BEST WAYS TO NATURALLY DETOXIFY AND REJUVENATE YOUR BODY

We live in a world of toxic substances. From the air we breathe to the foods we eat to the non-food things that we ingest, our bodies are exposed to toxins on a daily basis. Poisonous food additives, unhealthy eating, fossil fuel pollutants in the air that we breathe, and drugs of all kinds, legal and illegal, that we devour ensure that our bodies are steeped in toxins. Toxic substances contribute to poor health. They accumulate in your body over time-days, weeks, months, and even years. They result in diseases like asthma and chronic lung conditions and cancer, among many others.

A toxin that you might not think of is second-hand cigarette smoke. A recent study estimated that 880,000 people worldwide die of second-hand smoke in a single year! Astonishing, isn’t it?? For every 52 people who smoked in 2016, according to the same study, there was one death among non-smokers.

How, then, can you detoxify and rejuvenate your body and make for a new and healthier life? In this article, we will discuss the most important ways that you can use your body’s natural, built-in mechanisms to help detoxify your body. We will also discuss healthy ways to rejuvenate your systems and your life.

YOUR BODY’S NATURAL DETOX MECHANISMS

You are in luck because your body has robust, natural, built-in detoxifying mechanisms to keep you healthy. The main one is your liver, but it also includes your kidneys, digestive system, skin, and lungs.

When toxins enter your body through breathing or swallowing or applying things to your skin, they make their way to your bloodstream. They circulate throughout your body to all your organs or tissues, but eventually, they arrive at your liver where detoxification starts. Your hepatocytes or liver cells contain enzymes that start to break down toxins and convert them into inactive substances.

One of the best- known systems is the one that breaks down alcohol. This enzyme is called alcohol dehydrogenase (AD), and it is doubly impressive because it can be induced. That means the more alcohol that you drink, the more AD is produced in your liver.

Another well-known system is the one that breaks down Cannabis products. You probably know that THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol is the psychoactive part of Cannabis, the part that gives you the “high” associated with it. When THC enters your bloodstream, it circulates throughout your body.

If you smoke Cannabis, it avoids the so-called “first pass” detoxification by the liver that occurs when you take Cannabis in an edible form.  When you take Cannabis as an edible, most of it goes from your gastrointestinal track straight to your liver by way of the Hepatic Portal system of veins. There some of it is detoxified to the inactive compound THC-COOH. This is the “first pass” effect. When you smoke Cannabis, it passes directly into your bloodstream and circulates throughout your body and avoids the “first pass” effect.

Other enzymes in your liver detoxify opiates, cocaine, methamphetamines, and PCP, for example. Some toxins, however, cannot be detoxified by the liver or by any other mechanism. The only option with them is to avoid them as much as possible.

Most often, detoxified substances are eliminated by way of your kidneys, but sometimes your digestive system, skin, or lungs gets rid of them.

An example of a toxin not detoxified by your liver is lead. You are probably aware of the scandal associated with lead-tainted drinking water in Flint, Michigan. Lead poisoning leads to serious health consequences, including death, especially for children.

DETOXIFICATION MYTHS

You can find any number of so-called “liver detox” products on the market. They are supposed to give you a new and healthy life. Still, you should beware of certain myths that are perpetuated in an attempt to convince you to buy commercially available detox products. Here are some of the popular myths.

• Liver cleanses are essential for good general health, will rejuvenate your body and give you a new life. Not so! There is no substantive evidence that “liver cleanses” have anything to do with detoxifying your body, rejuvenating your system, or making you healthy.
• Liver cleanses are a safe and healthy way to lose weight. Again, not so. The products advertised for liver cleanses are dietary supplements and, as such, are not regulated by the FDA. As a result, there is no way to be sure of the exact ingredients of these products, in spite of what the manufacturers might say.
• You cannot protect yourself from liver diseases without doing liver cleanses. Again, not so! You can protect yourself from liver disease and ensure that your liver can perform its natural detoxification functions by several means.

These include avoiding excess alcohol, which damages your liver. Avoid risky behavior that can result in viral hepatitis that can cause liver disease and, eventually, death due to liver failure.

Vaccinations are available for Hepatitis A and B to avoid those severe liver diseases with little risk

• Liver cleanses can correct liver damage. Again, not so! Your liver has a tremendous natural ability to recover over time from liver damage, and liver cleanses have no part to play in that process. Alcoholic liver disease can be reversed by stopping all alcohol intake. Hepatitis B and C both can be effectively treated with medications.

HOW TO NATURALLY DETOXIFY AND REJUVENATE YOUR BODY

• Avoid toxins! It seems simple, but it is not always easy to do. Social pressure to drink alcohol or use illegal or legal drugs may be challenging to resist. Moderate drinking, three drinks a day for men, and two drinks a day for women are permissible. More than that, risks alcoholism, liver damage, social consequences, and even, eventually, death.
• Eat a healthy diet. Sugar and processed foods are toxic, and over time they stress your liver to detoxify them. Your body cannot detoxify some of the foreign substances in processed foods. They can lead to long-term poor health and low energy levels. Eat a diet based mainly on green plants that are high in antioxidants and prebiotics. These foods also include cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, as well as beets. You do not need to buy “superbeets.” Just eat beets!
• Exercise. Both low-level activities like walking and more vigorous exercises such as free weights or machines at a gym or pilates or spinning classes all have excellent health benefits. Vigorous exercise sufficient to break down fat cells to release energy helps significantly in the detoxification of Cannabis. THC-COOH is stored in fat cells. When they break down to release energy, they also release the stored THC-COOH, which is then excreted in urine and feces.
• Fluid Intake. Your body has an excellent system to tell you when you need to drink. The pituitary gland secretes a chemical called vasopressin or anti-diuretic hormone. This chemical works with your kidneys to regulate the concentration of electrolytes in your blood and body tissues. Your body tells you when you need to drink by its thirst mechanism.

There is little or no benefit to drinking copious amounts of water when you are not thirsty. Drinking large amounts of water, contrary to what you might read online, does not “flush” toxins from your system. In fact, drinking copious amounts of water can lead to a serious and potentially fatal condition called water intoxication.

After prolonged vigorous exercise when you are sweating a lot, your body loses electrolytes like Sodium and Potassium. In that case, drinking electrolyte-rich drinks can help replace the lost minerals. Beware, however, of electrolyte-rich beverages that also contain large amounts of sugar. Inexpensive drinks like Pedialyte can replace lost electrolytes and avoid the adverse effects of sugary drinks.

• Maintain normal body weight and avoid obesity.Obesity increases your chance of developing fatty liver that can eventually lead to liver failure. Liver failure related to the obesity epidemic in the United States is rapidly becoming the number one reason for liver transplantation.
• Get adequate and regular sleep. Recent research shows that during sleep the brain resets itself and removes toxic waste products that have accumulated during the day. Chronic loss of sleep inhibits the functions of your mind, similar to the effects of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Your body has a robust natural detoxification system, primarily in your liver. If you take care to follow the steps outlined in this article, there will be no need for new “liver cleanses,” which have no role to play in your body’s magical detoxification mechanisms. If you follow the recommended steps, over time, you may feel as if you have a new life, full of energy and enthusiasm.