15 Nov Can You Really Detoxify Your Body?

Perhaps the question posed in this article’s title seems rhetorical. Of course you can detoxify your body! There are a gazillion “detox” diets, green juices, and clay potions that eliminate all sorts of toxins and metabolic waste from the body. Enemas, colemas, active charcoal, sweat lodges, and even frog venom are instrumental in removing accumulated toxins in the liver, parasites in the intestines, fungus in the stomach. If that sounds somewhat tongue-in-cheek––it’s intentional. These types of approaches provide more of a psychological detoxification than one that effectively serves the physical body.

If you’re scratching your head, you should be. I recently read an article with the following excerpt that challenged my long-held belief that we can detoxify our bodies:

“Indeed, “detoxification” may be the single most common marketing buzzword in alternative health care (“boosting” the immune system is a tough competitor)” (1).

None of that means that your body can’t detox. In fact, it has its own built-in detoxification system that, if we just left it to its job, it does it quite efficiently. Detoxification then really has more to do with what we don’t put in our bodies than what we do. Indeed, prevention is the best kind of detoxification there is. Of course, it’s nearly impossible to enjoy all of life’s pleasures and prevent toxic substances from entering our bodies. In some places, we suck toxins into our bodies just with the very air we breathe. Commercial sunscreens, candy bars, a bottle of wine all contain substances that aren’t harmful in very small amounts, but may accumulate over time and cause stress on our organs.
A Detox Journey

A friend of mine recently did a five-day detox in Thailand at a popular detoxification retreat centre. The protocol consisted of fasting from solid food for four days, drinking copious amounts of psyllium husk mixed with bentonite clay throughout the day, and self-administering morning colemas. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the colema, it’s similar to an enema. But where an enema is administered once to clear the lower colon, a colema (aka colonic) involves multiple infusions that cleanse a larger portion of the bowel.

She also did a few doses of kambo, also known as “frog medicine.” This procedure occurs within the context of a healing ritual and uses the poisonous secretions of the giant monkey frog. Indigenous people in South America (and more recently in South East Asia) have used kambo for centuries to cleanse, heal, and strengthen their physical body. Today it’s used to cleanse the body of toxins and treat numerous physical and psychological health conditions.

The frog venom is applied to a burned portion of the skin and enters the bloodstream and lymphatic system. Immediate and often severe side effects include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and heart palpitations.

Let’s be clear––there is no scientific evidence that supports the use of kambo for detoxification, so it’s fair to suggest that kambo functions more like a psychological placebo. That is, the act of vomiting causes one to believe that the body is removing unwanted substances–which it is, namely, the frog venom itself.

There should be a skeptic in each of us when facing all these potions and protocols meant to detoxify the body. That applies to anything we consume, whether it’s food, drugs or even the latest Netflix series. A good dose of skepticism goes a long way in preventing our body from overconsuming toxins.

Let’s take a look at what toxins actually are and how our bodies do the work quite well, without our interference.
What Are Toxins Anyway?

Toxins are poisons produced by living things, like kambo, for example, or metabolic waste (a normal product of biology). The body protects itself from harmful molecules by either eliminating them, recycling them, or safely trapping them. In some cases, the body can’t handle them, such as heavy metals. These must be removed through medically-administered chelation. (Certain foods help too, as they bind to toxins to remove them from the body).

This is how your body deals with toxins:

The liver is the first line of defense, which prevents toxic substances from entering the bloodstream via the bile. The colon produces beneficial bacteria that help flush out toxic chemicals before they become harmful. The kidneys filter the blood, helping to remove toxins through urine. Sweat also helps eliminate toxins, but minimally.

Things like detox massages don’t actually remove toxins but instead enhance circulation of blood, lymph, and encourage a better flow of subtle energy throughout the body.

So, how did my friend make out in the end? After a few days of headaches and lightheadedness (paradoxical indicators of toxins both leaving the body as well as entering the body), she admitted feeling lighter and more energized, which probably had more to do with giving the digestive system a much needed break. It’s true that fasting, even intermittent fasting can have such results. But as soon as she started eating normally again, she reported feeling much the same as before the detox––pretty good. It seems her body had the intelligence to efficiently and effectively recover from the interventions.

Through experience, I’ve discovered that any radical plunge into detoxification efforts usually has a psychological root. Aside from obvious illnesses of the physical body, what we think is wrong with us is often the problem that needs our attention. This is why Reiki has such a profound effect on the health and wellness of nearly everyone I’ve come into contact with. It helps people relax and release stress, without effort, to restore physical and emotional well-being in their lives, without putting their physical body through the wringer.

I’m an experienced Reiki Master Practitioner located in Bowmanville, Clarington. If you live in the Durham Region, contact me to book an appointment for Reiki healing.

References

1. Toxins, Schmoxins!