Toxic Roulette – A New Health Challenge – part one

Written by Emma Lane

Never before in human history have we been exposed to such high levels of toxins. In the past 70+ years we have radically altered our environment. Annually we dump 4-6 billion pounds of chemicals into the soils, rivers, oceans and air – from petrochemicals to pesticides, heavy metals and industrial waste products, all of which are toxic to living things. They generally affect by interfering with the neurological and hormonal system.

Our bodies are exposed constantly to a barrage of toxins – for example the body naturally creates toxins on an hourly basis from the by-products of bodily functions such as hormonal and metabolic. Add in the obvious toxins that you will be aware of such as smoking, alcohol and drugs – both prescribed and recreational, you can easily understand that we can build up a toxic load. However what you may not be aware of is the modern day threat to your health from toxic exposure from environmental pollutants and exposure to any of the 14,000 food chemicals within processed foods and medications.

Chemicals play a significant role in many of the products that we take for granted in modern society, such as adhesives, ceramics, electronics, plastics and petroleum. Modern agriculture is an area where the use of specific chemicals has allowed for mass food production resistant to common pests. The impact of these chemicals on the environment and human health can be severe and lasting. Many of these foods, particularly mass-produced grain products, can also be contaminated with molds and mycotoxins (mold toxins). We have yet to fully uncover the long-term eﬀects of these chemicals in our environment, in our food and in our bodies.

Sources of toxins

We absorb toxins from the air we breathe, the food and drinks we consume, through our skin from the body care products we apply and the exposure to these toxins is not small. We come into contact with many hundreds of chemicals on a daily basis – it’s no wonder our bodies are stressed and we regularly exhibit signs of toxicity.

Some symptoms of toxicity

Mental Fog
Poor concentration
Acne
Headaches or migraines
Inflammation
Lack of energy
Weight gain
Constipation/digestive complaints
Skin rashes
Dark circles under the eyes

The effects of overeating, the sluggishness of our systems due to poor exercise habits and our lack of water consumption is not helping us reduce our toxic load.

The liver, an organ of detoxification, has to work harder now than at any other time in history because of all these contaminants and our lifestyle choices.

How the body detoxifies

The liver identifies foreign substances and then transforms them and prepares them for elimination. 80% of detoxification is done by the liver, along with the immune system.

The liver turns harmful toxins into water-soluble intermediate chemicals, then, through different metabolic pathways according to the type of toxin, amino acids, sulfur, and other natural substances, binds (conjugate) to the toxins so that they can be eliminated.

If the nutrients needed to conjugate the toxins are in low supply, the toxin recirculates as new toxins that are frequently more toxic then the original substance. Therefore supporting your liver and gallbladder is a very important consideration. Utilise the foods listed below and the therapeutic supplements here https://www.holisticsonline.com

Nutrients needed for detoxification

Sulphur (cruciferous vegetables, onions, garlic, eggs)
Protein (fish, bone broth, meat, gelatin)
Vitamin B6 (avocado, bananas, walnuts)
Vitamin C (Brussel sprouts, citrus fruits, peppers, raw cabbage)
Vitamin E (beef, egg yolk, hazel nuts, sunflowers)
Selenium (celery, eggs, fish, garlic, kidney, liver, mackerel)
Antioxidants (fruit, vegetables, see Phytonutrients chart)
Zinc (shellfish, lamb, sunflower & pumpkin seeds)

When toxins are being eliminated, a host of free radicals are produced, which must be cleared. Antioxidants found mainly in fruit and veg disarm these harmful oxidants and therefore it is important to eat a rainbow diet on a daily basis, especially when removing toxins. Supportive supplements can be extremely helpful to get the therapeutic benefit necessary – https://www.holisticsonline.com/detoxification/detox-support

Effective drainage is essential

Detoxification is not completed unless the release of free-flowing toxins are actually eliminated from the body. The process of moving a free-flowing toxin through to its final elimination is called drainage.

Several important factors must work together to promote effective drainage. Improving the efficiency of elimination, organs and enhancing circulation/blood/ lymphatic flow are key components of maximizing drainage.

Drainage can be stimulated through the use of certain homeopathic remedies – PCI detox drops (https://www.holisticsonline.com/detoxification/detox/pci-detox-package), and through the improvement of the biochemical terrain of the body using targeted nutritional cofactors such as the Ultimate Body Detox kit https://www.holisticsonline.com

Effective drainage is essential and should be a part of any detox or cleansing program, It plays a vital role in recovery from both acute and chronic conditions. A lack of adequate drainage may itself be the reason for many symptoms as the body struggles to eliminate free-flowing endo/exotoxins.

Failing to eliminate these toxins from the body and from the extracellular matrix can lead to systemic toxicity, which ultimately results in damage to internal organs or tissues. It can also lead to a compromised immune system. If adequate drainage does not occur during detox therapy the released toxins may end up settling in a new site, leading to a phenomenon referred to as the “Toxic Ping-Pong Effect”. This occurs when the toxins are bounced around from one binding site to another without leaving the body.

In part two of this blog, we will take a look at some of the toxic offenders, the number one mistake people make when detoxing and how you can improve your capacity to detoxify.