The Role of Detoxification for Maintaining and Restoring Health
It is challenging to be healthy in today’s world. The mounting scientific evidence reports that our daily environmental exposures are increasingly threatening our health and quality of life. Tens of thousands of chemicals are found in our food supply, in the air we breathe, and the water we drink, and what we put on our skin in the form of “personal care products”.
Every day, we encounter tiny amounts of multiple chemicals and our body can become overwhelmed and unable to metabolize and eliminate all of them through the process known as detoxification. We all have our unique genetic makeup which also impacts our body’s ability to either store or eliminate these cumulative exposures. Chemicals not broken down are stored in our fat cells where they build up, alter our metabolism, increase our weight, create hormonal imbalances and contribute to a host of inflammatory processes. Our exposures begin in the womb and continue throughout our lifecycle. The impact of these exposures on our health appear to be greater in certain phases of our lives than in others, having far reaching effects and manifesting as disease often decades after the initial exposure. Short-term exposure to toxic chemicals can cause a wide variety of symptoms including headache, burning eyes, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. Long-term exposure can lead to many health issues including hypertension, mood and learning disorders, and cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease. Many individuals with early cognitive impairment, benefit from eliminating avoiding possible environmental exposures, including in our food products, along with I while increasing nutrients to enhance our body’s own innate detoxification pathways and processes. Here at Rezilir, we have implemented protocols and strategies to naturally enhance the ability to detoxify as part of restoring brain health. Efficient detoxification is the key to maintaining and restoring overall health.
Other chronic conditions resulting from ongoing exposures can include obesity, cancer, diabetes, lung disease, and stroke. With access to new research and information, we can make healthier lifestyle choices and develop new behaviors that can enhance our natural ability to rid our body of these toxins and enhance our quality of life.
Improving Detoxification
Detoxification is the process of removing substances considered toxic or poisonous to the human body. Detoxification focuses on the mobilization and excretion of the toxic properties of a substance by inducing chemical changes in the body. The primary organs of detoxification are the liver, skin, bowels, kidneys and lungs.
Research on the role of phytonutrients, the naturally occurring chemicals in our plant based foods, along with vitamins, minerals, and proteins all work together to enhance liver enzymes that enhance our detoxification pathways. The clearance of many chemicals in our body depends on specific nutrients that serve as enzyme cofactors in the liver. Our Functional medicine physicians, skilled in assessing and implementing a treatment plan based on your individual biochemistry, nutrient status, digestive health, and genetic markers, can determine the specific nutritional program needed, along with a lifestyle plan personalized and designed to your unique needs. Detoxification recommendations may include an elimination food plan, oral and intravenous vitamins, sauna, exercise, optimizing sleep, and daily relaxation practices including imagery , yoga, and HeartMath.
Assessing Heavy Metals
Another important environmental assessment is that of heavy metals that include lead, mercury, aluminum, and arsenic that have long been known to cause acute or chronic toxicity with cumulative exposures. Impaired mechanisms for detoxifying and eliminating them from the body can result in mental and central nervous function deficits and potentially damage vital organs. Long-term exposures may lead to physical, mental, muscular, and neurological conditions. Some of the most common warning signs of heavy metal toxicity include:
- Chronic fatigue
- Autoimmune disease
- Neurological disorders
- Brain Fog
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Dementia
At Rezilir Health, our expert functional medicine physicians assess your environmental exposures to molds, toxins, and heavy metals, using state of the art laboratory testing to assist in diagnosing and implementing your personalized treatment plan. We work as a team that includes our Nutritionist and Nurse Coach to optimize your achieving the best outcomes for renewed health and vitality.