When Janet started feeding her horses rye hay, she began suffering from extremely cold hands and her fingers would turn white. She was fatigued, her allergies became worse and she was feeling very sensitive to cold weather and perfumes.
Janet’s symptoms were all related to ergotism, a mold that grows in rye hay. With her liver not able to process the extra load, she was having a reaction to the mold. Fortunately, she was able to stop handling the hay, do some extra liver support, and take a homeopathic medicine that matched her symptoms, helping her body drain the toxins. She soon began to feel much better.
We are exposed to a variety of toxins every day – in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and even the things we apply to our skin. Our bodies accumulate all these toxins, creating symptoms.
These frequently start with a sensitivity to caffeine; maybe you can’t sleep at night if you drink coffee after lunch. Then, you might notice a negative reaction to paints, perfumes, soaps and other hydrocarbons. Or maybe you’re suffering from fatigue, allergic reactions, insomnia, restlessness and foggy thinking. These all indicate your liver is on overload and struggling.
How does our body release toxins?
You have to take out the garbage if you’re going to clean house effectively. The body has five major routes of elimination: the liver, bowels, kidneys, skin and lungs. All five need to be working well for the body to stay healthy. This means sweating from the skin, exercising in clean air for the lungs, eating enough fiber for one to three bowel movements a day, and drinking enough clean water to regularly flush the kidneys. But even with all five working there can be problems if the exposure to toxins is too high.
The one organ of elimination you can’t perceive is your liver. Liver detoxification programs or diets from the health food store are helpful if you are healthy and all your other routes of elimination are working well. But a rapid detox might make you feel pretty bad.
What can you do?
- Eat free range and organic meats and dairy products. Drink clean water. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic (five to ten servings a day). Include good oils in your diet like olive, flax, seeds and nuts.
- Avoid toxic substances such as lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. Watch anti-perspirant, shampoos, hand soaps, well water, tobacco and pesticides.
- Give your liver some herbal support. Drink dandelion root tea and take milk thistle capsules. Squeeze lots of fresh lemon wedges into your water.
- See a licensed naturopathic doctor. They are experts at identifying symptoms and managing a detoxification program that is right for you. Homeopathy, amino acids, supplements and chelation can support and speed the clearing of toxic substances from your body.
We can’t always eliminate toxins from our lives, but we can help our bodies take the garbage out.
