Detoxification is a common buzz word for living a healthy lifestyle but how many of us really understand what it means to be toxic? Did you know that you are bombarded with toxins on a daily basis? A toxin is anything that irritates, inflames or causes a harmful effect in our body or mind. Toxins can be ingested, inhaled or absorbed on an external level. We come into contact with toxic substances everyday such as gas fumes, paint chemicals and pesticides.

On an internal level our bodies produce biochemical wastes that must be eliminated. If they are not properly eliminated our bodies do not function at their optimal levels. Many required functions can be blocked in entirety due to a toxic internal terrain. On a mental – emotional level we can have toxic thoughts that cause psychological stressors that are then manifested at the physical level.

Our physical bodies, if working at their optimal levels, are designed to identify and eliminate external and internal toxins. The difficulty that we have in our modern times is that we are being exposed to higher levels of super toxins and are experiencing greater difficulty in eliminating these toxins.

We generally detoxify through five different systems, urinary, respiratory, lymphatic, gastrointestinal, and dermal or skin. These systems help us to neutralize, change and eliminate toxins. Detoxifying can create movement where there was none and assist in changing not only the internal terrain but mental terrain as well. By clearing the stagnation that toxicity creates we can move forward toward health and happiness in our daily lives.

A safe detox can create relief from illness, and potential disease as well as improve energy and prevent aging. Many people take detoxing to the extreme and utilize harsh products that are sold over the counter without benefit of supervision by a licensed healthcare practitioner. It’s not appropriate to over eliminate and deplete our bodies of adequate hydration and essential vitamins and minerals needed to maintain optimum health.

A general rule of Oriental Medicine is to find balance and avoid extremes of any kind. A belief that more is better is a common one in this country and helps explain our lifestyle excesses. Obesity is at an all time high and is the basis for many illnesses and disease.

Allergy symptoms are quite frequent signs of toxicity. Headache, runny nose, joint pain, cough, stiff neck, and skin rashes are a few symptoms that may indicate a toxic terrain.

During weight loss we release toxins that were stored in our fat tissue and require additional assistance in elimination. That assistance can be as simple as additional water and fiber intake. Of course not all problems are cured by detoxification but maintaining a clean terrain will enable your body to more easily combat viruses, bacteria and resolve any other health challenges that you may face.

A simple way to begin a detox program is to eat in a nontoxic way. Red meat, fried foods and refined sugars are highly toxic and create great stagnation in the body and they should be avoided. Eating organic foods and drinking clean filtered water is number one on the list. Don’t forget to cook with clean water as well. Use of stainless steel and glass in cookware is also wise. Remember to only use glass or porcelain if you do cook in your microwave. Plastics are not natural and they can break down over time and become carcinogenic.

Many products are sold as simple colon or liver cleanses. Although this is a good idea, remember that toxins exist in all of your cells not just the cells of your liver and colon. The French homeopathy technique called “drainage” utilizes homeopathic solutions to drain toxins away form each and every cell of your body. During this type of detoxification you may re-experience the symptoms you have had in the past or feel achy. This is normal and a result of the expression of your toxic terrain.

Remember you should consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before you embark on a detoxification of any kind especially if you are in fragile health or on multiple pharmaceutical medications.