Detox–what is it and why the heck do you need it?

doi:10.15406/jnhfe.2016.04.00120

Journal of

eISSN: 2373-4310

Nutritional Health & Food Engineering

Opinion Volume 4 Issue 2

Detox–what is it and why the heck do you need it?

Skip Stein

Verify Captcha

Regret for the inconvenience: we are taking measures to prevent fraudulent form submissions by extractors and page crawlers. Please type the correct Captcha word to see email ID.

Plant Based Lifestyle Consultant, Whole Foods 4 Healthy Living, USA

Correspondence: Skip Stein, Plant Based Lifestyle Consultant, Chief Operating Officer, Whole Foods 4 Healthy Living, Orlando, Florida, USA, Tel 4076836816

Received: January 06, 2016 | Published: February 24, 2016

Citation: Stein S. Detox–what is it and why the heck do you need it? J Nutr Health Food Eng. 2016;4(2):370. DOI: 10.15406/jnhfe.2016.04.00120

Download PDF

Introduction

I constantly see these advertisements on TV in email and on bill boards about detox. What the heck is that anyway and why does it seem that, according to the advertisements, everyone needs it?

Detox means detoxification. Detoxification means cleansing the body. Toxins are everywhere. We breath them into our lungs with pollution, we drink them and absorb them into our skin and then we eat them! It is true that modern civilization has contributed to an increase in the toxic load we humans face, but internal and external toxins have been around for a long time.

Internal toxins are formed with natural processes of breathing, digestion and just living. As we breathe oxygen, we exhale CO₂; this is a wonderful symbiotic relationship with the plant kingdom. They breath in our CO₂ and return oxygen; what a wonderful cycle. When we eat, we produce waste products naturally. Gut bacteria digest the food we eat and many of them create toxins/by products that must be eliminated. The good gut bacteria are home to the body's powerful immune system which is why it is critical to keep your gut healthy. Other toxins are formed when cells divide and digest nutrients. Sometimes there are rogue cells created which can form cancer and tumors. This has always been the case but a healthy immune system will attack and destroy them. I'm not going to go into a biology lesson, it's just that toxins have been around for the longest time and a healthy body deals with them just dandy fine.

But what about an unhealthy body, one that develops a disease? From a simple cold to more serious illnesses, this means that the body's immune/defence system has failed. Normally the body's natural systems remove impurities from the blood in the liver, through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph systems and skin where toxins and disease are processed for elimination. If the body's natural immune system is weak, disease can take hold and the results can be devastating. A detoxification can aid the natural immune system by giving the body a boost. The funny thing is (sometimes not so funny) that if you feed the body the right kind of nutrients you will seldom get sick in the first place; but if you do, a change to a healthy natural plant-based diet can detox your body and boost your natural immune system. You don't need chemicals, special concoctions you just need good healthy food.

Now if a body has succumbed to an illness, more drastic measures may be necessary. Still the answer can be food. An intense regime of vegetables and fruit, juiced fresh, can give the natural boost you need. There are all sorts of combinations but focus on fresh, and as much as possible, organically grown vegetables and fruits.

Why juicing is important? Well a person simply cannot eat as many vegetables as you would consume in a fresh juice. It's the fiber that fills you up so an intensive juice regime to supplement a healthy diet can provide massive doses of nutrients to fuel your immune system and give it the boost it may need to fight off an illness.

Juicing, with a good machine, removes the pulp/fiber while retaining much of the goodness of the vegetable/fruit. Fiber is important to a healthy body so intense juicing should be viewed as a temporary treatment for what ails you; maybe an occasional boost now and then. Smoothies are a better alternative. Still quick and easy and delicious but they retain all the fiber, are filling and nutritious. So if you aren’t fighting a disease and just want to stay healthy, make a smoothie instead of juicing.

If you aren't suffering from a serious disease but just don't feel that great, a simple change to a Plant Based focused lifestyle can provide a natural, constant and consistent detox for your body over time. Many people believe that a Plant-Based diet and lifestyle means eating salads all the time. Nothing could be further from the truth. Then others think it is more expensive to eat plant-based; also not true. In fact, a plant-based diet/lifestyle will save you a bundle on your grocery bill and practically eliminate drug and medical expenses. And the cuisine is delicious!

What have you got to loose, besides the unwanted pounds, the feeling of bloating, lethargy and disease? Good riddance. Changing to a Plant-Based Lifestyle will make you feel younger, provide more energy and vitality and can possibly significantly increase your lifespan. Not just to live longer but to live a longer active span of years.