Are You Suffering From Toxic Overload?
- Welltress Living
- Feb 1, 2024
- 7 min read
What are the symptoms of toxic overload and how can you detox your body naturally?
Toxic overload is the condition of having an excessive amount of toxins in one’s body. These harmful substances come from water, food, cleaning products, and other environmental sources that many people are being exposed to it regularly. If the body fails to flush out these toxins properly, or if the body’s ability to remove toxic waste is less than the toxic overload, they can build up over time and turn poisonous. Toxins are also produced in one’s body due to poor gut health, once digestion is hampered due to toxic overload, the body can’t eliminate waste fast enough, which can cause inflammation and affect the manufacturing of neurotransmitters.
Toxins explained?
Types of Toxins are essentially chemicals that are produced biologically or artificially. Natural toxins are normally present in plant and animal foods, whereas synthetic toxins remain in the body. Toxins can build up and increase the risk for hormone imbalance symptoms, irregular cycles, and even some types of cancer and chronic disease. They can enter the body from exposure to pollutants in the environment, like heavy metals, excessive alcohol and tobacco use, and pharmaceutical drugs, to our personal care products, perfumes, cosmetics, and supplements.
Alarming facts:
In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) monitors the food and water supply for toxins and published a report on air pollution levels. The findings were alarming:
Air pollution had risen 8% between 2011 and 2016.
Pesticide exposure is more prevalent in children. Research conducted by Dr. David Bellinger for the National Institutes of Health, concludes that children across the US had lost a combined total of 16.9 million IQ points, from the cognitive damage from everyday pesticide exposure. The reason, school meals are heavily sprayed with pesticides.
A large percentage of food consumed by Americans is deemed unsafe.
Glyphosate (found in the pesticide Roundup) has the highest concentration of toxins in the US. Roundup is a product used to kill weeds in playgrounds, and in our local communities. As it is sprayed in the states with the highest agricultural land: Florida, California, and Washington, followed by the Midwest, New York, and New Jersey, glyphosate ends up in produce and therefore in our bodies.
All animals and fish now have the highest toxin load ever noted in history. See below for why a plant-based diet is recommended.
Toxic overload symptoms..
Toxic overload can cause a number of changes in your body. In the early stages, your body try to expel those toxins by any means necessary. You may experience:
diarrhea, sneezing or coughing fits, excessive urination, sore throat, heartburn, nasal congestion or runny nose (from mucus overproduction), constipation, brain fog, food allergies, and leaky gut syndrome.
Detoxification Definition and Reducing Risk of Cancer
The medical term known as detoxification is an essential part of optimal health. The process is essentially cleansing the body, letting the body rest, and then nourishing the body from within. By cleansing, you are removing the toxins and harmful substances from the body, in resting we allow our body to heal, and then nourishing with healthy nutrition we help protect our bodies from chronic disease. The primary function of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph, a clear fluid that contains white blood cells important for regulating inflammation in the body. The risk of cancer is caused by toxins accumulating in our system and causing damage to our cells. As cells also start to malfunction due to free radicals, a by-product of inflammation, we are susceptible to serious health risks, illness, and chronic disease.
How to Detox Your Body Naturally
For centuries, the process of eliminating the toxins from our bodies has been an integral part of many cultures including Ayurveda. There are many ways to remove toxins from the body naturally, here are some of the best techniques:
9 Ways to Remove Toxins and Rejuvenate Your Body
1. Eat Organic Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs
There is an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence that states a diet high in vegetables and fruits drastically reduces your risk of chronic disease. Here are a few benefits of fruits and vegetables:
They reduce blood pressure, stimulate your immune system, and can prevent blood clotting.
They are rich in phytochemicals, antioxidants, micro minerals, roughage (dietary fiber) vitamins, and nutrients.
They help eliminate the liver of toxins.
These are the best detoxifying fruits, vegetables, and herbs: artichokes, avocados, beets, blueberries, brassica veggies, spinach, dandelion, parsley, cilantro, milk thistle, turmeric, and wheatgrass.
