Why Natural Is Best For Detoxing

When it comes to different types of diet most people take the “close enough” attitude, which simply means they alter the guidelines as they see fit yet hope for the promised results. Unfortunately this rarely ever works, no matter what the goal of the diet is. Whether you want to lose weight, get a better night of rest or simply detoxify your system for improved health; you must follow the guidelines as they are listed or be prepared for less than stellar results.

The area in which most people think they can short change a detox diet is the ‘natural’ aspect. In many parts of the world, the United States specifically, it can be quite costly to enjoy an organic diet. So, many dieters mistakenly believe that as long as they are eating fresh fruits and vegetables…it’s the same, right?

Wrong. It really is not the same and once you learn why your diet should be made up of all natural foods, you’ll see why.

Staves Off Toxemia

A natural diet is the best way to prevent toxemia. According to Dr. Bernard Jensen in his book Dr. Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care, Toxemia occurs when we engage in a poor diet and when the colon is not evacuated on a regular basis. In fact both of these things are inextricably linked: an improper diet often has a negative impact on our ability to experience regular bowel movements. A poor diet can replace the normal intestinal flora with harmful bacteria that spread, causing toxemia and ultimately autointoxication. Autointoxication is what occurs when the body starts to absorb too much of its own toxic waste.

There is naturally produced waste within the body that it is more than capable of cleansing on its own, like a sewer system for the human body. However the combination of a bad diet and poor bowel function can cause that waste (in the sewer system analogy) to build up and progress, ultimately leading to a sanitation problem such as disease or illness.

A diet filled with chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides, even in a relatively healthy diet, can aid in the production of toxemia in the intestine. It isn’t just that the diet itself is unhealthy but rather how those toxins cause the main elimination systems to react. For example certain toxins may cause the liver to function less efficiently than normal, which allows it to bypass the detoxifying the function of the liver and gets absorbed into the bloodstream. Too many toxins make it just about impossible for the liver to do its job properly—called intestinal putrefaction—which means all of the toxins are not being filtered out, leaving many to linger and eventually make their way into the blood. The end result? Serious health problems.

So what makes natural foods so special? Well for one thing it is rarely the person who eats a healthy well-balanced diet made up of mostly fresh and raw but not organic foods who suffers from toxemia and autointoxication. Most people with a poor diet have a really poor diet filled with processed, chemical heavy foods that make natural detoxification alone virtually impossible. But a diet that is filled with raw organic fruits and vegetables is a diet that is high in fiber, which acts as a type of fuel-injector for the body, helping process and evacuate toxins.

Reduces Antibiotic Resistance

When most of us think of antibiotics we think of them as a good thing. After all they do help kill bacteria when we get sick, right? Yes it is true that antibiotics serve a purpose…when they are needed. Unfortunately antibiotics play an important role in animal farming which means that if you eat meat, you are getting unnecessary antibiotics in your diet.

When the 1950’s rolled around, antibiotics were used for general bacterial infections, which effectively took the focus off of bowel hygiene and a healthy diet because these little pills were seen as the end all and be all of health and healing. The shift of the medical world went from prevention to treatment without regard for the long-term effects of lazy antibiotic use. In fact, Dr. Jensen points to a research project that found no articles or studies printed in the English language after 1940 about intestinal toxemia. We now know that too many antibiotics can cause an immunity, which makes it harder to fight infections that are growing stronger and more vicious.

Natural foods, even meats, are grown and fed without antibiotics, which reduces the instances of antibiotic-resistance bacteria. A natural, chemical-free diet can ensure a properly working restorative immune system and quick healing times.

Effects Of A Poor Diet

Technology has definitely made our lives more convenient but in some areas that convenience comes at a high price. Consider the microwave oven. It has made it easier than ever to cook just about anything within a few minutes, but it also zaps all food of any nutritional value whatsoever. Without essential nutrients such as fiber, your chances of consuming chemicals that react poorly with the liver or kidneys are greater.

A high fiber diet means that toxins don’t get to stay inside the body long because these foods have what is known as ‘high motility’ which simply is a fast transit time. This means food and toxins are not inside the body long enough to spoil, ferment or decompose.

Getting Started

It is true that not everyone will be able to quickly make the transition from chemical laden foods to a fully organic diet. But you now know just how important it is that the body does not receive any additional toxins, so you can be strategic about when and where you go organic.

Here are a few tips to help you start a natural diet today:

1. Replace juice drinks with whole fruit counterparts. The fiber is contained in the meat of the fruit, not the juice.
2. Start your organic purchases with foods that have no inedible outer shell. For example it is okay to get non-organic bananas and onions but tomatoes, broccoli and most fruit should be organic. For a longer list, you can check this post about organic.
3. Consider starting a small organic garden with tomatoes and herbs.
4. Talk with local organic farmers about markets or exchanges for a discount.
5. Experiment with light cooking methods such as steaming that retain nutritional value without forcing you to eat all raw vegetables.
6. Search for an organic co-op in your neighboorhood