Toxins enter our bodies on a daily basis from pesticides, herbicides, chemical additives in foods, preservatives, cleaning products, and other sources in our environment. Each of these chemical sources comes in small doses that shouldn’t harm us on their own, but cumulatively, the effects can be disastrous.
Many of the signs that you are experiencing a toxic overload are so subtle as to seem insignificant. This is why patients don’t always mention them to their doctors. Doctors are also inclined to treat each symptom separately rather than viewing them as part of a bigger picture of toxic overload.
The increasing prevalence of metabolic diseases and cancer mean that this generation will be the first to live shorter lives than their parents did. But just how do you tell if your body is toxic? Here are five signs of toxic overload and what to do about it.
Fatigue
You sleep well, but you wake up tired every morning and struggle to get through the day. This may be a sign that your body is working so hard to rid itself of toxins that it is constantly worn out. Endocrine disruptors may also lead to fatigue; these are chemicals in your environment that disrupt the release of hormones into the bloodstream.
Aches and Pains in Muscles and Joints
Does everything hurt even though you didn’t overdo it yesterday? Toxins collect in these areas and cause inflammation. If you are constantly experiencing low-level discomfort in your joints or muscles, it may be time for a detox.
Skin Problems
Rashes, acne and dry skin can be indicators that you have irritants in your environment while other problems like eczema and psoriasis may flair up when you have reached a toxic overload.
Bad Breath and Body Odor
While these can be the result of digestive issues, bed breath and body odor can be signs that your liver is overloaded with toxins and is no longer processing them effectively. You can support your liver by cutting down on the toxins you take in and brewing a cup of dandelion tea, or eating parsley, cilantro, and milk thistle. Drink more water to flush the toxins from your body.
Headaches
Toxic overload very often results in headaches or fuzzy thinking. There are many toxins that can cause headaches like MSG, heavy metals, chemical food coloring, preservatives and aspartame in sugar-free products.
Luckily, detoxing your environment can help to relieve these symptoms. Start with your diet by eliminating processed foods. Go back to organic, natural foods with ingredients you can understand. Eating organic foods will help to eliminate chemical additives, hormones and pesticides from your diet.
Work on reducing the amount of chemicals in your environment by using chemical-free cleaning products, natural air fresheners and BPA-free plastics.
Stay hydrated and drink at least eight glasses of water a day to help flush toxins from your system.
Taking blue-green algae supplements like spirulina and chlorella will bind to toxins and help to remove them from your body.
Exercise will also help to get the juices flowing so toxins are flushed from your system.
