5 REASONS YOU NEED TO DETOX
Have you thought about joining a “detox” but weren’t sure if it was a hoax or the real deal? We totally get it. The term “detox” sometimes gets mixed reviews, because it’s often associated with things like juice cleanses, calorie restrictive diets and quick fixes that promise to help you magically look like a celebrity goddess. The truth is detoxification is one of our body’s most important processes when it comes to maintaining optimal health. In fact there are a lot reasons you need to detox the RIGHT way with scientifically based functional medicine protocols.
First things first: What is detoxification?
Our body is like a factory. True story. It has to take in materials like food, water, sunshine and oxygen to keep our system running. However, there are also extraneous substances that may serve their purpose, but then need to transform into something else so that the body can eliminate them. This is known as detoxification. Detoxification is our body’s natural (and essential!) process of removing toxins and unwanted materials.
What unwanted materials? Heavy metals, pollutants and UV radiation to name a few. There are also endogenous materials that the body produces internally, like hormones and neurotransmitters. All of these materials eventually need to be eliminated from the body by the body’s built in detoxification system. And it’s happening all the time!
That’s right! Natural detoxification actually occurs 24/7, 365 days a year. There are lots of reasons you need to detox to help this natural process, which we’ll get to in a moment.
So how does detoxification work?
The primary detoxification organs are the gut, liver and kidneys. Our bowels and urinary tract are also important, because they help excrete toxins through our bile and urine. Skin helps eliminate toxins through our sweat. In addition, our lungs are important for mainly expelling CO2. In a nutshell, these are the organs involved in our detoxification pathways.
When it comes to detoxification our liver is our body’s primary filtration system. It’s the star of the show. The liver works day after day to cleanse our blood, excrete waste and metabolize nutrients. It also helps us store vitamins, support immune function, produce proteins and remove dietary and environmental threats to avoid toxic accumulation.
With the help of our kidneys, the liver is our detoxification workhorse. Whether it’s one too many cocktails, a non-organic diet or a round of medication, the liver helps filter and detoxify any materials that aren’t supposed to circulate in our body. There are a few steps to this process. The first step involves using enzymes and oxygen to prepare toxins for removal. The second step is when our body actually eliminates them through bile, stool or urine.
The kidneys are equally essential to these processes, as these little bean shaped organs help regulate proper mineral balance, support hormone excretion, flush out urinary bacteria, support a healthy pH and more.
Why is it so important to detox? Are there reasons you need to detox?
While a healthy body uses those organs to naturally detoxify, we live in an increasingly toxic world. As a result, our detoxifying organs aren’t always able to keep up at optimal levels. Let’s put it this way; picture a water filter that is constantly used. Day after day for years and years, this filtration system is running, but it’s never cleaned or maintained. This would lead to blockages and an overabundance of toxic substances. That’s what’s happening to our detox pathways!
5 REASONS YOU NEED TO DETOX
We clean our homes on a regular basis – wiping the counter, sweeping the floors, cleaning the bathrooms and doing the dishes – and we need to be doing the same for our bodies. There’s no quick fix when it comes to our health, but there are things we can do to set ourselves on the right path to upgraded wellness.
Here are 5 reasons why you need to detox, or at least why you should consider a detox:
DETOX BENEFITS #1: Our toxic burden is heavier than ever
The challenge we face today is that the volume of toxic burden is greater than it has ever been. According to the Environmental Working Group, studies show that that the average newborn baby has 287 chemicals in their umbilical cord blood. These are little humans who have picked up a toxic burden without even physically living in the world yet! If this is the case, just imagine how many chemicals we’ve been exposed to in our lifetime that are BIOACCUMULATING. Now imagine the impact that might have on our long-term health. Yuck, right?
DETOX BENEFITS #2: It can set the stage for healthier habits
A worthwhile detox is one that involves implementable habits and actionable tools that you can incorporate easily into your daily life. Sure, you can drink green juice for 3 days, but what happens after that? You likely fall back into old habits. In TMB’S 21-DAY CLEAN GUT DETOX PROGRAM, we include a variety of easy nutritional guidelines, healthy recipes, an extensive grocery list, fascial release exercises, daily workouts and more to help you implement a long-term approach to living a life full of vitality!
DETOX BENEFITS #3: It can help you feel better
Picture a dishwasher in a restaurant. Dirty dishes are loaded in and come out clean on the other side. But when the restaurant gets too busy and there are too many dishes to be cleaned, the dish-washing process will slow down. The same thing happens to our detox pathways when we’re exposed to too many toxins. The result? We can feel moody, sluggish, achy, fatigued, bloated and more. Many of us don’t connect what we eat to how we feel. Detoxing can make a world of a difference when it comes to healing our symptoms and feeling better.
DETOX BENEFITS #4: It can curb cravings
Sugar is addictive. Period. If you experience a daily sweet tooth, you’re not alone. Many say that sugar is the new nicotine. In fact, studies suggest that sugar is even more addictive than cocaine! Although there’s usually a period where you might experience some withdrawal symptoms, a detox can help you unhook yourself from sugar cravings and other hyper-palatable foods. You’ll start to realize just how GOOD you feel replacing inflammatory foods with nutrient-dense options. A GREAT detox will TEACH you important things like what’s contributing to your food cravings and how to recognize true hunger from emotional hunger so you’re better equipped the next time that craving strikes!
DETOX BENEFITS #5: It can help balance your hormones
Our liver helps break down and remove excess hormones, which helps to keep our hormones balanced naturally. If you’ve ever heard the term “estrogen dominance” you know what we’re talking about. When our liver is overburdened, it can contribute to the re-circulating of hormones (that should have left the body) creating imbalances that cause a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms can include hair loss, mood swings and painful periods. Detoxing can give our liver and our hormones the reset that they need!
TMB CAN HELP YOU DETOX EFFECTIVELY AND HAVE FUN!
Ready to take your health to the next level? Join us for TMB’S NEXT 21-DAY CLEAN GUT DETOX PROGRAM! But don’t just read about about — Dr. Shalini Bhat is here to tell you all about our transformative program, what to expect, how it’s different from other detox programs and, most importantly, how it can benefit you!
About The Movement Boutique in Toronto – Pilates, Chiropractic, Functional Medicine
Located on Yonge Street in Toronto, The Movement Boutique serves the areas of Summerhill, Rosedale and Yorkdale with Pilates classes and much more. Our philosophy is centred on a holistic, multimodal approach to health, grounded in the latest therapeutic techniques and clinical research. Our approach: Optimal health cannot be attained through a single therapeutic lens; injuries are often the result of a constellation of lifestyle issues, including dysfunctional movement patterns, trauma, nutritional deficiencies or destructive habits of mind.
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