Improving General Wellbeing with a Natural Detox

With every breath, and within every cell of our body, the process of detoxification is happening. It is an essential cycle of transformation and clearance where our body takes substances (toxins) that, in excess, have the potential to be harmful, and eliminates them to render less harm. These toxins are part of our everyday life. They can form part of our food, water and air, and be found in our cosmetics, cleaning products and medications. They can be inhaled, ingested or absorbed and can also be produced within us (endotoxins) as by-products of our natural metabolic processes or as a stress, emotional or inflammatory response.

We can liken our detoxification capacity to a bucket, sitting under a dripping tap that’s reflective of our toxin exposure. At some stages in life, the tap will drip slowly, while at other times, it will pour. We need to ensure our bucket is regularly emptied and freely flowing, as it can easily become stagnant or overfilled.

Our capacity to detoxify efficiently is dependent on balance and can be enhanced or impeded by several factors, including genetics, age, gender, diet, environment and health state. Our toxic tolerance is like any other stress on the body – when it’s accumulative and coming at us from all directions, our body can only take so much. Toxic overburden can affect our microbiome and gut, and in turn, create a heightened immune and allergic response, as well as disrupting hormones and impeding mitochondrial function (the powerhouse for our energy). This may then develop into chronic health challenges that affect general wellbeing. We can reduce this burden by supporting our capacity to detoxify with the right interventions such as diet and lifestyle. This allows your body to do what it needs to do, with greater ease. A natural detoxification program can be one of the most effective strategies for rapidly improving the state of health.

DETOXIFICATION – A PILLAR OF NATURAL HEALTH

Detoxification is probably a term you’re no stranger to, but do you take the concept of detox seriously as a pillar of health? And do you intentionally and consciously carry out a detox program every year?

No matter how hard you try to live green and clean, it’s unlikely that your lifestyle and environment is clean enough to maintain perfect health. You likely wear makeup, use hand cream, wash dishes, put petrol in the car, live in an urban environment where you’re exposed to outgassing plastics from a new couch, take a medication, use a printer, drink non-organic coffee, use laundry powder, have your hair dyed, use nail polish, or use a computer or mobile phone.

What do you think of when you hear the word detox? Maybe you think of juice fasts, eating only plain bland food, lemon water diets, or only drinking shakes for a couple of weeks, just to name a few. These are some dramatic approaches to detox, and fortunately, going to this extent isn’t necessary. However, if you’re interested in how to naturally detox, you need to understand that you’ll get out of a detox what you put in. This means that the more you do, the more benefits you’ll see or feel. A well-designed, patient-centred, comprehensive detox program sits very well as a pillar of healing and is completely in line with one of the fundamental principles of Naturopathic Medicine, which is to decrease toxic burden and increase toxin resistance.

A decreased ability to detoxify may contribute to a range of health concerns, such as:

• Inability to lose weight
• Frequent headaches
• Bad breath or coated tongue
• Regular muscle aches and pains
• Excess body odour, body heat or sweating
• Digestive problems such as nausea, constipation, diarrhoea and abdominal bloating
• A roll of fat around your upper abdomen
• High cholesterol and/or triglycerides
• An intolerance to alcohol and or fatty food
• Allergies or sensitivities
• Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, poor short-term memory or mood swings
• Hormonal concerns or PMS
• Brown spots (liver spots) on the skin
• Unstable blood sugars or sugar cravings
• Dark circles under your eyes or puffy, red, itchy eyes
• Acne, psoriasis, eczema, itchy skin or rashes
• Low energy levels, lethargy or chronic fatigue
• Just not feeling “quite right”

If you’re experiencing four or more of these concerns, your body may be overburdened by toxicity and in need of some help! You should consider an effective and easy step-by-step detoxification program to give you back your bounce.

At Melbourne Natural Medicine Clinic, our experienced naturopaths’ approach to detoxification is a focus on all detoxification systems (liver, digestive tract, kidneys, skin, lymphatic, lungs) and aims to do more than just give you a short-term fix! Our program for detoxification in Melbourne stimulates and supports your body’s means of eliminating and processing hormones, chemicals and other substances that you’re exposed to on a daily basis. It involves assisting your body to get rid of toxic build-up and toxic overload. We may also recommend other treatments for enhancing general wellbeing, such as infrared sauna in Melbourne.

Reasons to Consider Detoxing

• Improved energy and vitality
• Enhanced fertility
• Better digestive health
• Weight loss
• Improved mental clarity and memory
• Better sleep
• Improved skin and overall “glow”
• Less headaches
• Better hormonal balance and less PMS

Do you want to kick start your body back to optimal general wellbeing? Contact Melbourne Natural Medicine Clinic today to discover the benefits of a detoxification program and find out how we can help you on the path to a healthier you.