Get rid of toxins

This is reminiscent of one of the axioms of the Judeo-Christian paradigm: a person is a dirty creature and needs continuous cleansing of the soul and body in order to maintain his spiritual and physical health. I would like to add: and receive eternal life. Some gerontologists believe that there is a rational grain in this: one of the theories of aging is based on the hypothesis of gradual self-poisoning of the body by decay products. Proponents of radical cleansing methods offer many of the most sophisticated ways to “get rid of toxins.” Most of them are really effective, but not safe: after 10 years of detox fashion, some aspects of it cause discussion among doctors. In addition, it is impossible to “cleanse” once and for all, regularity is important here. Let’s look at this process from a psychological point of view: in order to become a habit, our individual ways of detoxing must be reasonable, natural and … enjoyable.

Where do toxins come from

We not only take from the world around us what is vital for us (food, oxygen), but also continuously give away what we do not need. In theory, the body should cleanse itself in a natural way: the liver, kidneys, intestines, skin and lungs are quite able to cope with the removal of toxins of natural origin – metabolic products and ballast substances. But modern man lives in an artificial environment, which is much more difficult for the body to cope with. The main problem is the chemicals that have to be neutralized: alcohol, nicotine, freeze-dried food, drugs. Stress also affects our digestive system, causing a violation of secretion, a spasm of the bile ducts, as a result of which the food is broken down and not completely digested. A polluted environment is another source of toxins. Lack of energy, a drop in immunity, overweight and skin problems are external manifestations of the fact that the body is having a hard time coping with the elimination of excess, unnecessary substances.

Cleansing with water

Water is a versatile cleanser that helps dissolve and flush out toxic substances. “Two liters of water per day is a physiological norm that ensures the normal functioning of the kidneys,” emphasizes Rimma Moisenko, chief physician of the Center for Aesthetic Medicine. “You can also use cleansing herbal teas: linden blossom, currant and raspberry leaf, mint, chamomile, lingonberry leaf.”

A simple recipe borrowed from yogis – waking up, drink a glass of clean water at room temperature, you can with lemon. This will “start” the processes of cleansing the body. As for bowel lavage, for some time now hydrocolonotherapy has become so popular that many clinics and beauty salons have included it in the “procedure menu”. “At first, such procedures give an excellent result, a person is getting younger before our eyes,” comments Rimma Moisenko. – This proves that a lot depends on the condition of the large intestine. But he is not a sewer pipe that can be “cleaned” without consequences. Washing can lead to dysbacteriosis, even if then the intestines are specially “seeded” with lactic acid and bifidobacteria. What if they don’t get along?”

There are alternative methods, for example, intestinal lavage. “A person simply drinks a solution identical to the composition of the physiological environment of the initial section of the small intestine. The taste is like mineral water. Lavage naturally provides complete healing and cleansing of the body,” explains gastroenterologist Tatiana Tsitovich from the Lavage Clinic. It turned out that the opinions of specialists regarding such bowel lavages, “high” and “low”, are very contradictory. Our summary: Colon hydrotherapy and lavage should be performed by qualified medical professionals and only when indicated. It is better for a healthy person to avoid such radical methods, and direct their efforts to activate the body’s natural ability to cleanse.

through the skin

Another opportunity to take advantage of the cleansing properties of water is to use the excretory function of our skin. Attention: procedures in which you have to sweat properly require us to drink water – otherwise the body will remove not only toxins, but also the substances it needs.

Wraps with algae, mineral mud, Dead Sea salts use the same osmosis mechanism: a concentrated composition applied to the skin “draws” moisture from deeper tissues, and toxins come to the surface with it. Another way to detoxify is a bath and all its varieties, from a hammam to a thermal capsule.

Recently, the bath has found a sparing alternative – an infrared cabin. “The body in the cabin warms up to a depth of 3-5 centimeters, while the body does not overheat, there is no such load on the heart as in a bath,” explains Rimma Moisenko. Under the action of temperature, the capillaries expand, the permeability of the walls of blood vessels and cell membranes changes, and the products of metabolism are excreted through the sweat gland to the surface of the skin. With sweat, acids come out, including lactic acid, which is formed during physical exertion (muscle pain is a consequence of its accumulation), as well as toxic urea. “The main work to remove toxins falls on the kidneys, liver and intestines,” comments dermatologist Elena Fuflygina. – But if the internal organs can not cope, the skin intercepts this function, trying to allocate metabolic products. For example, if the liver cannot cope with the breakdown of fats, a violation of lipid metabolism occurs, milia appear, wen are lipid droplets in the skin layer. It’s the same with allergen chemicals. Thanks to the mechanisms of the immune response, the foreign agent is quickly neutralized and excreted from the body. But if there is too much of this substance and its action is long in time, then the immune mechanisms cannot cope, and an allergic reaction occurs. Therefore, in case of skin problems, drugs against dysbacteriosis, enterosorbents, hepatoprotectors are often prescribed to improve liver function.

Daily bread

Fasting can be considered the most primitive and most ancient cleansing procedure. Whether Hindu, Christian or Muslim, the point is always to allow the digestive tract to unload. It is logical that fasting excludes animal products, since most of the toxins are produced by the body as a result of the breakdown of proteins. “Different enzymes are needed to digest proteins and carbohydrates. When we eat everything, enzymes inhibit each other’s work: food, instead of being digested and assimilated in normal terms, will linger in the intestines, ”explains Rimma Moisenko. She believes that the most reasonable way out is to make it a rule to eat separate meals, not to eat protein foods and carbohydrates in one meal.

Does this mean that you will have to give up your favorite dumplings or meat lasagne forever? But it’s not: sometimes it’s perfectly acceptable to indulge yourself, and if the digestive system is not overloaded, then it will easily cope with a one-time “test”. A kind of non-religious fast – a short-term mono-diet, when only one food or some group of foods is used – at least during one meal. Why only one product? To give a break to the digestive system and better assimilate the nutrients that this product contains. But you should not get too carried away with a mono-diet: after all, it is not complete, therefore, experts emphasize, it should not last longer than three days.