You'd know if you were sick, right? Of course you'd know if you had allergies. For heaven's sake you'd be aware if you had parasites or-horror of horrors-were slowly being poisoned. But you're not experiencing any of those things.
Sure, you have nights when you can't sleep. Who doesn't? Those aches, pains, and forgetfulness? Well, you're not a kid anymore. Arthritis seems to run in the family, so you just accept that. Basically, you're fit as a fiddle. Or are you?
If you're fortunate enough to currently be living without the diagnosis of some disease or chronic health condition, you may think you have nothing to complain about. Except that all of those little nuisances like skin conditions, constipation, weight gain, focus problems, joint pain, varicose veins, and-what was that again? oh, yes-forgetfulness-might indicate that you actually have allergies or are slowly being poisoned.
How Things Got Messy
Sadly, we live in a toxic world. We breathe polluted air into our lungs, we drink treated water, and we eat pesticide-laden and chemically preserved foods. We apply untested chemicals to our skin in a bid to look better, and our fast-paced lifestyles often have us searching for our next cigarette, caffeine fix, sugar high, or calming adult beverage just to cope.
While our bodies are designed to eliminate toxins, they aren't designed to eliminate as many as we expose them to on a daily basis. As a result of toxic overload, digestive health can suffer, leading to problems far away from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including sinus infections, joint pain, and eczema. Toxic metals accumulate, cancer-causing environmental chemicals course through the bloodstream, and our addictions to high-fat, high-sugar, high-convenience foods leave us deficient in the nutrients we need to fuel a proper cleanup.
If we don't give our insides a thorough cleaning every once in a while, our future health could be in jeopardy. Elson Haas, MD, author of The Detox Diet, believes that many of our acute and chronic diseases, including allergies, arthritis, cancer, and cardiovascular disease result from clogged tissues and suffocated cells that lead to a loss of vital energy.
Candida Problem?
If you experience mood swings, sugar cravings, fatigue, muscle pain, eczema, or migraine headaches, you might have a homegrown intestinal freeloader to deal with. Our intestines are home to trillions of microorganisms, some of which we need for digestion, hormone metabolism, and production of vitamin K. Candida albicans, on the other hand, can cause trouble. A naturally occurring single-celled organism that resides in every one of us, candida typically doesn't cause any problems-until something upsets the delicate balance of the digestive tract. That something could be a round of antibiotics, too little fiber in the diet, or problems digesting food. Candida is also associated with a diet high in sugar.
Increased numbers of candida create increased waste products, which are toxic to us and irritate the walls of the intestines. When this happens, candida can break through the intestines and travel the bloodstream to virtually any tissue in the body. Among other conditions, candida is associated with fungal infections, vaginal yeast infections, sinus infections, and skin problems. Dr. Haas has found that yeast sufferers are also more likely to have parasites.
Reestablishing Order
To eliminate candida, make sure your digestive system is working at peak potential. To enhance your digestive power, avoid drinking with your meals, as the liquid dilutes the strength of your stomach acid. Consider using digestive enzymes with any cooked meal to boost digestion, and take a break from hard-to-digest foods like red meat and wheat.
To starve candida out of existence, however, you must eliminate its primary food supply: sugar. During a candida cleanse, avoid all sources of sugar, including fruit, for a time. Focus your diet on vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of protein, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Drink plenty of water and enjoy antifungal green tea, pau d'arco tea, and clove tea. Supplementing with antifungal aged garlic extract can help to speed die-off of candida, as can caprylic acid.
Consider adding supplemental probiotics to your daily health regimen to restore power to the beneficial microorganisms. According to Dr. Haas, probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria bifidus are essential for the "reflorastation" of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, as are special nutrients called fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) that feed the friendly microorganisms.
Heavy Metal Toxicity
The heavy metals-including cadmium, lead, mercury, and aluminum, which are pervasive in the environment due to their use in industry-pose another major concern for your internal environment, particularly if you aren't getting enough vitamins and minerals from your diet. Lead competes with calcium for absorption and can impact the release of neurotransmitters and impede regulation of cell metabolism by binding to calcium receptors. Iron deficiency increases the absorption of cadmium, which competes with zinc for absorption and use in the body. Antioxidant zinc is essential for reproductive health, taste, smell, and skin healing. Aluminum-induced degenerative diseases might be the result of a diet deficient in calcium and magnesium, and a shortfall of selenium may leave us unprotected from mercury and methylmercury toxicity.
The bottom line is that a nutrient-poor diet increases our risk of heavy metal toxicity. Until we can get the environment cleaned up, you'd be wise to limit the impact of heavy metals in your body by supplementing your nutrient intake with a quality multivitamin/mineral complex.
Cleanup and Recovery
Eat organic foods when possible to limit your intake of antibiotics, herbicides, toxic and persistent pesticides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers. Dr. Haas also recommends we avoid SNACCs: sugar, nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and chemicals, although, he admits, that might not be easy. At the very least, he recommends an "abuse break" in which you give up these standbys for a week or two and replace them with new habits, like drinking water and going for a walk. Fasting is an excellent cleansing process, though Dr. Haas recommends that all first-time fasters work with a healthcare professional.
As for when to detoxify, pay attention to the body for clues. Our bodies have daily cleansing cycles that typically last from nighttime until midmorning, and women often are aware of a natural cleansing time with their menstrual cycle. Dr. Haas also suggests a one- to two-week cleansing period in both the spring and autumn during which we limit our food consumption to reduce exposure to potential toxins.
The Detox Diet by Elson Haas, MD ($12.95, Celestial Arts, 2004) "In vitro antifungal activities of Allium cepa, Allium sativum, and ketoconazole against some pathogenic yeasts and dermatophytes" by M. Shams-Ghahfarokhi et al., Fitoterapia, 6/06 Living Beauty: Feel Great, Look Fabulous & Live Well by Lisa Petty ($21.95, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2006) "Metals, toxicity, and oxidative stress" by M. Valko et al., Curr Med Chem, 2005
 | Detoxification helps support various systems in your body when you're losing weight. Toxins are stored in body fat and are released into the bloodstream during the fat-burning process unless they're flushed out first. |
 | A sugar detox is a diet worth trying if you want to avoid too many carbs, lower your diabetes risk or help manage your energy levels. Here's what you can expect when cutting excess sugar out of your diet. |
 | The hot water of a bath brings toxins to your skin's surface; as the water cools, it can help draw the bad stuff out. Take a detox bath to help your body release buildup both internally and externally. |
The cleansing of the colon using copious amounts of water was a common procedure in the era 1930-1950s. The first instance was recorded in 1500 B.C., in the Ebers Papyrus, a medical instruction book. In the fourth and fifth centuries B.C., colon hydrotherapy was used to treat fever, and Galen in the second century A.D. |
Do you ever wonder why some people are always on the go yet still full of energy, need only a few hours of sleep, and rarely have a cold or the flu? The answer may be body chemistry. |
