Why Would You Ever Think of Doing a Detox?

This new series is a natural continuation to the previous one in which we looked at intermittent fasting (IF).

In that series, we looked at what IF might be able to do for you, some fundamentals and myths, and we ended the series with some pointers to consider.

However, detoxification (detox) and fasting are interrelated.

In this new series we are taking a look at detox principles and strategies.

Also, there may be links included to products that we have a vested interest in as an affiliate.

In this first article of the series, we will look at why you would even consider adopting a detox strategy for health promotion.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this series is for information purposes only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, neither is it to be construed as such. It does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment where required. Consult a doctor for medical advice, treatment or diagnosis.

If you ever intend to do detoxification, do discuss and clear it with your healthcare provider.

Life is complicated!

What do you think life was/might have been like about a hundred years ago or so?

Maybe…

• much less stressful
• environmental pollution was not rampant
• our food and water supplies were not contaminated with chemicals
• no digital technologies with unusual electromagnetic fields
• no waging chemical warfare against germs and disease (not really that new??)

These are some of the things we didn’t have to deal with at least a hundred years ago.

Today, life has become more complex and complicated:

• increased physical, mental, and emotional stress
• increased use of food additives and preservatives to ensure food longevity
• increased production of genetically modified foods
• addition of chemicals to water to make it, supposedly, safe to drink
• fluoridation of water to, supposedly, prevent dental cavities
• increased use of electrical, electronic, and digital technologies producing electromagnetic fields we cannot (usually) detect with our physical bodies

These are some of the complexities of modern living that come to mind. You might be able to think of others.

Increased natural health advocacy

Since the 1900s, there has been an increase in natural health advocacy, which has become supercharged since the 1990s because of the World Wide Web.

We are thus bombarded (left, right, and center), with so much information about what is happening in our external environment and the potential/actual effects on our bodies. We are also bombarded with so much information as to what we can, must, or should be doing to protect ourselves.

Much of this information nowadays consists of lists of tips and tricks for hacking our bodies.

Our bodies deserve better…

The body’s capabilities

Given our dualistic approach to life in the West with our either/or attitude, we tend to approach health matters as if we are constantly engaged in a battle. In one sense, it is.

However, we are seriously underestimating one thing in this approach. This is the body’s natural desire to heal itself. Even the Western medical profession acknowledges the ability of the body to heal itself.

So why detox?

One major reason that many people actively choose the detox route is because they believe that it will help them

• fight off infections,
• strengthen their immune systems, and
• provide them with a range of other benefits.

Yes, it is true that these benefits are possible with a detox process. However, we are forgetting the basic principle that the human body is itself capable of handling pollution.

Or, at least, it was…

Immune system 101

The body has a naturally built-in line of defenses for fending off pathogens, foreign agents, and warding off diseases. This innate ability is called the immune system and it is located in different parts of the body, such as the thymus gland located in the chest, the little-known lukscia gland at the base of the spine, and (mostly) the gut.

It is strengthened when we are engaged in eating healthy foods, exercising properly, and doing work we enjoy and that doesn’t unduly increase our stress levels. It is also strengthened when we engage in periods of rest and relaxation.

This last one does not include so-called “activity vacations” that leave you more drained and stressed and needing another vacation just to recover.

Other parts of the body that assist in removing waste are the kidneys and the colon.

Let’s take the kidneys first.

How the kidneys work

The kidneys work with the bladder to excrete waste from the body. It does this by taking some of the most toxic substances, filters them through the blood and then excretes them through the bladder as urine.

Doing a detox program usually involves drinking a lot of water. However, you might wish to consider the possibility of water poisoning, given the many toxins present in our drinking water. Boiling the water is not enough.

Also, maybe ten years ago, you may have had access to pure water (if you didn’t live on an idyllic island). However, these days, it is probably getting more and more difficult to obtain.

Now the colon.

How the colon works

The colon, also referred to as the large intestines, is about three feet long. Once the food has passed through the small intestine and abosrbed, some extra absorption of water and food takes place in the colon.

Waste is stored here and at the right time – or, as with some people, an appropriate time – the waste is expelled through the anus as feces.

Natural health professionals argue that this area of the human body is the most abused. Thus, occasionally detoxing the body is advised.

