New here? Like us on Facebook to stay updated of new posts and the latest detox information. If you think your friends or followers will enjoy this post, please share on Facebook or Twitter using the buttons at the end of the post. You can also pin this page to your Pinterest boards. 🙂
I was asked to write an article about the health benefits of a detox cleanse for last month’s excellent Juice + Blend i-magazine. I have reproduced it here with permission.
Still got that sluggish end of winter feeling? The excesses of the festive season and cold weather comfort eating can leave you feeling lethargic, tired, achy, spotty, moody and dare I say it, overweight. If that is the case you would benefit from a detox cleanse.
Just as your home can become dusty and dirty your body can become clogged up with toxins from all the rubbish and dirt it has to deal with every day. You breathe in chemicals from outdoor and indoor air pollution, your skin absorbs chemical toxins from shampoo, skin creams and lotions, make up, washing powder residue on your clothes. And, you ingest preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavors from food and drinks.
Your body is equipped with a superb, but intricate, detoxification system that converts dangerous chemicals into safer forms that can be eliminated from your body before they do any damage. But ,it was never meant to deal with all the man made chemical toxins that you are bombarded with every day.
Scientists have shown that these chemical toxins build up in your body. They get stored in your tissues, organs and cells where they interfere with their normal function. This is when you start to get little niggling symptoms. Eventually they can lead to disease.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. A good body cleanse can help to rev up your body’s detox system so that the stored toxins are eliminated. Flushing out the impurities and toxins has countless benefits that numerous people have discovered. These are some of the benefits you can expect from a detox cleanse.
1.Improved Body Functions
This is without a doubt the primary benefit of a detox cleanse. Flushing out all harmful substances from the body paves the way for proper metabolism and promotes the proper functioning of your body organs.
Colon cleansing for instance, eliminates any toxins and waste materials that have accumulated in the intestines improving digestion of food and absorption of nutrients needed for the efficiency of the liver detox system.
2.Better Immunity
A weak immune system correlates with the accumulation of toxins and impurities that clog the lymph, the fluid that transports the white cells around your body to fight off infections.
A detox eliminates impurities from the blood and lymph allowing the white blood cells to move more quickly to devour viruses and bacteria that cause infections. Your body will be better equiped to combat colds. flu and other infections. Allergies and other forms of sensitiveness can also be improved.
3. Glowing Skin
A body detox cleanse can improve the appearance of your skin. When the toxins are trapped in the pores they contribute to blemishes, aging, wrinkles and create dark circles under your eyes, distorting your appearance. As you eliminate the toxins as well as accumulated dead skin cells, you’ll experience a glowing, clear and luminous skin.
The increase in water which comes from the increase in fruit and vegetables improves skin hydration promoting supple and flawless skin.
Numerous skins disorders including acne are attributed to the presence of toxins which clog the pores and harbor bacteria which cause infections. Detoxing your body will ensure that the toxins are eliminated and due to the improved immunity, the bacteria will be killed.
4. Increased Energy Levels
Chemical toxins can interfere with energy production in the mitochondria, the power house of the cell. The result is fatigue. lethargy and sluggishness. Fortunately, a detox cleanse can help to eliminate these chemicals improving energy production.
The cleaner blood and lymph will deliver nutrients from the improved diet to the cells and carry away the wastes allowing them to function better. One of the first things that people report after a detox cleanse is the increase in energy.
5. Weight Loss
Although weight loss is not the prime purpose a detox it can help you lose weight, tone your muscles and get in shape. Your body stores toxins in fat and the body hangs on to it. A detox can eliminate the toxins that interfere with the weight control system.
Colon cleansing can help the digestive system work better making your stomach look flatter. Better metabolism improves the secretion of hormones that help to burn fat and shape your physique appropriately.
6. Mental Benefits
Ever suffered from brain fog or lack of concentration? The brain is affected just as much from toxicity as the rest of the body. Toxins from the colon for example can be absorbed into the bloodstream and circulate to the brain where they can affect your memory, your emotional state, and ability to think properly.
Heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and nickel interfere with the production of the neurotransmitters.
A detox cleanse can result in improved mental clarity, concentration, motivation and memory. It has also been shown to help improve dementia.
7. Delay the Onset of Aging
Toxins, free radicals and heavy metals are three of the body’s worst enemies in terms of premature ageing. Toxins damage DNA and kill cells directly leading to premature aging of tissues.
The high level of antioxidants and nutrients you get with detox juices and foods fight the free radicals, help to repair damaged cells and tissue and help to stimulate the growth of healthy new cells. You won’t have to rely on expensive anti-aging creams, botox or surgery.
With all these benefits who would not want to detox? Done periodically and properly a detox cleanse results in a wonderful feeling of emotional balance, clear-headedness, glowing looks and vibrant energy. Go for it!
If you enjoyed this post it would be fantastic if you would share this post by “Liking” it on Facebook, “Tweeting” it to your Twitter followers and “Pinning” it to your Pinterest boards. 🙂
I actually know of a friend who used a detox diet and lost like five pounds in three days. She said she felt better after she was done with it. I might have to think about doing it.
Hi Chad, The weight loss was more likely to be water in the first few days but you can lose fat further down the line. The main aim of a detox is of course to get rid of toxins that can interfere with the weight loss system. Try it.
Sandy
It’s nice that you talked about how flushing out all harmful substances from the body would pave the way for proper metabolism and promote the proper functioning of your body organs. My older sister recommended detoxing to me, so I am thinking of trying it out. For that, I am looking into nutritional detox.