toxins can be found just about everywhere—in our homes, in our workplaces, in our food, in our water and even in the air we breathe.

More specifically, toxins can be found in:

• Plastics, especially when heated or microwaved
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Mold and other fungus
• Carpets, mattresses, and upholstered furniture
• Conventional cleaning supplies
• Unfiltered drinking water
• Wall paint, especially older paint
• Dry cleaning chemicals
• Processed foods
• Conventional beauty care products including lotions, moisturizers, shampoos, and body wash

Periodic cleansing and detoxifying can help to flush out accumulated toxins, and keep your body working well.

Internal Housekeeping

Imagine what the inside of a house would look like if you never cleaned it. Dirt, toxins, and pathogens would begin to build up and create an unhealthy and uncomfortable environment.

A similar scenario can occur inside of our bodies when the liver and other bodily systems responsible for detoxification become over-burdened.

When this happens, we can experience a range of health problems including:

How to Gently Detoxify Your Body

Detoxification is a process in which potentially harmful compounds are excreted from the body. The liver, lungs, skin, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract all play a part in detoxification. The purpose of a cleanse is to support these organs so that they can function optimally, thus resulting in a cleaner, healthier you.

There are many ways to do a cleanse. Some of the supposed “cleanses” out there can actually be quite dangerous, as they include fasting, limiting protein, and possibly ingesting substances that are in fact not conducive to cleansing at all. When considering a cleanse, it is important to take a couple of things into consideration:

1. Make sure your diet and living environment are clean.

Eliminate refined foods, sugar and coffee. You may also want to eliminate gluten, dairy, soy, and corn, as these foods are difficult to digest. People often find that after eliminating these foods for a couple of weeks they actually have a sensitivity to them and were not aware of it. Many people today have become accustomed to feeling less than optimal. When they clean up their diet and do a cleanse, they often experience increased energy and wellness they did not know they were missing.

• Include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, organic when possible. This should be the bulk of your diet while cleansing. Fruits and vegetables will provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber essential to an effective cleanse.
• Include plenty of clean, good quality protein to support the liver during detoxification. Try to get in a moderate serving at every meal.
• Drink water! On a regular day, you want to get in at least 8 large glasses of water. When cleansing, it should be closer to 10 or more.

2. Make sure you choose a high quality, gentle and effective cleansing product that includes all aspects of cleansing.

This includes liver support from plants like milk thistle,  purification support that includes enzymes and probiotics to promote digestive balance while cleansing, and detoxification support from superfoods such as chlorophyll that can bind to and assist the body in removing toxins.

3. Get your body moving!

Exercise promotes cleansing by promoting blood and lymphatic circulation, and increasing oxygen to cells in the body. Exercise is an integral part of an effective cleansing program and should be done at least 3-5 times per week.

When to Cleanse and Detox and For How Long?

A seasonal cleanse is an excellent way to ensure you cleanse at least every three months. The spring and summer months are especially great for cleansing with the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables available in most regions. Generally a cleanse can last from 1 to 3 weeks, and will depend on your lifestyle and what you feel your body needs.

It’s important to note that when cleansing, you need to have at least one bowel movement per day. This will ensure that you’re eliminating toxins that have been stored in your body but are now being released with cleansing. Be sure to drink plenty of water to help flush out the toxins that pass through the kidneys.

Maintaining Your Post-Cleanse Glow

After completing your cleanse, it is important to continue to nourish your body with high-quality foods, fluids, and supplements, to keep you feeling great. While we cannot control all of the toxins we are exposed to, we can certainly take precautions to ensure we keep our exposure to a minimum and provide our bodies with everything it needs continue to detoxify efficiently.

• Use all natural cleaning products.
• Use beauty and anti-aging products like RegenaCell, that are free of parabens and synthetic ingredients.
• Maintain a healthy diet with plenty of fiber from vegetables and whole grains.
• Take a high-quality superfood supplement regularly.
• Maintain a healthy digestive system.
• Take a high quality probiotic daily.
• Repeat maintenance cleanses throughout the year.
• Have regular bowel movements (1 to 3 per day is ideal).
• Continue to drink plenty of pure filtered water.
• Get plenty of rest and sleep.
• Eat organic, non-processed whole foods.
• Exercise moderately on a daily basis.

