Understanding Detoxification

What is detoxification? 

• Our bodies naturally do it everyday.
 
• Detoxification is a normal body process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph and skin.  In fact, internal detoxification is one of our body’s most basic automatic functions.  Just as our hearts beat non-stop and our lungs breathe continuously, so our metabolic processes continuously dispose of accumulated toxic matter.
 
• However, in our world today, body systems and organs that were once capable of cleaning out unwanted substances are now completely overloaded; thus, many unwanted substances stay in our tissues.  Our bodies try to protect us from dangerous material by setting it aside, surrounding it with mucous or fat so it will not cause imbalance or trigger an immune reaction.  (Your body stores foreign substances in its fatty deposits – a significant reason to keep your diet and body fat low.  Some people carry around up to 15 extra pounds of mucous that harbors this waste!)

Ideally, we should live in a pollution-free environment, eat untainted foods and drink pure water.  However, since humans are born with a “self-cleaning system,” we know this has probably never been possible.  Today, it isn’t even practical, so the next best thing is to keep pollutants to a minimum and to periodically get rid of them through a detoxification program.