5 Warning Signs That Your Body Needs To Detox

Posted by Dr. Della Parker     on April 17, 2017

The good news is, your body is designed to detox naturally. The bad news is environmental pollution, stress, lack of sleep, and a poor diet inhibit our body’s ability to naturally release built up toxins. Before diving further into why you need to detox, let’s go over what detoxing is. Detoxification is a two-step process that allows the body to rid itself of toxins. The process starts with your body breaking down potentially harmful chemicals. The process is completed by sending those broken down chemicals to be excreted, this can be done by going to the bathroom or sweating for example. Sounds like a well-oiled machine right? The problem is you can’t properly detox without completing both steps of the process. If your body is able to break down chemicals but not eliminate them, or vice versa, your body is doomed to become a wasteland full of toxins. You will want to correct the situation if you’re experiencing any of the 5 tell-tale signs that your body is screaming for a detox, listed below.

Here are five tell-tale signs that your body is screaming for a detox:

1. Energy drain: One of the main complaints that I hear from clients is that they are exhausted, have no energy, and rely on caffeinated pick-me-ups like coffee and {cringe} diet soda to get through the day. This begs the question, why are we so damn tired? Put simply, we’re sleeping less, stressing more, and eating far worse than the 20 through 50-somethings of several decades ago.

2. Excess weight: A toxic body is typically an overweight one, and usually the result of a heavily processed diet, fraught with chemicals, pesticides, preservatives, and booze. Removing toxins, reducing your chemical load, and essentially creating a “clean slate” in an overtaxed system can {and will} create a shift in the body where weight falls off effortlessly. Yes, really.

3. Cravings: If you’re among the vast majority of Americans who have a serious sweet tooth, you’re in good company. The nature of food addiction, more specifically, sugar addition, has been studied and shown to be extremely common and as intense as addictions to opiates like cocaine and heroin. Part of the reason it’s so hard to kick the habit is that over time, our brains actually become addicted to the natural opioids that are triggered by sugar consumption. Like with drugs, a diet loaded with sugar can generate excessive reward signals in the brain which can override self-control and lead to addiction. In fact, researchers at Princeton University report that sugar-loving mice demonstrate all three criteria of addiction: increased intake, withdrawal, and cravings that lead to relapse. Yowza.

4. Brain fog: Also known as monkey mind, mommy brain, or my personal favorite, “dumb as rocks”, this phenomena exhibits itself when your mind completely drifts off doing even the simplest of tasks, partaking in a conversation, or anything else that requires you to focus. “Hello, McFly?”

5. Tummy troubles: In the form of indigestion, bloating, constipation, or reflux, these woes are quite literally the direct result of “garbage in, garbage out”. These symptoms can result from undiagnosed food allergies or sensitivities (think gluten, dairy, etc.), as well as your healthy gut bacteria {ground zero for your entire immune system} being out of whack.

Other symptoms include poor sleep, headaches, puffy eyes and dark circles, allergies, frequent illness, stress, mood swings, skin breakouts, body odor, and chronic pain. Long term, toxins can cause inflammation and lead to more serious conditions like autoimmunity, heart disease, or cancer. Now have I caught your attention?

Ready to detox? Call us today at 503.344.6631 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Della or to become a patient, fill out a New Patient Application here.

SRC: Click to read more about Detoxing.