How to rid your body of toxins

May 31, 2009

A mysterious death in Mbale district was recently being investigated as a food poisoning crime, but a government scientist, who prefers anonymity, says the man had eaten contaminated fish.

By Frederick Womakuyu
and Maureen Nakatudde


A mysterious death in Mbale district was recently being investigated as a food poisoning crime, but a government scientist, who prefers anonymity, says the man had eaten contaminated fish.

The fish contained saxitoxin, a chemical so potent that a single fish could kill thousands of lives. Saxitoxin is produced by algae which grow in rivers, wells or seas.

The scientist says if detected early, the victim is given about 12 glasses of water to rid the body of the toxins. “Saxitoxin can gradually paralyse the muscles, leading to difficulty in breathing and eventually death,” he adds.

According to medical experts, although statistics on saxitoxin are not readily available, the environment in which we live is packed with toxins that are harmful to the body.

Dr. Sande Senyonga, a nutritionist at Dama Medical Consults, Kampala, says cigarette smoke and car fumes as well as certain foods we consume are contaminated with toxins.

“When poisonous substances enter the body, the liver filters them as waste. But it may not be able to remove excess toxins,” Drugs, alcohol and industrial chemicals may not all be filtered and could become poisonous.

Dr. Alex Mutabazi, a medical consultant at African Air Rescue, says when a person takes any drug in excess, his body may become intoxicated.

The most common are HIV/AIDS, asthma and diabetes drugs. Such people should always detoxify to avoid clogging of the kidneys with stones and other harmful substances.

Signs and symptoms
Sluggishness, skin problems, body pain and digestive problems. One may start eating foods that he never used to.

Dr. Paul Muganzi, a diet expert working with World Relief Services, says other symptoms include difficulty in breathing, constipation, diarrhoea, constant passing of wind and heartburn. He says toxins mostly reside in the liver, colon and blood.

Medium for toxins
Muganzi says: “It takes food two to three hours to travel to the small intestines. The small veins (villa) filter the nutrients and the rest of the food goes to the colon in liquid form.”

The role of the colon is to suck out the water from the food, while the small intestines pass out the food; however, this may not happen.

In their Book, The diet, US-based Dr. Wendy and Vickie Edison say the material held in the colon should be evacuated within 18 to 36 hours.

“After this time, poisonous toxins may be produced by bacteria that live in the colon. These work on the waste, producing smelly and harmful gases,” the book reveals.

If the toxins stay in the large intestines for long, they get in contact with the lining of the gut wall, exposing it to harmful long-term illnesses such as bowel cancer.

Mutabazi says blood can be made dirty through eating some foods. If a person eats only cooked food, his body is liable to blood toxins.

“However, if one’s diet is mixed with raw foods like fruits, these help to clean the toxins from the blood.”

If no detoxification takes place, one may get infections like hepatitis, kidney inflammations, poor sight, pimples, skin rashes and impure or deep yellow urine.

To get rid of impurities in the body health experts advise detoxification (cleaning the body).

Why detoxify
Muganzi says every one must detoxify at least once a year. Practised for centuries, detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body.
Detoxification can help protect one from disease.

Muganzi says one needs to first know what he wants to flush out of the body.

Substances include alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats or chemical-based household toxins like insecticides. Others are cleansers, shampoos and deodorants.

Detoxification agents
Eat plenty of fibre, including brown rice and organically-grown fruits and vegetables. Cabbage is an excellent detoxifying food

Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock, milk thistle and green tea

Eat foods containg Vitamin C

Drink at least eight glasses of water daily

Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system

Transform stress by emphasising positive emotions

Take a warm bath for five minutes, allowing the water to run down your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times and get into bed for 30 minutes

Sweat in a sauna so that your body can eliminate waste

Dry-brush your skin to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes are available at shops that sell natural products.

Exercise.

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