Is it time for a detox?
Natural products are in high demand. But what do we mean by natural products nowadays and why should you prefer these 'green' options over your usual purchases? While labels like vegan, cruelty-free, eco-cert, free from SLS and parabens, microplastic-free, and green bombard you, let's go back to basics: the effect many of these products have on your health.
Time for a natural routine
Why it's beneficial to examine the products you use for your daily care and routine is mainly due to the impact many daily products can have on your body. Besides your favourite care products, this also includes your cleaning agents, specific foods, and medications. Many of our daily used products contain toxins, and these are precisely the substances you want to avoid as much as possible.
Exogenous toxins are harmful substances that enter our body from the outside. Due to the current lifestyle, we get too many exogenous toxins in our body, which can lead to an overload of the detoxification system.
Toxins and detoxification
Toxins are toxic substances that are harmful to the body and can be divided into endogenous and exogenous toxins. Endogenous toxins are burdensome waste products or residues produced by your body during digestion and various other metabolic processes at the cellular level. This is a completely normal process and, with the right balance and a well-functioning detoxification system, poses little problem. Exogenous toxins, also known as EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals), are harmful substances that enter our body from the outside. Due to the current lifestyle, we get too many exogenous toxins in our body, which can lead to an overload of the detoxification system.
Products with exogenous toxins
Unknowingly, we ingest exogenous toxins through:
- food additives
- plastic bottles and plastic food packaging
- exhaust gases
- cleaning agents
- personal care products
- make-up
- detergent
- pesticides
- drinking water
- tattoos
- non-stick pans
- tobacco smoke
- medication
Detoxification can be disrupted by an overload of toxic substances entering the body in this way, causing the system to lose its optimal function.
Detoxification system
When Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) enter your body, your body works hard to break down and remove the toxins. For this, several important excretion systems are employed, each with its own function to help the body rid itself of waste products. This is an ongoing process that ensures waste and residues are converted and/or removed from our body as quickly as possible. The main excretion systems are:
- Skin: perspiration
- Intestines: waste leaves the body via faeces.
- Liver: excretion of toxic substances via bile that leaves the body through faeces.
- Lungs: excretion of water and carbon dioxide through breathing.
- Lymph: filtering abnormal cells and toxic substances.
- Kidneys: important for the acid-base balance and filtering/excreting toxic substances.
- Basic Bio Regulation System (BBRS): directs waste from cells to blood and lymph.
Symptoms from exogenous toxins
When the body can no longer handle the amount of toxins, physical complaints may arise such as:
- hormonal disruptions
- fatigue
- reduced fertility in both men and women
- weakened immune system
- metabolic problems
- psychological complaints
- accelerated or slowed thyroid function
Reducing intake of exogenous toxins
Plastics
When purchasing plastic items like bottles, ensure they are BPA-free and avoid plasticisers such as phthalates found in food packaging, toys, tape, as well as shampoo and nail polish.
Vegetables and fruit
Opt for organic (unsprayed) vegetables and fruit as much as possible. If you have bought vegetables and fruit treated with pesticides, you can make a bath of about 1.5 tablespoons of baking soda in 1.5 litres of water and let them soak for 15 minutes. Research shows that this can remove up to 96% of the pesticides present.
Products based on natural ingredients
Try to replace your care products such as creams, deodorant, face wash, and shampoo with natural alternatives. The same applies to make-up, detergent, and cleaning agents. Fortunately, more and more brands are bringing products to the market based on natural ingredients or as free from harmful substances as possible. It can be a small search for a good replacement product based on natural ingredients if you've been satisfied with the product you've been using for years. It's easiest to take your time and gradually replace all your products over a longer period (for example, a year). This way, you can calmly find out which products or brands you like and suit your needs.
In addition to reducing toxin intake, it's also important to ensure the proper functioning of the body's detoxification process. And this doesn't have to be complicated as you can achieve good detoxification with
- Drinking enough water: at least 1.5 litres per day.
- Getting enough sleep: at least 7 to 8 hours per day.
- Eating plenty of vegetables: at least 400 to 500 grams per day.
- Eating 2 pieces of fruit every day.
- Exercising for at least half an hour every day.
Written by: Noëlle van Seggelen
