Herbal Detox: How to Detox Your Body Naturally

Detoxification:

Detoxification is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body.This is done by removing impurities from the blood in the liver where the toxins are processed for elimination.The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. However, when this system is compromised, impurities aren’t properly filtered and every cell in the body is adversely affected. A person feels lighter and more energized after detoxification. These toxins are sometimes external and sometimes also formed in the human body as a by-products of some physiological processes.

These toxins are sometimes external and sometimes also formed in the human body as a by-products of some physiological processes.

Kind of Toxins Produced in the Body:

A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms. The term was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849–1919).

Toxins can be small molecules, peptides, or proteins that are capable of causing disease on contact with or absorption by body tissues interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors. Toxins vary greatly in their severity, ranging from usually minor (such as a bee sting) to almost immediately deadly (such as botulinum toxin).

It is important to recognize that toxins can be found externally (outside the body) which are called exogenous toxins or created internally (inside your body) which are known as endogenous toxins.

Exogenous Toxins: Examples of external toxins are food, water, pollution, second hand cigarette smoke and pesticides.

Endogenous Toxins: Internal toxins, on the other hand, include bad bacteria and yeast create dangerous toxins right inside your body. These toxins are produced by the body as a by-product of biochemical processes, and may tend to accumulate in the joints or various muscle groups.

Technically speaking, there is a third category of toxins, known as autogenous toxins. These are the toxins that one is born with, in the form of pathogens or toxic compounds, generally from environmental/dietary exposure over multiple generations. These toxins are usually passed down from the maternal line, from the mother to the baby in the womb. However, these are in a sense just exogenous toxins that happen to be absorbed from the mother rather than from the environment.

Toxins can further be classified according to the location of the body where their effects are most noticeable:

• Hemotoxins (for example, found in some snakes) destroy red blood cells and cause general tissue damage.
• Phototoxins (for example, alpha-terthienyl found in marigold plants) cause allergic reactions in susceptible individuals.
• Necrotoxins (for example, necrotising fasciitis – flesh-eating bacteria) destroy cells they encounter and cause general tissue damage.
• Neurotoxins (for example, tetrodotoxin found in pufferfish and some grey side-gilled sea slugs) affect the nervous system of organisms.

The seven most deadly (to humans) chemical substances (toxins) are:

• botulinum toxin A (from bacteria – Clostridium botulinum)
• tetanus toxin A (from bacteria – Clostridium tetani)
• diphtheria toxin (from bacteria – Corynebacterium diphtheriae)
• dioxin (manufactured)
• muscarine (from mushrooms – Amanita muscaria)
• bufotoxin (from the common toad – genus Bufo)
• sarin (manufactured).

The main sources of Toxins are given below:

• Food
• Water
• Drugs and Medicine
• Pesticides
• Environment (Air, Smoke etc.)
• Beauty and Personal Care products
• Stress and Negative thinking

Fortunately, the human body has a strong tendency to move toward health when fed in a right way. Engaging in a natural detox program the body works to clean itself, shed accumulated toxins, and replace damaged cells with new cells. To maximize your detoxification experience, be sure that you use only an all-natural procedure. After all, you can’t expect to lighten your body’s toxic burden by adding more chemical pollutants to it. Herbal detoxification methods are available today to meet this growing need and are a sound investment in improved health and wellness.

Few ways to naturally detoxify the body are given below:

• Eating Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Fibres: What goes in must come out, but sometimes our body has a hard time of getting rid of waste build-up in the intestines. Increase your fibre intake gradually so your body can make the adjustment without putting you through too much discomfort and also detoxify the body. Plenty of insoluble fibre, figs, prunes, plums, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables are good for our body to detoxify. Radishes, cabbage, broccoli and other green leafy vegetables are also excellent detoxifying foods.

• Avoiding Processed Foods:Any type of packaged food, whether it seems healthy or not, is made with additives and preservatives of some type. Just like pesticides, these can and will build up in your intestines as toxins over time. Avoid foods that contain additives or are nutritionally bankrupt, e.g. cold drinks, artificial sweeteners, canned and tinned foods.

• Avoid Toxins Triggering Foods:You might not realize it, but excessive alcohol or caffeine can build up toxins in your body. The same goes for processed foods, fried foods, extra sweet foods or others that are made with unnatural ingredients. Anything that doesn’t come from the earth or that has chemically enhanced ingredients isn’t good for your ability to naturally cleanse or feel healthy and strong.Avoid excess amount of sugar, salt, saturated fats, caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol, all of which act as toxins in the body.

• High Fluid Intake:Drinking water helps cleanse your body flushing out potential harmful toxins through your urinary tract. Some say the water detox-cleanse is one of the best way to detox your body without affecting your diet. Include enough of fluid in the diet in the form of fresh water, lemon water, buttermilk, herbal tea etc.

