Common Toxins and Ways to Help Our Bodies Detox

Teri Cochrane on
Avoiding stress helps with detox.

What qualifies as a “toxin”?

Definition: a toxin is any substance that is harmful to the body or environment if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. Toxins get into our bodies through the skin, mucous membranes, and ingestion via air pollution, smoke, household products, beauty and personal care products, drinking water and food. (Negative emotions and intense periods of stress can also act as toxins in the body!)

Let’s dig in.

Common Toxins

Stress and Negative Thinking

Our thoughts are not only responsible for the health and activity of our cells, but can determine the expression of our genes and, importantly, the release of stress hormones and neurotransmitters. When we find ourselves wrapped up in chronic stress or negative thinking, we can reduce our available supply of serotonin and dopamine, while flooding the system with epinephrine and cortisol, which the liver is then responsible for breaking down, contributing to the body’s toxic burden.

Bacteria, Fungi and Viruses

These bio-critters take advantage of poor immune function to attack the body. If the immune system becomes overwhelmed, viruses can also reactivate and lead to unpleasant symptoms or disease. These illnesses tax the body’s ability to regulate key biological processes, including detoxification and endocrine regulation.

Diet and Environment

Many centuries ago, Hippocrates wrote, “Let food be thy medicine.” Today, food often creates the need for medicine, instead of being the medicine itself. Additives like artificial sweeteners, preservatives and dyes act as endocrine disruptors in the body, while chemicals such as glyphosate and herbicides disrupt the body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients.

Chemical Pollutants

Many chemicals such as parabens and phthalates have been shown to mimic the activity of estrogen in the body, leading to major hormonal disruptions, and have even been linked to certain cancers. These chemicals may also disrupt brain and endocrine development in children.

How to Help Our Bodies Detox

Since we are constantly under attack by the above toxins, our bodies need a way to eliminate them or decrease the load and negative impact they have. Here are some ways we can support our detoxification capability.

Improving Digestion

Support intestinal integrity by chewing foods thoroughly. Limit water intake during meals to prevent enzyme dilution. Increase your intake of raw fruits like papaya and pineapple to aid in digestion – this will support the absorption of nutrients and the breakdown and removal of toxins in our system.

Avoiding the “Baddies”

Common toxins found in some skin care products can negatively impact our health.

Reduce your intake of commercially raised meats, trans fats, white sugar and high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and dyes, preservatives like nitrates, nitrites, sulfates, sulfites, BHA, MSG. Reduce your intake of alcohol.

Foods to Try

Increase your intake of chlorophyll-rich foods like parsley, cilantro, spinach (if not oxalate-sensitive), and cucumbers. Increase your intake of beta-carotene rich foods like beets and sweet potatoes. Chlorophyll acts as a puller for heavy metals and toxins (and can be taken supplementally, if desired), while the beta-carotene is a blood enricher and purifier.

Clean Out Your Cabinet

Reduce your use of personal care and household products that contain heavy metals, parabens, PCBs, phthalates, VOCs and BPA. These are common liver-clogging chemicals that can seriously inhibit our ability to remove toxins from our systems. Replace them with natural alternatives instead, using the EWG Skin Deep database as a guide.

Cook Cleaner

Use glass instead of plastic for drinking, food storage and reheating. Replace Teflon pots and pans with stainless steel, cast iron or glass cookware. Use natural cleaning products on pans and dishes, like baking soda, lemon and vinegar.

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