Everybody’s talking about doing “detoxes” and “cleanses” … but what does that really MEAN, anyway? And is it even a real thing?

I want to dive a little deeper into “cleaning it up” this month.

A lot of “detoxes” focus on eliminating toxins and getting rid of wastes that are in your body. Some gurus will even want you to take a supplement or pill, and follow a special diet.

Here’s the issue with that: Your body already has a complex and amazing built-in detox system, made up of your skin, lungs, kidneys, colon, and liver.

These organs all work together to filter out toxins and waste, and then help you get rid of them by sweating, breathing, peeing and pooping. 

FACT: If there’s a breakdown in this system, you probably should see a doctor!

BUT … what if the toxins in the foods you eat, the products you use on your body, or the chemicals in your environment start to overload your “detox system”, putting a lot of stress on it?

It can get to the point where your body can’t keep up with eliminating them as fast as you absorb them, and they start to build up in your body. This isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds.

Since we can’t actually SEE toxins, here’s a stat that can make it real:

Did you know that the average newborn baby has 287 known toxins in their umbilical cord blood (this is according to the Environmental Working Group)?

And the breakdown of those toxins includes 180 that cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 that are toxic to the brain/nervous system, and 208 that are linked with birth defects or development problems in animal research.

Talk about a toxic load!

What if instead of focusing on CLEANING OUT toxins from your body … you did your best to avoid them in the first place?!

You see, you can’t really detox. But you can reduce your toxic INPUT as much as possible, before it ever hits your system.

You can do that by upgrading the quality of what you feed your body and also what you surround it with. This will help reduce your overall toxic load.

I’m talking about:

  • Foods with fewer pesticides, antibiotics, contaminants, etc.
  • Personal care products with fewer known toxins
  • Staying away from plastic water bottles and food storage containers
  • Using more green home care products

With a little intention, you can lower the number of toxins you’re exposed to in the first place!

It’s a much more proactive approach to your wellness.

So: I have a little bonus challenge for you today! One of the best things you can do to help your body’s detox system do its job is to DRINK WATER! (From a BPA-free container, obviously – and bonus points if it’s filtered water!)  

This helps your system flush out all those waste products.

Exactly how much water you need every day depends on (among other things) how active you are, any health issues you may have, and your size.

But as a general rule, women need about 9 cups (2.1 liters) and men about 12½ cups (3 liters) a day.

It’s not the big things we do once in a while, but the small things we do CONSISTENTLY that bring results.

Need a daily dose of health & fitness motivation and inspiration? Join my private Facebook community, and surround yourself with positive people. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HFandU/.

Let’s step up the challenge. Do this WEEKLY CHALLENGE – how much water do you drink!? Track it using an app or through pen and paper and let us know below how well you did! We’d love to share it with the community.

comment below

>