Category: January

Toxins are Everywhere

You are exposed to toxins Every. Single. Day. There are approximately 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S., and 800,000,000+ pounds of herbicides are used yearly on our crops. ^1-3 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that hundreds of these chemicals are present in our bodies. Research shows that certain chemicals may affect our immune, endocrine, nervous, and reproductive systems.

In fact, your body produces its own toxins, or waste known as endogenous toxins, simply by functioning. Your body also encounters external (exogenous) toxins, or chemicals made outside of your body. They are in the air you breathe, the food you eat, the water you drink, and the products you touch.^4,5  

External Toxins

• Air and Water Pollutants
• Cigarette Smoke
• Certain Personal Care Products
• Dyes and Paints
• Heavy Metals
• Household Cleaning Products
• Pesticides and Insecticides
• Preservatives and Additives
• Trans Fats

Internal Toxins

• Ammonia
• Carbon dioxide
• Free radicals

You become what you eat

The typical America diet favors processed foods that tend to be high in refined sugar, trans fats, and salt.  Processed foods often contain pesticides, artificial ingredients, and genetically modified organisms that can contribute to toxin build up in the body.⁶  Exposure to these toxins can overburden your system’s natural ability to detoxify.

Reducing your toxic burden can reduce your odds of asthma, cancer, Alzheimer’s, infertility, hormonal and period problems and so much more. Reducing your toxic load can help you lose weight, restore your energy levels and balance your hormones. It can help you conceive a healthy baby and raise a healthy child.

When the body is overloaded with toxins, these toxins cannot be eliminated from the body and they slow down cellular function. This translates to decreasing your body’s function; the brain won’t fire as quickly so you become foggy and forgetful. This can mean you gain weight or feel tired and/or unmotivated.  Many people experience symptoms of toxicity but don’t recognize what these signs really can mean.  How many of the symptoms below do you have?

Symptoms of Toxin Exposure

• Fatigue or difficulty sleeping
• Indigestion and other gastrointestinal upset
• Food cravings and weight gain
• Reduced mental clarity (brain fog)
• Low libido
• Skin issues – eczema, acne, dark circles under the eyes
• Joint or muscle pain
• Headaches
• Female hormone disturbances
• Sinus issues
• Water retention
• Bad breath
• Insomnia

Your Organs of Detoxification

My 21 day Reset Detox Programs are designed to stimulate specific detoxification organs in the body—the liver, kidneys, and intestines. With help from these organs, your toxic load can decrease, and your body can concentrate its energy on detoxifying and cleaning up. This can help you achieve optimal health by cleansing your body from the inside out.  The goal is to learn how to enhance your body’s ability to detox and remove these toxins on a daily basis. No matter where start, everyone can benefit from a detox program.

Liver

• Filters toxins
• Aids the body in metabolizing fat, protein, and carbohydrates
• Helps transform many toxins into harmless agents

Kidneys

• Filter waste and excess fluid from the blood
• Regulate and release the right balance of sodium, phosphorus, and
  potassium for the body to function properly

Small Intestine

• Digests food so that nutrients can be absorbed into the blood and transported to the liver
• Provides a barrier that blocks toxins from the rest of the body

Large Intestine

• Absorbs water and electrolytes, forming waste that is excreted from the body
• Produces antibodies for gastrointestinal health
• Contains bacteria that create fatty acids and some vitamins for extra nutritional support

Why you may not be losing weight

If your body can’t release toxins through your intestines (poop) or kidney (urine) then they can be deposited and stored in the body.  Over months, years, or even decades these can build up in the body and create havoc.

One of the most common sites for us to deposit toxins is in our fat cells since many of the chemicals in today’s environment and food are lipotrophic, meaning that they LOVE FAT.  The challenge is that we have to release those stored toxins from the fat cells before the fat cells can shrink.  This is one reason why you may have been eating better and working out more but still seeing NO weight loss results. 

Where We Store Toxins

• Fat Cells
• Bone Marrow
• Joints
• Liver
• Blood
• Muscle
• Central Nervous System

What the heck is metabolic detoxification anyway?

Metabolic detoxification is your body’s natural process of neutralizing and eliminating toxins from your body.  This three-phase process unlocks fat-soluble toxins and converts them to a water-soluble state that is easier for your body to remove. Your body needs key nutrients and phytonutrients to support each of these phases.

Three phases of metabolic detoxification

• Phase I: Unlock – Stored fat-soluble toxins transform into an “unlocked” state that is more water-soluble, and in many cases, more toxic than its original form.  The foods and supplements recommended in the 21 day Reset Detox program delivers nutrients that activate enzymes required for Phase I reactions. It also supplies antioxidants that reduce stress on your body, such as tissue damage sometimes caused by these enzyme activities.

• Phase II: Neutralize – The highly toxic substances produced in Phase I convert to non-toxic molecules and become even more water-soluble. The foods and supplements recommended in the 21 day Reset Detox program supplies key nutrients and amino acids needed to support Phase II enzymes. These enzymes enhance the water solubility of toxins.

• Phase III: Eliminate – Water-soluble toxins leave your cells, and your body eliminates them. The foods and supplements recommended in the 21 Day Detox Program provides your body with plant-based fiber and water, which aid in toxin elimination.

A Simple, Effective Answer is HERE!

You can create more efficiency around detoxification by modifying your daily food choices, and habits to support your body’s natural ability to detoxify.  If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above or feel like it’s just time for a reset, I encourage you to check out my upcoming Virtual Group 21 Day Detox Reset Program. The 21 Day Group Detox Program is designed for balancing hormones, resetting your digestive system, weight loss, improved energy, better sleep and so much more!

My hope is to provide you with easy, effective tools to help you liver YOUR. BEST. LIFE.

Cheers,

Author:

Dr. Stephanie Zgraggen, DC, MS, CNS, CCN is a licensed chiropractor, certified clinical nutritionist, and owner of Lime and Lotus, LLC with offices in both Charleston, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia.  She utilizes saliva testing, herbs, and whole food supplements to correct female hormones imbalances in her patients.  Download her free guide: Dr. Stephanie’s Naughty List – The Top Five Foods that Wreck Your Hormone Health here. 

References:

1. “About,” National Toxicology Program, US Department of Health and Human Services, accessed March 13, 2018, https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/about/index.html.
2. Arthur Grube, David Donaldson, Timothy Kiely, and La Wu, “Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007 Market Estimates,” Washington, D.C.: United States Environmental Protection Agency, February 2011, PDF e-book, http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/iles/2015-10/documents/market_estimates2007.pdf.
3. Michael N. Antoniou et al., “Concerns Over Use of Glyphosate-Based Herbicides and Risks Associated with Exposures: a Consensus Statement.” Environmental Health 15, no. 1 (2016): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-016-0117-0.
4. Romilly E. Hodges and Deanna M. Minich, “Modulation of Metabolic Detoxification Pathways Using Foods and Food-Derived Components: A Scientific Review with Clinical Application,” Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism (2015): 16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/760689.
5. Joseph W. Thornton, Michael McCally, and Jane Houlihan, “Biomonitoring of Industrial Pollutants: Health and Policy Implications of the Chemical Body Burden,” Public Health Reports 117, no. 4 (2002): 315-23, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1497458/pdf/12477912.pdf.
6. Ian A. Myles, “Fast Food Fever: Reviewing the Impacts of the Western Diet on Immunity,” Nutrition Journal 13 (2014): 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-61.