There’s no question about it, we live in a highly toxic environment. We were not genetically designed to deal with the type and volume of toxins to which we are exposed. We are not significantly genetically different from when our genes evolved in Paleolithic times, yet we live in a vastly altered environment loaded with toxins that didn’t even exist then. How can we possibly survive in this sea of modern toxicity? It’s no wonder so many of us are exhausted, have headaches, can’t sleep, can’t lose weight, can’t remember, can’t function without double espresso’s with sugar, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and low libido, are losing our hair, have esophageal reflux, constipation, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, sugar cravings, and resistance to exercise etc. etc. This list goes on and on. Yet at the Doctor’s office, all the tests come back “normal”. So we get medicated with blood-pressure pills, cholesterol pills, sleeping pills, anti anxiety pills, erection pills, anti-acid pills, and on and on. Where does this lead us? Not in a good direction. We’re not “sick” with a diagnosable disease. We are just “not well”.
So, what is the path to regaining our vitality and wellness? It is not always such a simple and easy journey, but it starts in the Gut. Our digestive tract is the main focus of detoxification in our bodies. The foundation of restoring optimal health to the Gut is a four-step approach. 1- Testing to discover the imbalances that exist. 2- Removing offending foods and organisms 3- Healing the inflammation 4- Restoring healthy microbial balance. Taking a few days every few months to rest and rejuvenate the gut is a valuable habit that can help restore and maintain vitality.
Any successful detoxification includes a nutritionally controlled program consisting of mild to moderate caloric restriction: no junk foods, no alcohol, no caffeine, no sugar, no nicotine, high quantity of vegetables, vegetable juice, simple low processed protein, medical foods designed to support detoxification, exercise, far-infra red sauna, adequate water intake, and colon hydrotherapy. Complete fasting, juice fasts and other marginal fasting regimens can actually exacerbate toxicity.
Adequate protein with attention to L-glutamine, methionine, L-cysteine, and N- acetyl cysteine along with sulfate, selenium and taurine are important for adequate detoxification. Undenatured whey protein (found in Raw milk) is rich in glutathione precursors. Cruciferous vegetables help up-regulate detoxification pathways. Anti- oxidants help support the liver by reducing oxidative stress and damage. Antioxidants particularly helpful for the liver include milk thistle (silymarin), curcumin (Turmeric), and green tea extract. Organic Rooibos tea has more antioxidants than any plant on Earth. It comes from South Africa where it has been used as “bush medicine” for centuries.
High-carbohydrate diets are harmful as they can down regulate important detoxification enzymes.
Intestinal dysbiosis can inhibit other enzyme pathways. On the other hand, supplementation with healthy probiotic bacteria can markedly reduce the effect of bacterial toxins on the liver as well as help reduce “leaky gut”. Certain types of dietary fiber can significantly enhance detoxification pathways as well as decrease gut transit time.
Exercise, if coupled with adequate amounts of dietary protein and calories, can have multifunctional benefits on detoxification. The Far Infrared Sauna significantly increases metabolism, raises core body temperature and accelerates detoxification through the GI tract, kidneys and skin. It is a valuable tool in any comprehensive detoxification program.
Colon hydrotherapy can have profound effects on enhancing detoxification by increasing colon tone, shortening gut transit time, eliminating sludge and toxic, partially digested food. Colon hydrotherapy is ideal if performed twice the first week of the detoxification program and once the second week. It can assure successful ongoing detoxification if performed every two or three months.
There are many more specific elements of detoxification, according to specific needs, which deal with heavy metals or other environmental toxins.
At The Hall Center, we have designed a State-of-the-Art detoxification program, to help your Paleolithic genes cope with the stresses of our toxic modern environment and keep you on the path to Vitality and Rejuvenation.
Howard Liebowitz, M.D. Medical Director
This information is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to treat or diagnose any health condition.