Is Detoxing a myth, a fashion fad, or something that the celebrities do for the perfect body?

Let’s begin by understanding the purpose of doing a proper detox. A detox is all about getting rid of toxins.

Understanding the word ‘toxin’ is vital to appreciating the job that your body has to do every day to keep you alive and well. By comprehending what it takes to keep you healthy, can also help you decide whether or not a detox would be of benefit to you.

What is a toxin?

In simple terms a toxin is anything that has the potential to harm the cells in the body. Our body creates toxins internally from waste products as a result of our normal metabolic processes such as breathing, digesting and moving. Our hormones, neurotransmitters, (chemicals that communicate with each other), and cytokines, (substances secreted by cells of the immune system), all create toxins. In addition, these days we are living in an increasingly toxic world. Our bodies are bombarded with toxins from the food that we eat and drink, the use of toxic cleaning and personal care products, and let’s not get started on environmental toxins! It has been estimated that there are in the region of 10,000 chemicals in our environment, with new toxins being created all the time.

No one actually knows the complete picture of the accumulative effect of all these external toxins to be on the health of the human body, however over the years of running residential health programmes, Homefield Grange Health & Wellness Spa Retreat, has certainly seen an increase in what is sometimes called “environmental illnesses” such as allergies, intolerances and chronic fatigue.

How our lifestyle makes it worse.

We make bigger demands on our body by choosing processed, sugary foods which lack fibre and nutrients. In addition, our food can often be poorly digested because we are eating on the go, rushing around and doing other activities whilst we are eating. We lead stressful toxic lives – we are stressed, overworked and overwhelmed. Could the huge increase in chronic illnesses we are witnessing in the western world be caused by, or contributed to, by the external toxins and way of life we now regard as normal and by poor detoxification capabilities?

Also Read: Booze! The Love or Hate Dilemma

How your body naturally detoxes.

Your body is the most incredible piece of machinery and is very well equipped to detox toxins and wastes via the lungs, bowel, bladder, liver and skin – that is, if all of these organs are working well. The truth is that the extent to which any toxin, internal or external, affects our health largely depends not only on our level of exposure but on how well our body is able to process and excrete waste products. Detoxing is not just about removing toxins, it also aims to improve the functioning of the main organs of excretion, in particular the liver. By cleansing the body, a detox aims to minimise the potential to accumulate toxins in the future.

How do I know if I need a detox?

Typically, a person that needs to detox is experiencing a chronic symptom or two that begins to affect their every day life. These can include:

• Always feeling tired. If you have low energy, this can certainly affect every area of your life. Often chronic fatigue is caused by high levels of cortisol, (stress hormone). There may be an overload of toxins, inflammation or a chemical imbalance going on in the body.
• Autoimmune Issues. If you are experiencing symptoms like achy joints, inflamed muscles, fever, rashes, skin allergies, etc, you may well have an overload of toxins in your system.
• Cravings for salty, sugary or refined foods. If your body is begging you for sugar, junk foods, or quick fix snacks, rest assured there is something not quite in balance. A detox is a perfect way to help press the reset button and balance up those hormones to prevent cravings.
• Digestive Issues. Anything from gas, constipation, bloating and diarrhoea show that the gut is out of sorts.
• Headaches could be an indication of high toxin levels in the brain, especially if you regularly consume artificial sweeteners, food flavour enhancers such as MSG, preservatives, and food colourings.
• Skin Blemishes, Spots, Acne, Eczema, & Rashes. Your body may well have high toxin levels if you are experiencing skin issues. The skin is the biggest organ of detoxification and when the liver is unable to keep up with filtering out and removing toxins from the blood, the skin will suffer and show the consequences of overload.

What happens to the body when doing a detox?

Every day of your life, you can expect that around 50% of your body’s energy is spent digesting food. When you detox you are drastically dropping down the calorific intake of the body which means the energy normally spent on converting food into energy is instead used to cleanse, heal and restore the body. If the body is not getting enough calories from food, it will instead use stored fat. Our toxins are stored in our fat cells so as the fat cells are released from storage, they are literally broken apart and converted into water soluble formats by the liver. Once in a water-soluble format, toxins can be excreted via the kidneys and the bladder. This process normally takes 48-72 hours to complete. During this time, as the toxins are released, the body can experience some detox symptoms.

What are the detox symptoms?

Anyone and everyone who has gone through a detox will have a different experience – some will have no detox symptoms, whilst others may suffer during the first few days as the body begins to clear out. Generally speaking, the more you need it, the more toxic your diet, the more likely you will experience detox symptoms. So, what can you expect during the first 48-72 hours:

• Headaches – this can show your reliance on too much caffeine.
• Fatigue – often down to poor blood sugar balance, overworking.
• Heavy limbs, sleeping more – often down to overwhelm and stress.
• Weight loss – if the body is carrying too much fat, often there is significant weight loss.

Are the benefits worth it?

The thousands of clients we have detoxed at Homefield Grange Health & Wellness Spa Retreat, say that after a detox they feel much lighter and brighter and they return every year to do their annual MOT. Often there is significant weight loss for those people who need to lose excess pounds. Frequently there is a change in pain levels, the eyes are whiter and the skin is left glowing.

Psychologically a detox can help on many levels with the top four being:

• helps draw a line under negative lifestyle habits,
• establishes portion control,
• presses the reset button for healthier habits,
• truly connects people back to the value of their health and a new appreciation of their bodies.