Your body naturally detoxifies and excretes the chemicals and toxins that you are exposed to, from the air you breath, the water you drink, the foods you eat and what you put on your skin.
It eliminates waste products from natural biochemical processes and helps to prevent old hormones from re-circulating and causing hormone imbalances. This all happens without you even having to think about it, or at least it should.
Your liver is the main organ responsible for detoxification but your kidneys, your gut, your lymphatic system and your skin are also involved. Issues with detoxification can occur due to nutrient deficiencies and genetic variations.
Constipation can cause the re-circulation of toxins and old hormones. An increased ‘toxic load’ can over burden the liver and other organs. This can cause issues with weight loss, digestion, absorption of nutrients, and blood sugar balance.
Symptoms of poor detoxification can mimic and increase peri/menopausal symptoms.
These include:
Headaches
Night sweats
Brain fog and cognitive issues
Fatigue
Low mood
Bloating and constipation
Strong body odour
Skin issues
Adverse reactions to foods and drinks or sensitive to smells
Whilst detoxification happens automatically, in today’s world of you may be exposed to thousands of harmful chemicals every day.
In fact, it is estimated that in the Western world, women put around 168 chemicals on their bodies every day. This is in addition to exposure to chemicals and toxins from home cleaning products and fragrances, candles, plastic food wrap, plastic containers, non-stick pans, food cans, pollution, and pesticides and herbicides from the (non-organic) food we eat.
Herbicides and pesticides from non-organic foods that have been sprayed with insect repellents and weed killers are often fat soluble and can be stored in the fat cells in your body and potentially cause resistance to weight.
Some of these chemicals have also been linked to hormone imbalances, obesity, and neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s.
The cosmetics and beauty products that you put directly on to your skin are absorbed into your body. Here are just some of these chemicals:
Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) – found in body wash, soaps, shampoo and conditioner
Parabens - found in make-up, hair care products, moisturisers, fake tan products and shaving creams
Phthalates - found in perfumes
Aluminium chloride – found in anti-perspirant deodorants
Octinoxate – Found in skin care products, nail polish, hair dye and sun cream
Many of these toxins are absorbed into our fat cells in our bodies and brains and some have been linked to an increased risk of neurological conditions, mind and mood issues including depression and weight gain.
Some chemicals are labelled as ‘Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals’ (EDCs). This means that they have the ability to disrupt your hormones and increase the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancers, and thyroid function.
A sub-group of these EDCs are known as ‘obesogens’. These toxins are stored within the fat cells of your body. Your body will do all it can to prevent you being exposed to these harmful chemicals by blocking weight (fat) loss.
One of these chemicals is Bisphenol A (BPA). It is commonly found in plastic water bottles, plastic food wrap and containers, till receipts and on the inside of tins of canned foods and it could disrupt hormones.
5 ways you can reduce your toxic load:
Eat foods, herbs and spices that support your liver and the detoxification pathways in your body. E.g. green leafy vegetables (cabbages, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, rocket, watercress, Bok choy), garlic, onions, asparagus, beetroot, artichokes, radishes, chicory, fermented foods (kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, live yoghurt), rosemary, ginger, turmeric, parsley.
Switch to organic and wild foods or wash all non-organic fruit and vegetables in a water with a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice. Check the latest ‘Dirty Dozen’ (most sprayed foods) https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.
Use a water filter and avoid plastic water bottles, especially if they have been exposed to heat as the chemicals can be transferred into the water.
Use an app like this one https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/ to check for chemicals in your beauty and home care products.
Use BPA free canned foods and bottles and avoid plastic food wrap and containers – Mr Organic
For further information on personalised nutrition and courses contact gail@gailbradynutrition.com.