Source: Mariah Hewines

What does detoxing mean?

In our last post, we touched on detox teas. A popular buzzword, detoxing came about as a result of people wanting to be supremely healthy, and rid themselves of things that may aid weight gain. But what even is detoxing? Do we need it? What does ECP Therapy do to detox the body? And, does detoxing actually help with any health issues, such as bad circulation and prevention of heart disease.

What is detoxing?

Detoxification is thought to use a diet or a series of products to eliminate toxins from the body to improve your health and encourage weight loss. Detox oriented diets contain a combination of fruit, vegetables, fruit juices, water, teas, vitamins, minerals, and even laxatives. Luckily, the body is well equipped at managing the natural detoxification process, and doesn’t need expensive diets or supplements to help out. When we talk about toxins, it usually means chemicals, processed foods, or things that negatively impact your health. Some people believe that you can aid your body’s natural system to flush out the toxins, without hurting or damaging your body.

Source: Nadine Primeau

How does the body detox?

Your body removes toxins by utilising a range of organs! Using the lungs, it gets rid of processed out bacteria and toxins, such as alcohol, using the breath. Your liver, kidneys, and digestive system break down any bad things in your system, and these can even come out in your skin! Drinking water and getting enough rest is a sure-fire way to keep things moving through nicely, so stay hydrated and sleep well.

The front line is the liver, acting as a filter against toxic substances found in your diet and food, and stops it from going into your bloodstream. Next, your colon houses bacteria that has the ability to produce healthy and unhealthy chemics. Keep your colon flowing regularly to keep flushing out the waste before it does you any harm. Then you have your kidneys. This pair are continually working to filter the blood even further. Your body is like a perfectly formed detoxing machine, especially when fed right!

Do we even need to detox?

Before we begin this section, you should talk to your doctor for practical and tailored advice for you.

As your body has a great process of breaking down nasties in your system, it totally depends on the person. However, to make sure your body is working at it’s best, cut down things that inflame or hurt the body. Cutting down on alcohol, sugar, and processed foods is a great place to start!

Up to 90% of alcohol is processed in the liver. Constant and heavy drinking can inflame and break down this machine of an organ, resulting in fat build-up and even scarring. When this happens, it means your liver can’t function the way it’s meant to, which is filtering waste and toxins from your body. Sugar and processed foods have been linked to weight issues, chronic diseases, and diabetes. These issues can also negatively impact your liver and kidney functions from detoxifying your body.

Source: Jordan McQueen

By eating a balanced diet, you will ensure you get a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are crucial to helping your body perform at an optimum level. Eating a diet with a heap of antioxidants will help protect your cells against damage by molecules called free radicals. Free radicals do occur naturally in the body to aid digestion and help out other cellular processes, but an alcohol high in toxins (alcohol, tobacco, and a diet high in sugar and processed foods) will cause excessive production. Antioxidants are found in a wide variety of foods, such as fruits and vegetables, cocoa, spices, and nuts.

Lucky for us, coffee and green tea are high in antioxidants too!

What does ECP Therapy do for me? Does it detox?

ECP (or EECP / Enhanced External Counterpulsation) Therapy is a process using non-invasive technology to add pressure to the veins, forcing oxygen production. As we’ve chatted through above, the oxygenation process to the body is super important for getting rid of metabolic waste and toxins. ECP Therapy uses a set of inflatable cuffs, situated around your thighs and calves, to stimulate movement through the arteries and veins. Imagine having giant blood pressure cuffs strapped to your legs in time with your heartbeat. This oxygenation and detoxifying process has been proven to aid circulation and helps to prevent heart disease!

Source: Brenda Godinez

Does detoxing actually help?

Well, know we know that your body is an incredible system using multiple levels of protection against toxins and waste! You can also use ECP Therapy for several preventative health reasons. But, does detoxing even help us?

While there is little evidence that the body actually has had waste removed post a detox diet, people do report feeling more energised. Most fad detox diets are low in calories, are nutrient-poor, and are often just laxatives. This will result in you feeling low in energy and blood sugar, dizziness, and even nausea. If you feel like your lifestyle is unhealthy, then absolutely partake in a ‘detox’, full of whole foods, vegetables, fruits! It’s excellent for you, and will likely be something that lasts.

If you are going to look at detoxing, chat to your doctor or a licensed nutritionist to make sure what you’re doing is absolutely right for you.