2. Water, Water, Water
Water is not just essential for survival, but it also carries nutrients and oxygen to cells. Drinking plenty of water is important for so many reasons. Water lessens the burden on the kidneys and liver by removing the unwanted substances from our bodies. It also helps dissolve minerals and nutrients to make them accessible to our bodies. To effectively remove toxins, doctors recommend drinking at least 4 to 5 liters of water daily. Water also promotes natural elasticity and glow in our skin and also helps with weight loss. For better results, use warm water with mint leaves, lemon, lime, or orange in your water.
3. Exercise, Sauna, and Steam
Did you know that by “sweating it out” we can eliminate 20% of toxins in our bodies? Our skin is the single largest organ in our bodies and it is one of the primary sources of toxin elimination. Adding exercise, physical activities, and sports is a great way to sweat it out. We also suggest trying saunas, and steam baths to your wellness routine.
4. Mind-Body Balance – Yoga, Meditation, Breathing & Prayer
A routine that incorporates deep breathing is a good way to detox as so many toxins are released through the lungs. Yoga, especially hot yoga, is also another great way to get your exercise in while learning to be more mindful of your breathing. Meditation does not detox your body of toxins, but it can help restore your calm and inner peace and is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction which is essential for optimal health.
5. Regular Bowel Movements & Supplements
It is important that we remove toxins from our bodies through the bowels for effective cleansing. Ensuring we have regular bowel movements is important for optimal health. If you do not have “regular” bowel movements, you can consider taking herbal supplements and drinking warm water.
6. Limit Alchohol, Artificial Sugar, and Processed Food
The root cause of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer is from consumption of alcohol, artificial sugar, and processed food. Artificial sugar is hard for our bodies to digest and also prevents the natural detoxification process by causing harm to the liver and kidney. When you limit both artificial sugar and processed food, you can keep your natural detox system healthy and eliminate the toxins efficiently.
7. Add Smoothies to Your Diet
Smoothies are loaded with fruits and vegetables by using your own choice of ingredients like spinach, kale, carrot, apple, strawberries, cucumber, and banana. Smoothies are not only highly nutritious, but they tend to be loaded with fiber. Although the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends 25-38 grams of fiber per day, the average American is only consuming about 16 grams per day. Several nutritionists recommend consuming smoothies for breakfast as they would provide enough nourishment to power your entire day. Beware, not all smoothie recipes have the same health benefits. It is recommended that you use natural ingredients and include at least one leafy vegetable in the smoothie. If you have type II diabetes limit fruits in your smoothies as they are high in natural sugar. Consuming a smoothie 3-4 times a week not only helps remove toxins from the body but also boosts immunity levels.
8. Consider a Plant-Based Diet
There is a lot of research from WHO and other trusted sources that have found when a person consumes animal protein such as meats, dairy products, eggs, and fish, they are highly susceptible to high exposure to many heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, prions, and glyphosate which can cause toxic overload. It is recommended that we instead follow a diet of organic fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, ancient whole grains like amaranth, bulgar, millet, quinoa, and oats, and beans like black, soy, pinto, and lentils.
9. Detox Infusions
Intravenous detoxication or IV therapy as it is commonly known can safely neutralize and eliminate toxins in the body. The idea is that through fast absorption they work down to the cellular level and help the body heal naturally by giving your liver a helping hand.
10. Colon Hydrotherapy
This treatment, also called colon cleansing, is only recommended for patients with digestive issues such as colitis, constipation, bloating, and indigestion.
11. Use Toxic-Free Beauty, Cosmetics, and Personal Care Products
When it comes to skincare and hygiene, use only natural, fragrance-free care products which are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, lead, and other potentially toxic compounds. Refer to our Toxic Table for a list of ingredients to avoid. Also, check out https://thinkdirtyapp.com to rank the toxicity of your products.
12. Avoid Electronics First Hour (am) and Last 2 Hours (pm)
The lights from our electronics prevent the production of Melatonin which is a critical hormone. If you suffer from a deficiency in melatonin, it may lead to your system preventing detoxification and immunity-related illnesses and disease. It is recommended we turn off electronics for the first hour after we awake and for the last two hours before we sleep.
How Integrative Health Specialists Can Help
If you are worried that you or your family have been exposed to toxins and you are experiencing symptoms of toxic overload, it is recommended that you consult an Integrative Health Specialist in your area. Many specialists offer telehealth consultations and can offer blood and urine tests to determine if you have been exposed.
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