In Part 1 of “Living in a Toxic World – Sources and Symptoms of Toxicity”, we reviewed the common toxins that all of us are exposed to every day, the sources of these toxins, and the effects they can have on your health.

Part 2 – Testing for Toxins details the methods of testing for toxic substances.

Let’s examine the body’s detox system and what you can do to support it.

The Body’s Detox System

The body processes everything through organs such as the liver, the kidneys, the lungs, and bowels. These organs provide pathways for transforming and removing waste from the body. As the blood flows through these organs, they filter, metabolize (transform), and dispose of harmful substances. These ”filter organs” provide a natural detox system and they work very well, provided they don’t become overloaded with more toxins than they were designed to handle.

What if the Filters are Clogged?

Our bodies are not equipped to dispose of many of the manufactured chemicals that we ingest. As a result, the body’s filters can become overburdened and clogged. Dumping more toxins into the filters than they can normally handle will impair their functioning. Toxins that do not get removed because of overloaded filtering organs remain in the body where they can cause such things as fatigue, muscle aches, poor memory, headaches, vertigo, mood issues, and other health problems.

Something Can be Done About It

Can we avoid all sources of toxins? No, probably not. After all, we all have to breathe, eat and drink from sources which cannot always be guaranteed to be 100 per cent chemical-free. But there are some simple things we can do to reduce our exposure to toxins and support the body’s own natural detox function. 

• Drinking lots of water every day will help flush the system, as will exercise and sweating. Ideally, the water should be filtered through an in-home reverse osmosis filtration system and should not be stored in a plastic bottle.
• Eating non processed, unpackaged fiber-rich foods will help to absorb and eliminate toxins from the body.
• Heating and storing food in glass containers rather than plastic. 
• Using glass or stainless-steel containers for beverages. Don’t use plastic water bottles, even if they say they are BPA-free. BPA is only one of the many toxic chemical present in plastic.
• Avoiding processed foods to the degree possible.

Systematic Detoxification

Removing chemicals from the cells is achieved using a systematic step-by-step process to maximize the body’s detoxification pathways and actually pull the toxins from the cells. 

For those who have an accumulation of metals, there is an effective therapy to bring relief. Chelation therapy is the process of introducing a natural substance (called a “chelating agent”) into the body that will bind to the metal and remove it. A chelating agent must be used because the body has no natural method of removing these heavy metals.

Detoxification as a Do-It-Yourself Project

As a word of caution, beware the do-it-yourself detox products and systems commercially available. One need only enter the word “detox” in an internet browser search engine to get hundreds of web sites on the subject. Some of these sites contain some small snippets of useful information. Most do not, and many of the “remedies” they and well-meaning friends propose can do more harm than good. 

For instance, someone doing a “liver cleanse”, generally using a product from the health food store shelf, may remove some toxins from the liver but if the bowels are not working properly, the toxins from the liver will get lodged in the bowels for reabsorption and recirculation through the body and into the cells. 

The other thing to bear in mind is that these DIY detox products and systems will not remove the toxins from the cells, which is where these chemicals usually build up and do the most damage. If chemicals remain in the cells they can, in time, become cancerous. 

Systematic detoxification that will yield effective and sustainable results is best done in consultation with a healthcare practitioner. The doctors at Green Apple Health Care will carefully design a step-by-step, systematic approach to assessing and treating toxicity that may be affecting you.

Call us now at (780) 485-9468 to book a consultation.  If you prefer, online booking is available for both new patients and repeat patients.