A key reason for undergoing this process

Consider this. Apparently, according to Daniel Reid (2003, 2006), the average American male carries within his colon just under three pounds of a dense, rubbery, toxic sludge. None of this sludge is ordinary feces.

Would this be a good enough reason for doing a detox program?

It is certainly one option, and it just might extend your life a little bit.

Okay, so to answer the question, let’s delve a little more into why you might consider employing a detox program as strategy:

Reason Number One:

Substances that are inhaled or ingested

For those of us who live in cities (esp), we inhale thousands of substances each week, many from situations that are beyond our control. If you drive a vehicle, for example, you have no control over the odors that flow in and out of your vehicle.

Gas exhaust fumes, sulfur, paint ingredients, second-hand cigarette smoke…

At home, we have to deal with pesticides that are in our foods, shampoos and other bathing products for our skin and hair, lawn care chemicals…

We have simply gotten used to all these things that we come in contact with every day having taken them for granted. However, the body has its own mind and awareness. It usually gives an indication of this awareness through sicknesses and ailments. This would be one good reason for doing a detox.

Reason Number Two:

Stress on body and mind

There are two basic kinds of stress. It could be simply described as stress that:

• we need to function (eustress/good stress), or
• can kill us (distress/chronic stress)
• moves us towards our goals (eustress/good stress), or
• moves us away from our goals (distress/chronic stress)

In fact, there is a co-relation between (dis)stress and top causes of death, such as heart disease, cancer, and strokes.

Identifying and dealing with the sources of stress is key to doing more than just surviving.

Sources of stress

Here are some of the sources of stress you might wish to consider tackling (we may update the list from time to time):

The news

It used to be that, in the past, we didn’t have breakfast without having a read of the daily newspaper.

Today, we get our news through digital technologies. It is perhaps safe to assume that 99% of what we consume as news is negative in nature.

The timing of this negative input, usually first thing in the morning, and the evening and/or nightly news, just might be contributing to our mental stress levels.

Electropollution

How much time do we spend on our phones, and in front of computers – whether for work or play – without so much as taking a break long enough before we get back to what we are doing online?

Right now, I am sitting at a laptop writing this article. These days, I am becoming more aware of changes in the room’s atmosphere, particularly of frequencies to the upper right hand side, just behind me. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the office or living room space.

Sometimes, it moves around.

Dr. Robert O. Becker confirmed this phenomenon in his books The Body Electric and Cross Currents: The Perils of Electropollution, The Promise of Electromedicine.

When cell phones began their rise in popularity in the UK around the 1980s, some scientists expressed alarm at the dangers of dealing with electromagnectic frequencies (ELFs) that we did not have to deal with 100 years ago.

The cell-phone companies argued at that time that there was no scientific evidence to make links between cell-phone use and cancers (the issue scientists were concerned with).

However, as early as the 1960s, the research had been done into the links between ELFs (including the use of electronic and [later] digital technologies) and their effects on body and mind.

Granted, we are never going to get rid of digital technology (would we want to anyway?) unless some major catastrophe wiped it all out.

However, we can take steps to limit our exposure to ELFs that have potentially damaging effects.

Think of it like this

Rather than adopting either/or approaches to living where we are always in survival mode, we can be both/and. Working with the water and the fire (to use Chinese Qigong terms) to produce yin and yang balance.

Being in survival mode all the time is like being at the starting blocks of a hundred-meter race, waiting for the gun to go off. Just imagine what happens to the body if the gun never goes off.

It is one reason why there are false starts in a race. That is, the tension that comes with anticipation. Not that the gun never goes off…

Our bodies are the same way. Our bodies are clever enough to adopt survival strategies as well as growth strategies as and when needed.

They adopt these strategies as best they can. However, sometimes, because of the times we now live in, they need a little extra help.

In the next article, we will explore the potential benefits of doing a detox program.

To a better, wiser, stronger – YOU!

Sources:

Reid, Daniel (2006). The Tao of Detox: The Secrets of Yang-Sheng Dao. A Practical Guide to Preventing and Treating the Toxic Assault on Our Bodies. US: Healing Arts Press (Inner Traditions Internattional).

Becker, Robert O., M.D., and Selden, Gary (1985). The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life. US: Quill (William Morrow & Co).

Becker, Robert O., M.D. (1990). Cross Currents: The Perils of Electropollution, The Promise of Electromedicine. US: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc.