A New Year’s Detox & Why It’s Beneficial for Your Body

In modern times, the minute you eat food or breathe the air you are causing wear and tear on your body and organs. Most of the foods we eat are loaded with chemicals and preservatives that do more harm than good. Even when we try eating healthy our fruits and vegetables contain pesticides. Even our water supply can be contaminated with chemicals and other harmful materials. However, there is something we can do from time to time to tune-up our bodies and negate the effects: A Detox or Cleanse.

I’m not much of a car guy. While I see people driving around in Corvettes, Porsche, Mercedes and other types of luxury vehicles, I am very simple with my choice of a ride. If it gets me from my house to my office and back, I’m happy. Much to my wife’s chagrin, I will drive a car until it disintegrates. If you take proper care of your car it will be reliable for years. Change the oil when needed, tune it up, use the right fuel and rotate your tires when you are due. These simple things will ensure your car rides smoothly and lasts for plenty of years to get you where you are going.

The human body is very similar. If you take care of it , you will live a long healthy life. If you don’t, there will surely be consequences to your actions. Now we can’t give ourselves new spark plugs and wires like we can when we tune-up our car, but we can rid our bodies of toxic substances thru detoxification or cleansing. Let’s talk about preservatives and their effects on out bodies courtesy of NDTV foods.

Consuming Preservatives into Our Bodies

Preservatives are typically used to, you guessed it right, ‘preserve’ food items. This helps increase the shelf-life of products and makes sure that there is no loss of taste or flavor in the product over a period of time. With globalization and increased transport efficiencies, a food item produced in a South American country is now easily available in a South-east Asian city thousands of miles away. The transport could take a few days or a few weeks but adding preservatives will ensure that a customer receives it exactly how its maker intended it to be at the time of manufacturing. 

Many people are shying away from foods with less-than-natural ingredients because of the substances and chemicals that are added to so many products such as beverages, sweets, baked-goods, and breads these days. These substances can be also commonly be found in vegetables, fruits and tinned foods. We are talking about Preservatives and how an excessive consumption of these can lead to long term health issues. Preservatives may also cause problems in young children. Not all preservatives are bad though; we need to learn how to differentiate the good ones from the unhealthy ones.

There are two basic types of preservatives:

1. Natural Preservatives – These are ingredients that are used to preserve ‘as is’. Their chemical composition is not altered, and they are not mixed with any synthetic items. Most natural preservatives also have antioxidant properties. We know that antioxidants delay the process of oxidation or aging as it were. This is like what a preservative needs to do; delay the ageing process of a food item to increase its longevity.

Naturally occurring preservatives include oil, sugar and salt. Pickles can last for years because of a potent combination of salt and oil – that acts as a natural preservative for the vegetable chunks. There are also several other natural methods that are used to preserve foods. Curing, freezing, dehydrating, canning, jellying and fermentation are some of them.

2. Artificial or Chemical Preservatives -These are preservatives used to delay spoilage and contamination in foods, but are artificially produced or synthetic in nature. Often these are also called ‘additives’ on food labels – so read food labels carefully before you make a purchase. Ketchup, packed juice, baked goodies, spreads and jams often contain artificial preservatives.  A healthier choice is to avoid using artificial preservatives.

NDTV Food Desk, “5 Side Effects of Preservatives You Must Know About” , October 24, 2017, https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/5-side-effects-of-preservatives-you-must-know-about-1766486 

The Main Side Effects of Preservatives

1. Respiratory Issues – One of the possible harmful effects of preservatives could be a trigger for breathing problems asthma, bronchitis.
2. Behavioral Issues – Preservatives can cause problems within young children like hyperactive behavior. This problem is also measured by parental and objective reporting.
3. Muscle Weakness – Sustained and excessive consumption of artificial preservatives can weaken heart tissues which is dangerous especially for the aged people.
4. Carcinogens – Some preservatives may contain BHA and BHT food additives which could be cancer-causing. BHT is used in cereals and fats while BHA may be present in potatoes, meats and other baked goods.
5. Obesity – Preservatives could cause obesity in some as it contains fatty acids, especially in processed foods.

Six Benefits of Detoxification

 With all the possible side effects mentioned above, it is absolutely necessary to undergo a detoxification protocol once or twice a year. A Cleanse or Detox is easy to implement and helps clean out your organs, tissue and blood to keep your body working like a fine-tuned automobile! Your body will feel and perform better.

1. Boost Energy Levels. The sluggish feeling we get during the day can be the result of excess toxins in the body.
2. Support Digestion and Weight Management
3. Reduce Inflammation
4. Promote Healthy Skin
5. Strengthen Your Immune System
6. Improved Mood

Introducing VegeCleanse Plus™

One of the ways to do this is to use a product that we have in my office: Designs For Health VegeCleanse Plus™.

VegeCleanse Plus™ is a comprehensive, science-based nutritional program designed to support safe and effective detoxification. This is accomplished by providing the nutrients needed to support and balance phase I and II metabolic pathways and to promote healthy liver function and elimination. Everything is consolidated into packets to make the program easy to follow and to ensure that individuals on the program do not miss any necessary nutrients.

With January quickly approaching we are all looking to lose some weight by going on a diet, However, if our body is toxic none of our systems, including metabolism are going to work properly. Before you start your diet, do a detox and make sure you get the most out your weight loss regime!