One of the most important factors in achieving optimal health and wellness is a properly functioning gut. No amount of clean eating or healthy lifestyle changes can fully prevent you from absorbing toxins or allowing them to build up over time.
Poor gut health results in nutritional deficiencies, causes significant illness and disease, interferes with digestion, absorption and numerous other bodily functions including inflammation, immune function, hormone balance, brain function, and more. Symptoms of a poor functioning gut are not always considered digestive symptoms.
When we use the word detoxification, we are referring to the bodily processes that convert toxins into less harmful substances and then eliminate them. The only way to do this properly and effectively is by repairing the body’s main detoxifying and filtering organs from the years of chemical and physical stress placed upon them so that they can perform as intended. It also involves working to eliminate an overabundance of toxins that have accumulated in the body over time due to the inability of our bodies to keep up with the detoxification demands placed on it.
Although the liver is the body’s primary detoxifier, other organs involved in the detoxification process include the colon, kidneys, gallbladder, skin, and the lymphatic system. Optimizing the function of all of these organs not only helps the body detoxify itself but positions us for long-term health because the liver and gut are responsible for hundreds of other functions in the body that help us maintain homeostasis and optimal wellness. If toxins begin accumulating in the body, they start to interfere with these functions and will ultimately lead to a breakdown in our health. In addition, toxins are primarily stored in fat and therefore prohibit us from burning and losing those fat cells until we eliminate those toxins.
The liver is an essential organ for many aspects of your health, including detoxification. It filters and detoxifies the blood, which is critical for restoring function and eliminating toxins and is also involved in multiple immune and metabolic processes. If any one of these processes suffers, it can be virtually impossible to successfully restore your health and eliminate disease. This is due to the liver’s role in metabolizing and balancing important hormones by converting them into active forms for the cells of your body to use, including the thyroid hormone, sex hormones and adrenal hormones. The liver also works to detoxify hormone-disrupting chemicals that interfere with the hormone activation process. Once the liver is functioning properly, there are two phases of detoxification that need to be understood:
PHASE 1:
A toxin is filtered from the blood and the liver converts it into a less harmful chemical. This process produces free radicals, which can cause damage if your body does not have an adequate amount of antioxidants. It’s important to note that some chemicals can actually become potentially MORE harmful during this process, which is why it’s so important for Phase 2 to take place.
PHASE 2:
Toxins and hormones are turned into water-soluble substances that can be eliminated through the colon or the kidneys. This requires very specific nutrients from foods in order to finalize the process. During the release of these toxins, some symptoms such as headaches, poor memory, stomach pain, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and even palpitations may occur. These symptoms are more likely to occur if there is a large presence of fatty tissues where the fat-soluble toxic chemicals tend to be stored. If your body has the sufficient nutrients to accomplish Phase 1 and Phase 2, these symptoms are more short-lived or less likely to occur at all.
Once the liver has finished converting the toxic substances, it is up to the GI tract to direct the elimination of waste. This is why it is so important that the gastrointestinal tract is working optimally and being minimally hindered by medications or poor diet. In addition, the kidneys help to eliminate toxins by filtering them from the body through urine. Drinking the right amount of water is critical to ensure that your body has the ability to eliminate the toxins as soon as they are ready. The standard recommendation of eight, 8 oz. glasses of water a day is a good place to start, however you can adjust based on your needs and your hydration cues, such as feeling thirsty and urine color (should be clear or light yellow). Our recommendation is to try drinking 1/2 your bodyweight in ounces (i.e. if you weigh 160, drink 80 oz of water).
Remember, detoxification is only one part of gaining your health back and should be done in conjunction with lifestyle changes geared at providing your body with healthy nutrition and restored function. These changes include eating healthy, drinking clean water, exercising, managing stress, and taking high-quality supplementation.
