Progressive Progressive Medical Center - 2019 | Page 39

same thing, except they “eat” their nutrients through our
bloodstream and excrete their waste back into the blood and
the lymph. Endogenous waste products include substances
like uric acid, hormones, carbon dioxide, and lactic acid. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF
COMMON SYMPTOMS THAT
INDICATE A BACKUP OF TOXINS:
Our bodies were designed to deal with both endogenous
and exogenous toxins, and they process them much the same
way. Our liver is the main organ that processes toxins. This
process is referred to as phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification.
Essentially, the liver modifies the toxins it finds in the blood to
prepare them for excretion. The liver requires many different
ingredients to perform this task, including minerals, B-vitamins,
and certain amino acids. Once the liver has processed the
toxin, it can take one of four routes to exit the body. •
Memory issues
•
Hair loss
•
Painful menses
•
Joint pain
The first route is to move from the liver into the intestines
as part of bile. Bile is used in digestion to help make any
fat we eat more absorbable, to neutralize stomach acid as
it enters the intestine, and of course, to help us get rid of
toxins. Once the bile is in the intestine, it can bind to fiber
and be carried through the intestine for excretion as stool.
The second route a toxin can take to leave the body
is from the liver, back into the bloodstream, and then
out through the kidneys. The kidneys filter the blood
and selectively remove certain substances, including
toxins. This is how the kidney creates urine.
The third route is for the toxin to move from the liver into
the blood and then move to our sweat glands. Much like
your kidneys filter the blood to make urine, your sweat
glands filter the blood to make sweat. You may have
noticed that your sweat tastes salty; that is because there
are minerals in your sweat. Along with the minerals are
substances that your body wants to get rid of as waste.
The last route a toxin can take to leave the body is to move
through the blood to the lungs. Once in the lungs, it must turn
into a gas which we can exhale. This is how our body gets rid
of carbon dioxide, which is the waste product our lungs make
when they use oxygen. This is also why when someone eats
garlic, their breath later smells like garlic. The garlic is digested
and absorbed into the bloodstream, and then the smelly
compounds (essential oils) escape the body through the lungs.
If the liver does not process toxins, the toxins cannot
leave the body. Instead, they will build up in the liver or
in between the cells. Likewise, if any of the four routes of
elimination are blocked, toxins may build up inside the body.
These toxins then cause many different symptoms, which
vary from person to person, based on what the toxins are
and what that person’s genetics are. One person may get
skin rashes, whereas another may experience fatigue.
• Eczema
•
Menopausal symptoms like hot flashes
• PMS
• Fatigue
• Intolerance to chemicals or smells
• Sleep disturbances
• Mood disturbances
• Irritability
To aid our body in this process and decrease any
symptoms we may be having, it is helpful to set aside a
period of time to focus on decreasing the amount of toxins
we expose our bodies to while increasing the amount of
toxins we process and eliminate from the body. This will
lower the toxic burdens of our bodies and help decrease
any symptoms we may be having from toxins. Even if you
don’t have any symptoms, a detox can be used from time
to time to maintain good health and prevent symptoms.
A detox will focus on fueling the liver for toxin processing
and improving the routes of elimination. Each of the four
routes a toxin can leave the body requires a different
therapy to help it eliminate toxins. We need to have at least
one bowel movement a day to make sure our bile is leaving
the body, along with lots of fiber to bind the bile. We need
to drink lots of water to pass through our cells and blood,
out through our urine. Increased water is also helpful to
create sweat, along with a heat therapy like a sauna. Lastly,
deep breathing can be used to help our lungs eliminate
toxins. Exercise is also helpful for moving blood and lymph
fluid so that it will pass through the kidneys and liver. This
allows cells to get rid of any waste products they have.
It may be that there other contributing factors to
the symptoms you have, but by “detoxing,” you can
certainly help decrease negative health symptoms
and help your body do its job better.
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