• Exercise:When you are exercising you are not only helping the body to shed fat and excess weight, but you are also helping to get rid of toxins that may build up in your body. As you sweat these toxins can come out and therefore the detoxification takes place.

• Proper Sleep:Proper sleep is required to keep the body toxins free.

• Go Organic:Instead of consuming conventional foods its better to go organic as organic foods contain lesser of toxins.

• Body Massage: We generally think that massages are only for relaxation, Massages helps you to naturally detox the body and get rid of the things that may have been making you sick. Get into this as a regular habit and you will feel a very positive effect from it, above and beyond relaxation at the core.

• Replace regular tea with Herbal Green Tea:Herbal green tea offers important antioxidants that our body needs in the most natural form. It offers a slight caffeine boost that can help to get you jump started in the morning, just as a cup coffee or regular tea does. So if you choose to replace your morning cup of tea/coffee with a cup of herbal green tea you still get a caffeine boost and some actual health benefits as well. The antioxidants present in the herbal green tea helps to flush out toxins from the body giving it a refreshing feel.

• Try Acupuncture:This is one of the best forms of cleansing or detoxification, but only few of us know much about it. Acupuncture is a part of holistic medicine that may help to naturally heal some of your biggest health problems, while also helping you to cleanse any blockages of toxins in the body.

• Fast Once a Week: Simply fasting once a week and replacing foods with natural juices made from fresh fruits and vegetables can really help. You don’t have to do this often, but you should make it a priority in your life.

• Try Yoga:Yoga is not only a great form of exercise, but can also help you to meditate as well. So you get rid of stress as you work through the movements. This is good for the body and the mind as you have a chance to recharge. As you move through these poses and breathe properly, you are relieving stress and helping the body to cleanse in a very natural and effective way. You are getting deep down into muscle tissue as you would with a massage, and you are also helping to breathe out toxins that have built up in your system over time.

• Include Super Foods: The great thing about super-foods is that they contain important nutrients and antioxidants which our bodies need to fight off infections. The presence of these antioxidants and nutrients in the body help to fight off harmful toxins and substances that may compromise our immune system and our overall health so the inclusion of them in our diets is critical. Try to incorporate super foods into every meal and enjoy how beneficial they are. They not only make for healthy and low fat food choices, but they also help you to boost your antioxidant intake. Some of the super foods are flax-seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, almonds, blueberries, blackberries and avocados.

Note: Do not go on a heavy detox if you are pregnant, lactating, elderly, have high blood pressure, are underweight or against your health practitioner’s recommendation.

Eating A Rainbow – A Colorful Way To Eat Fruits

Fruits and vegetables are an important components of a healthy balanced diet. If we consume them daily in sufficient amounts they could help us prevent many diseases related to heart and certain types of cancers. The World Health Organization recommends eating a at least of 400-500 gm of fruits and vegetables per day to prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity. 

Different colours indicate different nutrients in the food. Pigments and some chemical compounds are responsible for a particular colour of the food. Eg. Red colour of tomatoes is due to lycopene, orange colour of carrots is due to carotene present in it. These compounds add colour to fruits and vegetables and also hold nutritional significance.

Consuming a rainbow of fruits and vegetables helps ensure one gets enough of the different nutrients needed for good health. This is because these colorful fruits and vegetables indicate their different nutrient content.

Listed are the Colors and Their Significance along with the food sources:

Green: 

The compounds that give green color to the vegetables are called glucosinolates. This compound help ward off cancer by inhibiting carcinogens. Green color of plants is due the presence of a pigment called Chlorophyll which is purifying for the body. Many green foods also contain calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin K, iron and many other antioxidants.

Green foods include

• Artichokes

• Kale, spinach and other leafy greens

• Green apples 

• Sea vegetables 

• Avocados 

• Asparagus 

• Green beans 

• Brussels sprouts 

• Broccoli 

• Cucumbers 

• Green cabbage 

• Green grapes 

• Lettuce 

• Kiwi fruit 

• Limes 

• Green onions 

• Peas 

• Zucchini

Red: 

Red foods contain ellagic acid, lycopene, Quercetin, and Hesperidin. These food nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce the growth of tumors and also the reduces LDL cholesterol levels. These compounds also scavenge free-radicals that are harmful, and support joint tissue in arthritis cases.

Red foods include

• Tomatoes

• Beets 

• Radishes 

• Red cabbage 

• Cranberries 

• Cherries 

• Red grapes 

• Pink grapefruit 

• Red peppers 

• Pomegranates 

• Red potatoes 

• Watermelon 

• Raspberries 

• Red apples 

• Strawberries

Orange:

The phytochemicals responsible for orange colour in fruits and vegetables such as mango, carrots, or pumpkin, are carotenoids α- y β-carotene. These Carotenoids may help improve your immunity and lower the risk of heart diseases, vision problem and several types cancer. Beta-carotene is a carotenoid which the body uses to create vitamin A. Folate, bromium, potassium and vitamin C are also often found in orange fruits and vegetables.

