To detox or not to detox? Science tells us
that there is no need to because the body's mechanisms are naturally
geared to detox. However, does this take into account modern living?
We live in a polluted world: Many of us live in accommodation supplied with water through lead piping. In Europe lead piping was still being used up until the 1980s. It is very important to run tap water for several seconds before using it for drinking water, and you should never use the hot water tap for drinking water.
What other pollutants are present in our drinking water? How many of us have mercury amalgam fillings? Quite a number I should think. Mercury like lead is very toxic. How much of our fruit and vegetables have been treated with chemical pesticides? What unnatural products have been used to fatten up the livestock we consume?
The point I am making is that science probably does not take into account all the body nowadays has to cope with. Taking into consideration the above, junk food and our sedentary life styles, it is likely the body could do with a helping hand and Mother Nature, as is usually the case, is on hand to help us out.
Some people are strong advocates of total fasting, but to me this seems extreme and probably dangerous. I'm of the opinion the body needs a daily intake of vitamins, minerals and any other micro nutrients that are found in food for it to function properly. It therefore does not make much sense to deprive the body of these necessities. However, if you want to cleanse your system then some temporary, if not long-term, change to the diet is required.
Some people as part of their detoxing regime eat nothing but fruit for two days and drink lots of water with lemon juice added. This seems far preferable to a total fast, but I do wonder what happens to the blood sugar levels during the diet. Adding cinnamon will help but a small amount of complex carbohydrate, such as brown rice or wholemeal bread, with some protein would probably be a good idea as well. The well-known Lemon Detox diet is not recommended, but lemon juice does help the liver and is an important detoxing aid.
There are a number of herbs that will also help the body detox, which could be taken in conjunction with the above fruit diet or just used for a period of time, a couple of times a year:
We live in a polluted world: Many of us live in accommodation supplied with water through lead piping. In Europe lead piping was still being used up until the 1980s. It is very important to run tap water for several seconds before using it for drinking water, and you should never use the hot water tap for drinking water.
What other pollutants are present in our drinking water? How many of us have mercury amalgam fillings? Quite a number I should think. Mercury like lead is very toxic. How much of our fruit and vegetables have been treated with chemical pesticides? What unnatural products have been used to fatten up the livestock we consume?
The point I am making is that science probably does not take into account all the body nowadays has to cope with. Taking into consideration the above, junk food and our sedentary life styles, it is likely the body could do with a helping hand and Mother Nature, as is usually the case, is on hand to help us out.
Some people are strong advocates of total fasting, but to me this seems extreme and probably dangerous. I'm of the opinion the body needs a daily intake of vitamins, minerals and any other micro nutrients that are found in food for it to function properly. It therefore does not make much sense to deprive the body of these necessities. However, if you want to cleanse your system then some temporary, if not long-term, change to the diet is required.
Some people as part of their detoxing regime eat nothing but fruit for two days and drink lots of water with lemon juice added. This seems far preferable to a total fast, but I do wonder what happens to the blood sugar levels during the diet. Adding cinnamon will help but a small amount of complex carbohydrate, such as brown rice or wholemeal bread, with some protein would probably be a good idea as well. The well-known Lemon Detox diet is not recommended, but lemon juice does help the liver and is an important detoxing aid.
There are a number of herbs that will also help the body detox, which could be taken in conjunction with the above fruit diet or just used for a period of time, a couple of times a year:
- Milk thistle - assists the liver in its detoxing function.
- Raspberries - the juice is believed to cleanse the digestive system. It might also be helpful in relieving rheumatism, indigestion and diarrhoea.
- Watercress - apparently speeds up the bodies detox processes.
- Cayenne pepper - an internal disinfectant, with added bonus that it speeds up metabolism, so is great for burning fat.
- Black Cohosh - it is claimed neutralizes toxins in the blood.
- Burdock root - a blood purifier.
- Red Clover - another blood purifier. Also, is a tonic for the nerves.
- Slippery Elm - absorbs toxins and helps with excess stomach acid.
- Dandelion - helps the livers detoxifying processes.
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