In case you didn’t know, our bodies detox naturally, every single day. However, if we overburden our body with toxins, we get an overtoxified system that simply needs a break. Toxins are lurking everywhere in today’s modern society. Everything is becoming more toxic, so we are becoming more toxic. We are loading the environment with pesticides, fertilizers, heavy metals, plastics, as well as waste products from factories and agriculture.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists more than 86,228 chemicals under their Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). If pesticides like imidacloprid can harm honey bees, it can harm humans as well.
Toxins seep into our bodies from the environment a number of ways: we breathe them in, they penetrate our food, they’re in our drinking water. In order to identify whether or not you are suffering from a toxic load, it’s important to recognize the symptoms. These include feeling sluggish, fatigued, sick and bloated.
1.Feeling Tired All the Time
If you’re feeling tired all the time, it can be a sign that your body wants to recharge its batteries. Our bodies switch into rest and digest mode at night when we sleep, a time for healing and regeneration. When overburdened with toxins – from alcohol, processed food, or other sources – the body can find it hard to flush out foreign substances.
There are 87 known toxic chemicals that cause fatigue.
2. Feeling Blue, or Low Moods
Many toxic chemicals can cause depression – even alcohol when abused can lower mood.
There are 40 known toxic compounds that are known to cause neurotoxicity
3. Brain Fog/Finding It Hard to Focus
Brain fog can happen due to toxic overwhelm. Some products commonly found in our homes contain toxic chemicals. For example, methylene chloride or dichloromethane is commonly found in aerosols for products like deodorants, air fresheners, spray paints and hair sprays.
Many aerosol propellants contain up to 50% methylene chloride.
4. Sore Joints and Muscles
Toxins can disrupt the metabolism and as such can cause pain in the joints and muscles.
5. Having Trouble Sleeping
An overload of toxins can get deep inside our bodies and cause cellular poisoning. In a study of 66 men who were exposed to solvents as part of their job, one fifth was found to suffer from sleep apnea.
Environmental Neurotoxicology has found that there are 119 chemicals that can disturb sleep.
6. Cravings for Unhealthy Carbs or Sugar
When the body is craving carbs or sugar, normally it’s a sign that your system is out of whack. The gut can become filled with microbes that prefer sugar and carbs to healthier foods. Seeking out a quick energy boost is another reason that we can crave carbs or sugar – to overcome fatigue from the body being out of balance and not consuming or utilizing nutrients effectively.
7. Bloating or Digestive Issues
Too much processed food or toxins can lead to Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). In turn, this bacterial overgrowth can cause leaky gut and block the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. SIBO also causes bloating and digestive distress.
8. Headaches
Man-made chemicals like toluene can trigger headaches, drowsiness and make it difficult to concentrate. Toluene is one of the most common household chemicals. It has been found to damage the kidneys, liver, and lungs. Toluene can be found in paint thinners, nail polish, glues, paintbrush cleaners, inks, and stain removers.
9. Impaired Immune System
Vitamins, minerals and amino acids work to detoxify waste, foreign chemicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS). When the body is over-toxed, it is hard to absorb nutrients effectively, which can cause a downward spiral for overall health. The immune system plays a key role in cleansing out some toxic chemicals and as such the immune system can become overburdened if there are too many toxins in the system.
Given the state of the world today, this is of utmost importance.
Even Newborn Babies Have Toxins!
Trace chemicals are showing up in umbilical cord blood. 287 toxic chemicals were found in the umbilical cords (you forgot the letter “s” here) of newborns, of which 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system. In another study, 90% of pregnant mothers and their newborns were found to have high levels of 59 man-made chemicals, including PCBs and OCPs.
The Bottom Line
The good news is that a detox diet, one which avoids processed foods and environmental toxins, will go a long way to detoxifying the human body.
The first step is reducing your toxic load. Nutritional status plays a big role in how well we detoxify, so assessing functional nutrient deficiencies is key to removing toxins. The following compounds are critical to aid the body’s detoxification pathways: vitamin E, selenium, glutathione, glycine and vitamin C.
There is no doubt that modern society is placing a heavy toxic burden on our bodies and the environment. Taking time to detoxify the body can provide some much-needed relief, cleansing the body of unwanted chemicals, and restoring vibrant health.
