How We Become Toxic To Our Bodies

As a nation we are becoming more and more toxic and less healthy.
Dr. Oz wrote a extremely informative book on how food reacts with our body in You On A Diet:The Owners Manual
1. Constipation. The colon is your body's sewage system. If your sewage system backs up, toxins become trapped in your colon. Chronic constipation means these toxins are fermenting and decaying in the colon, often being re-absorbed into the bloodstream, which in turn, pollutes all of our tissues and cells.

2. Poor Diet. Poor diet includes dead, cooked, devitalized, clogging, low fiber foods, fried foods, junk foods, over-processed foods, etc. As a modern society, we have drifted further and further a way from eating raw, organic "good for you" fruits, vegetables and whole grains high in natural fiber, nutrients, and enzymes.You are what you eat! Eat healthy!!!

3. Over-Consumption. Overeating puts a tremendous amount of stress on our digestive system. Most people eat too much food, too fast. A meal should be eaten slowly and food chewed thoroughly. Saliva mixed with food in the mouth plays a huge role in foods being digested properly. When we over-eat, the digestive system cannot always meet the demands placed upon it. Vital nutrients are NOT absorbed. Try to eat smaller meals, with "healthy" snacks in-between meals. If you only eat when you're "starving," you will constantly over-eat and wonder why you feel so heavy, bloated and tired afterwards. Eat light and stay healthy!

4. Lack of Water. Water makes up 65 to 75% of the human body. It is second only to oxygen in order of importance to sustain life. Water cleanses the inside of the body as well as the outside. It is instrumental in flushing out wastes and toxins. When our bodies do not receive enough water, toxins tend to stagnate, hindering all digestive and eliminative processes. Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water per day is imperative to good health. By the way, sodas DO NOT COUNT as water intake! Sodas of any kind (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, etc.) contain high levels of sodium, sweeteners, caffeine, and very bad-for-you chemicals. Over time, sodas can be a big contributor to ill health. Try and limit your soda intake and drink as much water as possible.



5. Stress. Stress effects every cell and tissue in the human body. Stress breaks down the immune system as well as all of the major organs. Stress is TOXIC to our bodies! It robs the body of important vitamins and miner­als, and over time, can cause severe acid build-up. The worst thing a person can do is to eat a meal while experiencing extreme stress. This usually causes indigestion, and nutrients will not be absorbed. Regulate and control the amount of stress in your life, and you will be a healthier and happier person.

6. Lack of Exercise. Exercise strength­ens our entire bodies. It stimulates the circulatory and lymphatic system, building muscles, nerves, blood, glands, lungs, heart, brain, mind and mood. Blood is pumped throughout our bodies by the heart, but lymphatic fluid depends solely on exercise to be circulated throughout our lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is the human body's sewage system... it is responsible for the removal of cellular and toxic waste. Here is a remarkable fact... there is 3 times more lymphatic fluid in the human body than blood! Physical exercise and movement is the lymphatic system's only "pump,” so to speak. If we don't exercise, our lymphatic system becomes sluggish and toxic, effecting our overall health. Lack of exercise lowers metabolic efficiency, and without circulatory and lymphatic stimulation, the body's natural cleansing systems are weakened. Exercise is extremely important.

7. Eating Late at Night. The human body uses sleep to repair, rebuild and restore itself. In essence, our bodies use the sleeping hours to cleanse and detoxify, and to build strength and immunity. When we eat late at night and go to sleep with a full stomach, the body IS NOT at rest. Even though our mental processes are quiet, our physical body is actually quite busy digesting and processing a large amount of food. This inhibits the vital cleansing, building and restorative processes that normally occur while we sleep. We've all had the experi­ence of going to sleep with a full stomach, and waking the next morning feeling tired, exhausted and disoriented, despite 8 hours of sleep. This is because your body, in actuality, did NOT get 8 hours of sleep... more like 3 hours of sleep, after working hard most of the night to digest and process the big meal you ate before bed. Do not eat late at night! Eat an early dinner, and eat light in the evenings.

These are just a few of the ways that we add toxics to our body. Pay careful attention to how you treat your body, how you treat it now will be reflected when your are in your golden years.