Why you need detoxification after the holidays

If you have overdone the partying and eating these past days, you may require detoxification. If you are also experiencing two or more of the following signs and symptoms, you certainly do need a detox: headaches, backaches, runny nose, fatigue, joint pains, itchy nose, nervousness, skin rashes, cough, frequent colds, sleepiness, hives, wheezing, irritated eyes, insomnia, nausea, sore throat, immune weakness, dizziness, indigestion, tight or stiff neck, environmental sensitivity, mood changes, sinus congestion, anxiety, bad breath, body odour, circulatory deficits, fever, depression, constipation and high blood fats.

Detoxification is a necessary process to promote full body health. This is true, especially if you are not a healthy eater. The process removes harmful or toxic substances from your body, leading to a better health and a great starting place for a new healthy lifestyle. If you experience any of the following, then it is about time you had a detox.

If you chronically feel stressed out, it may be a sign that your body needs a detox. Your body is trying to tell you something is wrong.

Detoxification helps to improve our overall health and vitality. It increases our energy levels, improves digestion and reduces weight and the risk of many chronic disease.

Generally, detoxification leaves you renewed and rejuvenated, even as it can prolong your life.

Here are some simple ways to reduce the amount of toxins in your system.

Now, how can we prevent toxicity in the body?

Don’t party hard

There are concerns that chemicals found in plastic bottles and food containers have estrogen-like effects and can slightly raise the risks of breast cancer. But so far there is no real proof. What then do we know that really does boost breast cancer risk? The answer is alcohol.

A new massive study from England suggests that just one alcoholic drink a day is linked to 11 additional cases of breast cancer per 1,000 women and each drink after that increases the danger. Even then, the risks remain small. Your overall lifetime risk is 12 per cent. But if you think of alcohol as a toxin, then you should think twice before getting a frequent buzz.

Use plenty ofsoap on your body

The one skin product every toxin-conscious person should have is soap. Rubbing soap on your skin everyday (with extra washes for your hands) will help to clear away toxin-producing germs, including methicillin-resistant germs.

Don’t fool with fire retardants

Flame-retardant chemicals, which are common in foam products such as mattresses and electronics like our televisions, have found their way into virtually every human body.

No one is sure if that is a problem for humans, but animal studies show that these chemicals, known as polybrominated diphenylethers, may interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland and immune system. To be safe, seal up any rips in old foam cushions or mattresses (which may have been treated with the retardants) or get new ones, since many companies are phasing out the PBDEs.

Stay smoke-free

Many who smoke know that regular smoking is a killer, but they think the occasional smoke cannot cause any bodily damage. This is not true. Researchers at the University of Arizona found that just one cigarette impairs the blood flow in the heart.

A Norwegian study showed that women who smoked between one and four sticks of cigarettes a day tripled their risk of dying from heart disease and saw a five-fold jump in the risk of dying from lung cancer. The threat of second-hand smoke is no less scary!

Exposure to fumes from smokers by non-smokers kills nearly 50,000 adult non-smokers every year. There are even new worries that third-hand smoke (what is left in your hair or your clothes after being in a smoke-filled room) is harmful, especially to babies. Sadly, you cannot stop other people from smoking. But you can help your rebound by eating a lot of broccoli and cauliflower.

These cruciferous vegetables (which also include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and watercress) contain sulforaphane and other compounds linked to lower disease risks.  Studies suggest that people who regularly eat these vegetables enjoy protection from lung cancer. Three to five servings a week should do the trick.

Use friendlier ways to freshen the home

The use of some air fresheners may be harmful. It may be polluting your home with chemicals that can irritate your eyes and lead to headaches and nausea. Aerosol cleaners are equally guilty. Instead of covering up unpleasant smells, open the windows when weather permits, especially after a rainstorm or during a non-windy rain like drizzling rain. Get some fresh air in your home and office, where ultrafine particles from laser printers can escape into the air. Try to green up your home with indoor plants, such as Areca palms, Boston ferns, and English ivy because they help to purify your air. When you are cleaning, try natural solutions like baking soda or vinegar.

Eat safer fish

Heavy metals can be hard on the heart. Mercury, for example, may raise your risk of atherosclerosis or a heart attack. Ironically, we get the vast majority of our mercury from fish, a supposedly heart-healthy food because of its high omega-3-fat content.

The Food and Drug Administration urges women, who are pregnant or nursing babies, to avoid mercury-rich fish including shark, swordfish and king mackerel. It is probably wise to go easy on slightly less-tainted types such as tuna, too.

Experts believe that this advice actually makes good sense for every adult. To cut down on mercury, stick with cod, flounder and salmon, as well as sardines and small-sized fish. That is if you are not allergic to small fish. If you love sushi or other types of omega-3 fish, limit yourself to one or two meals a month, and do not always choose tuna.

Be smart down there

Many have suggested that tampons have dangerous levels of dioxins or asbestos. Can this be correct? No, it is a myth. But do not ignore the small-but-real risk of toxic shock syndrome (several dozen women get it each year), a potentially fatal condition caused by poison-producing staph or strep bacteria.

Lower your odds by changing your tampon every four to eight hours and avoid absorbent types (often labelled “ultra”). Protect your ovaries, while you are at it, by limiting exposure to per fluorinated chemicals often in the coatings of non-stick pans and many other items like clothing, furniture, and packaged-food containers, which may double the risk of infertility, according to a study in human reproduction.