Make it a Habit

Cleansing your body regularly can lead to improved health and a reduction in many symptoms that may be contributing to poor health. Therefore, it is suggested to detox your body at least once year if not more (many people like to do a seasonal cleanse, as a reminder to cleanse every few months), while maintaining your improved health by following the above suggestions.

Products to Help with Cleansing and Detoxifying

Purify Line from Enzymedica

The Purify line of products from Enzymedica offer a “whole-body” approach to natural cleansing and detoxification. With comprehensive formulas which include an enzyme blend, probiotic blend, mixed ascorbates with MSM, Cruciferous Detox Blend, as well as supplements to support liver function and regularity.*

Purify Complete Body 10-Day Cleanse Kit Purify™ Complete Body Cleanse offers an advanced, “whole body” approach to natural cleansing and detoxification. Easy to use morning and evening packets eliminate unnecessary complexity and contain all the capsules needed for an ideal 10-day cleanse.*

Purify Coconut Charcoal

Purify Coconut Charcoal assists the body’s natural detoxification process by helping to both capture and eliminate unwanted toxins and other material.*

Purify Daily Regularity

Purify Daily Regularity is an advanced, non-stimulant, formula that provides gentle and effective support for occasional constipation.*

Purify Fiber Drink+

Purify Fiber Drink+ is a gentle formula that provides four premium sources of fiber to assist the body’s natural digestion, regularity and detoxification processes.*

Purify Liver Detox

Purify Liver Detox offers  unparalleled support for liver detoxification and function, plus complementary ingredients for support of all stages of detoxification.*

PuraCell Systemic Cleansing

PuraCell Systemic Cleansing System from World Nutrition is designed to cover multiple facets of cleansing and detoxifying. Addresses the toxic build-up in liver, kidneys, GI tract, bloodstream, skin, and muscle tissue.*

Calcium D-Glucarate

Calcium D-Glucarate is a phytochemical found in fruits and vegetables that is also made in small amounts by the body. Many believe that this nutrient aids the body in eliminating toxins and regulating hormones.

Lifesource Super Sprouts

LifeSource SuperSprouts for detoxification and cleansing benefits with chlorophyll which also helps with bad breath, constipation, inflammation, and is an antioxidant.*

Enhance Neutralizer

Enhance byAulterra helps to neutralize environmental toxins in your body. Enhance is a homeopathically activated combination of natural paramagnetic and diamagnetic elements which neutralize the effects of heavy metals and other toxins on human DNA.

Neutralizer Disks and Plug

The Aulterra Neutralizer and Whole House Plug works by re-tuning the EMF frequencies of electronic devices like cell phones, computers, and other electronics to transmute the energy so it no longer causes harm to the body’s DNA.

The Neutralizer Disks

Effective against harmful EMF/RF radiation when applied to cell phones, tablets, computers, laptops, cordless phone, television, internet modem, video games consoles, etc.

Whole House Plug

Additionally, the Whole House Plug neutralizes EMFs from outside sources such as telephone poles, as well as other devices that are plugged into outlets throughout the house.

References

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4. Hayatsu H, Negishi T, Arimoto S, et al. Porphyrins as potential inhibitors against exposure to carcinogens and mutagens. Mutat Res 1993:290;79-85.
5. Thomson, PDR for Nutritional Supplements. New Jersey: Thomson PDR 2002;89
6. Dwivedi C, Heck WJ, Downie AA, et al. Effect of calcium glucarate on beta-glucuronidase activity and glucarate content of certain vegetables and fruits. Biochem Med Metab Biol. 1990; 43:83-92.
7. Walaszek Z, Hanausek-Walaszek M, Minton J, Webb TE. Dietary Glucarate as anti-promoter of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumorigenesis. Carcinogenesis 1986;7:1463-1466