Take out the toxins

How do the toxins get in?

Toxins can easily make it into our system and start to accumulate via the following channels:

• Through our mouths – think food, drink, prescription or recreational drugs
• Through our lungs – airborne pollutants such as exhaust fumes can be hard to avoid depending on where you live or how you commute to work
• Through our skin – cosmetics, hair dye and industrial chemicals are all mopped up your skin and absorbed into your system, so consider everything you put on your skin, nails or scalp.

How should toxins get out?

Your body is actually pretty good at detoxing routinely on its own. There are primary exit routes that are perfectly set up to excrete toxins, but of course, these can only do so much and need to be working optimally for your best chance of success:

•     Through the bowel which should empty at least once or twice daily
•     Through the urinary tract - this should be frequent with light, straw-coloured urine 
•     Through the lungs - deep, relaxed breathing with emphasis on exhales should be our default during sleep and for the majority of our waking hours.

What happens if these exit routes are overloaded or under-functioning?

The body has emergency, or secondary exit routes that can be used if the primary ones aren’t working well. These include the skin and mucous membranes.

A good indication that you are overflowing with toxins is if your skin breaks out and you are full of persistent catarrh.

How can you improve things?

There are some simple steps you can take to help abate toxin overload:

• Get out in the fresh air every day; practive some deep breathing and clear your lungs

• Drink at least 1.5 litres of still water daily to flush toxins out through your urinary tract

• Add herb teas such as golden rod or nettle to your daily regime to help support the function of your kidneys

• Make sure your bowel is working daily. If it isn’t, take a gentle laxative to get things going – try one containing linseed and maybe Senna for a kick-start.

How will you know if your system is under pressure?

Are you tired and lethargic, feeling heavier than normal or bloated, and maybe even nauseous after certain foods? Your liver might appreciate a tonic in this case.

Then, do you feel that you’re retaining fluid, with puffy eyes in the morning and lower back pain? Possibly your kidneys need a boost in this instance.

There are several good remedies that you can take if you feel you’ve asked a lot of your system recently.

• Take the herb Milk Thistle, which has a long history of use in supporting liver function

• Take Solidago - a herb traditionally used to help maintain healthy kidney function.

Finally, please note, whilst we hope you find this information useful, you should always check with your doctor if you are worried about your health or have any new, severe or persistent symptoms.