Orange foods include: 

• Yams and sweet potatoes

• Carrots 

• Apricots 

• Butternut squash 

• Cantaloupe 

• Grapefruit 

• Lemons 

• Mangoes 

• Nectarines 

• Oranges and Tangerines 

• Papayas 

• Peaches 

• Pears 

Yellow: 

The flavonoids, are the largest group of phenolic compounds, they together with β-cryptoxanthin are responsible for the light yellow to orange colour of fruits like peach, orange or papaya. Dietary flavonoids possess anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antihistamine and antioxidant properties. These compounds are reported to inhibit lipid peroxidation, scavenge free radicals, and to modulate cell signalling pathways. Production of free radicals and peroxides has been linked to aging, cancer, ischemic injuries, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Flavonoids protect LDL cholesterol from being oxidized, thus preventing the formation of plaques in the arterial wall.

Yellow foods include: 

• Yams and sweet potatoes

• Yellow apples 

• Peaches

• Butternut squash 

• Cantaloupe 

• Lemons 

• Mangoes 

• Lemons

• Papayas 

• Yellow peppers 

• Persimmons 

• Pineapple 

• Pumpkin 

• Yellow winter or summer squash 

• Yellow tomatoes

• Sweet corn 

Blue, Indigo, Violet: 

Blue, indigo and violet foods contain the compound anthocyanins that not only give color to the foods but also have been shown to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and increase the health of heart. Anthocyanins possess antioxidant properties that help limit the damage caused to the body cells by free radicals and may also lower your risk for stroke, heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration (vision loss) and memory problems.

Foods in this part of the rainbow include:

• Blackberries 

• Blueberries

• Purple grapes 

• Figs 

• Plums, fresh and dried (prunes)

• Raisins 

• Eggplant

White, Tan and Brown:

White fruits and vegetables get their color from the polyphenol compounds with their antioxidant properties called anthoxanthins, which are known to lower your risk of cancer and heart disease. Some white foods, like garlic contains a compound called allicin, which is known to lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer. These foods may also be good sources of vitamin C, potassium, folate, riboflavin and niacin. A study published in November 2011 in "Stroke" found that consuming more white fruits and vegetables may lower your risk for strokes. Tan and brown foods like garlic, onions, and mushrooms may promote heart health and reduce the risk of cancer.

Here are options for adding more of these colors to your diet:

• Bananas

• Onions 

• Cauliflower 

• Garlic 

• Ginger 

• Mushrooms 

• Potatoes 

• Parsnips 

• Turnips

• White corns

• White Nectarines

• Dates

• Brown pears

• Cheeku

Black:

Black colored fruits are becoming very popular in the recent years due to their high nutritive value for human health. These fruits are rich in vitamins, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and other materials and also possess anti-cancer, anti-oxidation and anti-aging properties. Recent studies showed that black fruits show a black color in their skin because they are rich in pigments such as Proanthocyanidins and chlorophyll. In comparison with the light colored fruits, these pigments have a strong antioxidant property which can effectively increase the body’s resistance to bacteria. In addition, these black fruit are rich source of minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium which play a vital role in the maintenance of nutritional balance of the human body.

Black Foods include:

• Mulberry

• Black Grapes 

• Elder Berries

• Black Berries

• Black Currants

• Dried plums

The popular phrase "eating a rainbow" of fruits and vegetables is a very simple way of remembering to get variety of color in your diet as possible, so that you can maximize your intake of a wide range of nutrients. The colors of vegetables and fruits are a small clue as to what vitamins and nutrients are included in that particular food. By getting a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables, one is sure of getting a diverse amount of essential vitamins and minerals in their diet.

It is advised to go Organic to gain maximum nutrients from a fruit. To know more about Organic Foods click here.

Natural Ways to Detox the Body

 

Detoxification

• Plenty of insoluble fiber, figs, prunes, plums, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables are good for our body to detoxify. 
  
  
• Radishes, cabbage, broccoli and other green leafy vegetables are excellent detoxifying foods. 
  
  
  
  
• Avoid foods that contain additives or are nutritionally bankrupt, eg. cold drinks, artificial sweeteners, canned and tinned foods.
  
  
• Avoid excess amount of sugar, salt, saturated fats, caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol, all of which act as toxins in the body.
  
  
• Include enough of fluid in the diet in the form of fresh water, lemon water, buttermilk, herbal tea etc.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Exercise also helps to get rid of toxins that may build up in the body.
  
  
• Proper sleep is required to keep the body toxins free.