Our bodies are incredibly resilient and strong when it comes to fending off environmental and dietary dangers. But in today’s world, we are surrounded by potential threats.

Where Do Toxins Come From?

There are generally two main sources of toxins that can negatively affect our health. They include the following:

• External toxins from the foods we eat, especially if they are grown with the use of hormone supplements (in the case of meats and farm-raised fish), pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers. Additional toxins come in the form of processed foods and high-sugar, high-fat options.
• We come into external toxins through our environment, most especially the air we breathe. Industry, vehicles, and consumer goods all spew toxins into the air that can pose dozens of health problems, including asthma and lung disease. They can also contribute to neurological, respiratory, immune, and cellular damage.
• Chemicals are introduced into our bodies through the cosmetics and personal care products we use on our skin every day. The average woman uses at least 10 products in her skin every day, each with its own special blend of 10 ingredients or more, many of which are either untested for their safety. We can also come into contact with poisons through laundry detergent, dry cleaning residues, and agriculture residues (pesticides used on cotton crops, for instance) inherent in our clothing.
• Internal toxins are also common. There are processes that take place within our own bodies that can result in toxins. For instance, when we digest food, our body creates wastes that need to be eliminated through the digestive tract. Similarly, when we are injured or unwell, our bodies create poison byproducts during the healing process. And perhaps most dangerously, when we experience negative emotions, we are also creating internal toxins that poison us from the inside out.

As you can see, there are plenty of assaults on our bodies every day, and although we’re built to fend them off, the average North American today comes into contact with more poisons than any other generation.

Of course, if you want to achieve optimum health, you should first attempt to remove any toxins in your life by choosing better foods, healthier consumer products, and avoiding indoor and outdoor spaces that can poison you. Make it easier for your body to get through the day by minimizing the threats on your immune, digestive, respiratory, and circulation system.

Beyond that, a regular detoxification is one way you can support your body in the natural process of purification. Detoxification through a change in diet, the addition of supplements, and the practices of overall good health will bring you a lot closer to a healthier, more vibrant you.

How a Detox Can Help

Your body’s internal systems are constantly functioning—your heart is pumping blood, your endocrine system is balancing hormones, your respiratory system is taking oxygen into the body and sending carbon dioxide out of the body, and your digestive system is processing the food and beverages that you consume throughout the day. It’s a busy place!

Our bodies are complex and highly interrelated, and so there are many points at which your body can become toxic. As a result, there are also many ways to cleanse or detoxify the body. Following is a brief discussion of how a detox can benefit the various systems within your body.

Detoxing for Healthier Elimination Organs

You have many organs of elimination in your body: skin, liver, kidneys, the colon, and more. These organs work hard every day to remove toxins that you consume as you eat and drink over the course of the day. But these organs can become bogged down if you eat too many foods or drink too many beverages that are full of toxins as noted previously.

A detoxification program can support your elimination organs by giving them the building blocks as well as the time they need to get rid of the excessive toxins you’ve got in your body. When your organs of elimination are clear of toxic build-up, they are able to function efficiently and prevent disease and illness that can result from too many toxins in your system.

Here are some elimination detoxes:

• Colom Cleanse
• Hyperthermia Detoxification
• Chelation Therapy Detox

Detoxing to Cleanse Your Circulatory System

Your blood is a powerful life-force in your body. When your body’s blood supply is clean, the cells that fight infection, process oxygen, transport energy, and carry hormones and other natural chemicals in your body can communicate clearly with each other and function at peak performance. Pure blood promotes good health and vitality.

Unhealthy blood—blood that’s weighted down by toxins—can’t supply blood where it’s needed in a timely fashion and may not be able to support the other systems in the body that are dependent on the blood can become sick or blocked.

Benefits of Detoxification

It should be clear by now that detoxing can be an important and healthful way to keep your body functioning at its best. Detoxing has many benefits for all sorts of systems, and can help to:

• Give your cells a rest (if you choose a fasting cleanse)
• Cleanse the kidneys and the liver as well as other elimination organs to prevent toxin build-up in the other internal systems and organs
• Clean out the colon and intestines
• Get the blood flowing more freely
• Re-vitalizing your digestive system so that it can process food more efficiently
• Free the lymphatic system of potentially-harmful chemicals and poisons to prevent disease

Detoxing is a great form of self-care that can help you if you’re feeling sluggish, foggy, weighted down, listless, or fatigued. Depending on the type of detox you choose, it may also help to reduce puffy eyes, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, skin disorders, allergies, and many other common ailments.

A Precautionary Note

Women who are pregnant, nursing mothers, and small children should not attempt detoxifications only under the expert guidance of a natural health practitioner. These groups of people have special health needs and therefore should seek expert advice to determine the best type of detox and how to conduct a cleanse with minimal risk.