Your Seasonal Detox How-To
By Diana Zitserman, ND, MSAc
easonal detox programs have become a new fad as part of our health and wellness culture. Weight loss is often a moti- vator to try a detox and often consumers find that detoxifica- tion plans not only help to shed some excess weight, but can also clear symptoms related to inflammation. While it may seem like a new fad, detoxification is a powerful approach many naturopathic doctors use to address health concerns related to tissue inflamma- tion, organ congestion, and total toxic body burden.
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Detoxification involves clearing toxins, (metabolic wastes) from our tissues by methods of neutralizing, transforming, and eliminating them through organs of elimination also known as the emunctories. These emunctory organs of elimination include the liver, gallbladder, lymphatics, colon, bladder, kidneys, skin, and lungs, which work continually to remove these metabolic wastes from our body.
Why Do We Detox? Over time our bodies can accumulate metabolic wastes if they are not eliminated properly. Inflammatory diets, toxic exposures and stress are some of the culprits that increase the toxic burden on the body. Organ systems can begin to give us a signal they need support. Some of these signals can be seen in blood workups show- ing elevated markers of inflammation or hormonal imbalances. Symptoms that could indicate the need for a detox include skin ail- ments like acne and eczema to digestive ailments like constipation
and bloating to neurological symptoms including migraines. Each individual person may have their own Achilles heel when it comes to what symptoms they present when a detox may be necessary. Narrowing down what your metabolic wastes are is a helpful way to prevent burdening your body to begin with.
What is a Toxin? A toxin is any substance that creates an irritating and/or harm- ful effect in the body. Chemicals, pesticides, solvents, heavy metals, mold, and pathogenic microorganisms are considered environmen- tal toxins. However, our body also produces metabolic intermedi- ates or end-products that are just as deleterious to our health as those environmentally acquired.
Signs of toxin overload include weight gain, asthma, allergies,
food and environmental sensitivities, anxiety/depression, immune conditions, cancer, constipation, bad breath, fibrocystic breasts and fibroids, menstrual problems, thyroid issues, headaches, skin rashes, etc. Everyone is at risk for toxic accumulation; as a result, everyone could benefit from a detox program annually.
While our bodies' detox pathways involve multiple organ systems, the central organ that processes all our hormones, toxins, food, herbs, supplements, drugs, and alcohol is the liver. Therefore, detoxification programs can sometimes be referred to as a liver de- tox. It is important to note that no method of detoxification should be performed without the supervision of a medical professional. A naturopathic doctor is trained to prepare the body for detoxification and find the best program and diet plan to ensure safe and gentle cleansing any time of year. You must take into account medications, supplements, and the lifestyle of a person before recommending a detox, it is not a one size fits all approach.
How Do We Detoxify? Our liver is a magical organ as it is regenerative, meaning it can heal itself after damage. It is known to process and metabolize all chemicals that circulate throughout the body, making this organ the primary focus of any detox plan. From every hormone, food, drug, herb, and in Chinese medical theory- our emotions, the liver is subject to being burdened in its ability to function and this can impose serious side effects and changes to our metabolism. As a result, gentle detoxification is one way we can support our livers and promote clearing of toxic waste.
Detox programs are designed to support the two phases of liver detoxification, called phase I and phase II, respectively. The first phase of liver detoxification corresponds to fatty liver mobilization. The right lobe of the liver is highly saturated with fatty material and that is to help detox chemicals and toxins that enter the liver which are fat-soluble. These include environmental contaminants/pollut- ants, plastics, insecticides/pesticides, plant or drug compounds,
24 Natural Nutmeg - March 2018
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