08 Apr We Service Our Car, Shouldn’t We Also Service our Body?
Energy. We rely on it to get through every day of our lives, yet how many of us stop and think about where it comes from, and more importantly, what stops us getting our maximum from the energy our body makes? It’s a complex subject, but I am going talk about one major influence on how well you feel and how much energy you have to enjoy your life – cellular toxicity.
Let’s consider the analogy of the car. When you buy the car new everything works as it should, and if you take it to the car dealership and maintain the engine according to the manufacturer’s log book specifications, you are unlikely to come across any major surprises in terms of how the car performs. You always feel good when you pick it up from the service –you put your foot down and the engine ‘purrs like a kitten’. Your body is much the same. When you maintain your body well, the engine of our cells, the mitochondria, respond to your needs for energy quickly and effectively. Unfortunately, just as your car engine will get clogged up and break down if you don’t service your car, so too the mitochondria in our cells have the ability to get clogged up with toxic metabolites and the cell can start to lose efficiency in the way it makes energy. This is an extremely common experience for humans living in the modern world and although it is a natural process of older age, it is now common in young adults and in the case of conditions such as ADHD and autism, young children and babies too.
Causes
What has happened to cause cell toxicity to affect humans in their prime? Modern life, that’s what! Poor quality food that is sprayed with chemicals that have not even been tested for safety in terms of how it affects how our cells make energy. Inappropriately prescribed medications and antibiotics that research has now shown to directly damage our mitochondria, and environmental chemicals in our air, water, laundry cupboard, shed and almost every worldly belonging we own that contributes directly to our body’s toxic load. Anyone who has been to Bunnings lately and looked for a fly swatter will know what I mean; there are shelves upon shelves of huge containers full of new types of insecticides. These things are guaranteed to still kill insects months or YEARS after spraying around your home! Even the most avid DIY pest controller probably looks around thinking “that’s a bit much!”
The good news
If I am painting a dark picture here, it’s because I’m passionate about the effects these toxins have on the welfare of my clients, especially the little ones. But it’s not all bad, because there are many people now actively deciding to live more simply, this trend is starting to catch on in some other aspects of life. For example, just making sure we drink 2 litres of fluids a day and commit to some form of daily movement or exercise can increase one of your main detoxifying pathways, called glutathione, which can promote cellular detoxification and protect your mitochondria. Another great way to help is through limiting your dietary intake of trans-fatty acids (found in fried foods and some margarines and processed foods) and excess sugars, which are known to cause mitochondrial dysfunction. Of course we can’t eliminate these toxic threats from our environment completely, but being aware of them and minimising your exposure to them is important in this modern world.
Of course for many, additional support is required. Energy related conditions such as long-term tiredness, adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue and mood or behavioural disorders are more complex and require more rigorous clinical examination and intervention, and excellent results can be achieved with the right naturopathic prescription from our degree trained Naturopaths at NatMed.
For most of us though, we just need a good service every now and then!
Detox
The more toxic compounds your body accumulates, the more energy it uses up trying to deal with them. This means there is less energy for you to use for living your life.
There are many ways that you can detox, from trying a juice or water fast at home, to participating in our fasting and juicing programs. (Click here to find out What’s On at NatMed.)
There are also more comprehensive detox programs that may be more appropriate if you feel tired frequently or suffer from frequent coughs and colds, or you suspect you may have candida or another chronic infection. This program is known as a ‘weed, seed and feed’ detox program and these are available at NatMed through one of our naturopaths.
