In the environment we live in today the body is constantly exposed to pollutants in the air, toxins in our food and stressors from our daily lives. It is therefore important that we not only recognise these influences but also know that there are simple everyday things we can do to help the body cope and fight these potential threats to our wellbeing. The body is an incredible machine that has the ability to regenerate, growth and repair but it needs our assistance to ensure it is working optimally and is giving us the best chance possible at leading a fully energised and healthy life. In this article we will explore 5 areas where we can look to improve the body’s ability to detox and cleanse naturally.
Above all else it is the food that we decide to put into our bodies which can have the greatest effect. One of the simplest ways to set the body up so that it can detoxify effectively is to eat a diet that is rich in whole organic food sources.
These foods have been grown in an environment free from pesticides and chemicals, or when referring to meat, free from hormonal adaption and anti-biotics. This means the quality of these nutrients is incredibly high, particularly the secondary nutrients content i.e. vitamins and minerals, compared to commercially farmed sources. Organic sources will provide your body with a fully rounded package of nutrients that all work synergistically together to get the greatest effect. Without all the added rubbish there is nothing in the way of body from putting all these fantastic resources to us. These food sources are also often in their natural state, they are “whole”, meaning they haven’t been processed, added to or chemically changed. Again this ensures that the body receives nutrients in the purest most helpful form which enables it to then use it most effectively.
Organic foods and in particular the subcategory of “superfoods” that exist under this heading are vital for assisting your body in its task to detoxify and cleanse. These foods can help aid metabolism, digestion, improve immunity, protect against cancer, and lower cholesterol. This is because they contain a vast array of detoxifying properties such anti-oxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. To ensure the body is naturally cleansing you need to eat a diet rich in these foods to provide the body with a spectrum of all these essential nutrients that will create a low toxin environment. An entire article could be written on different foods and why they help the body, so to find out which foods are most beneficial and what they specifically do have a look at this great article and try to think how you could include as many of these options in your diet as possible:
Reducing the amount of common toxins is a great way of improving your body’s ability to cleanse. Substances such as coffee and alcohol, while fine when consumed in small quantities, if consumed in large amounts or too frequently will build up overtime as toxins that the body can’t process. The same applies to processed, chemically enhanced foods that contain unnatural ingredients. The body can deal with these in small amounts but if you are constantly flooding your system with substances your body doesn’t recognise it will degrade your natural detoxifying processes, causing an array of health problems. An example of this would be margarine. Margarine originates from vegetable oil (not a great source of fat in the first place!) and in order to get it into the soft malleable state it comes in, it needs to go through a process called hydrogenation. In this process hydrogens are added to the chemical structure of oil so that it is more solid at room temperature. Because these added hydrogens change the natural chemical make-up of oil, the body does not recognise margarine as a natural fat so therefore can’t process it and use it effectively. The result being, it is often just stored as fat in cells instead of being used the way fat should be, in cell membranes, production of hormones and brain function.
Therefore aim to focus on reducing the amount of processed foods you eat as well limiting the amount of coffee and alcohol consumed.
Dietary fibre is critical in order to bind to toxin filled bile and then carry it out of the body. A diet rich in fibre will therefore help cleanse the body of harmful toxins. Make sure you include sources such as, oats, legumes, fruit, vegetable and whole grains.
Sleeps aids recovery, an essential part of detoxification. While we sleep the body goes through a number of different processes that are vital to ensure you are detoxing efficiently. Extra protein molecules are released during sleep which work to strengthen your immune system and help your body repair itself from a multitude of ills, including stress, pollutants and infection.
Your body also processes toxins and provides energy to organs while you sleep. Therefore if you aren’t getting 7-8 hours a night it is likely that these processes will be interrupted. This could potentially stop the body from flushing out harmful toxins and inhibit the body providing energy to the organs whose main job is to detoxify, such as the liver. Lastly sleep regulates the hormones that affect and control your appetite. A lack a sleep will raise the leptin levels in your system meaning you will crave sugary, carb based foods, which are often processed. Consuming these will therefore raise the levels of toxins in the body.
Aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Omega 3 fats are used to improve the fluidity and health of cell membranes. Cells which are more fluid can more easily remove toxins from our systems and move them around and out of the body. As well as this Fish oils, specifically EPA and DHA, have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, improve brain function and help with diabetes!
Aliment supplements sell high quality fish oils, take 4-6 capsules a day.
The body is 75% water, therefore it is essential that we are constantly replacing the water we lose through sweat, urination and other body processes. The majority of your water is absorbed in the large intestine and in the colon. Regardless of the amount of water you have drunk the colon will extract from your food the water that the body needs. If you are dehydrated this will slow bowel movements down as your body will hold onto waste for longer in order to absorb enough water. If this is occurring it means harmful toxins that the body is trying to get rid of potentially stays in the intestines for longer, causing possible health problems.
Aim to drink 2 litres of water a day.
Earlier this year we welcomed Nicola Marsh, registered dietitian and sports nutritionist to our team of experts at Matt Roberts Evolution.
Moving into the autumn months often has a “back to business” feel to it and this is the attitude I like to encourage people to apply when it comes to their nutrition and exercise.
When trying to lose weight, fluctuations on the scale can make or break someone’s day, week, and even their diet.
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