You’ve done the reading and research and you understand what a body cleanse or detox is all about but there’s something that still rings in your mind. How do you know you know if a body cleanse is actually something you need. The good news is you don’t need a doctor or guru to tell you if you’re toxic. There some easy indicators that you can pick up on for yourself that will suggest the overall health of your body and its toxicity levels.
1. Achey muscles and/or joints. Often a byproduct of dehydration, aches in muscles or joints mean the muscle tissue and fibers are not getting the nutrition they need, and are often overloaded with unnecessary chemicals or “nutrients.”
2. Frequent headaches. Another dehydration signal and one associated with improper diet and exercise. Headaches arise from problems in the blood-flow to the brain. If there is a high level of toxic residue in your blood stream, it can cause frequent headaches. This can also happen as a side effect when you body cleanse. If you’ve ever had a caffeine addiction, you’re familiar with the headaches that arise from a sudden change in the blood stream chemicals, or lack thereof.
3. Low energy or frequently being tired. Your body’s vitality affects your mood and motivation levels. When the body is busy trying to deal with an overload of foreign toxins, it tends to pull back on the abundance of life energy you are normally afforded. A whole body cleanse can free up the body to give you more zest for your day instead of slaving away processing chemicals for you.
4. Frequent colds or sickness. In a similar vein, a highly toxic bloodstream often results in a reduction of immune system agents that protect you from disease and foreign germs. When your body is fighting to process toxins, it doesn’t have as many free resources to defend against invading agents.
5. Coughs or a sore throat. Mucus is a byproduct of toxic residue that accumulates in your breathing pathways. An over-abundance of such residue can result in frequent coughing or sore throats. Smoke-related pollutants are notorious for this effect.
6. Runny nose or nasal/sinus congestion. Many sinus problems are related to overall body chemistry. Allergies and atmospheric pressure are only components of a larger sinus balance in your system. If you’re toxic, meaning out of balance, your sinuses will let you know.
7. Dense or yellow urine. You’ve surely noticed a discoloration or varying coloration in your own urine. If not, you should check. The more yellow or cloudy your urine is, the more contaminants and pollutants are being expelled from your body. This means it’s time to take it easy and let things clear up. You’ll know when they have because the color will begin to get more clear.
8. Irregular, painful, or messy bowel movements. Another touchy subject for some, but you can’t deny the overall digestive process we humans go through when we eat to survive. If your digestive system is clogged up with toxins that it can’t process fast enough, it will malfunction. If you have these bowel symptoms, it is sometimes best to perform a total cleanse to clear up the contamination.
9. Acne or oily skin. Your pores are a key part of the body cleanse process, allowing toxins from your bloodstream to seep out through your skin. This gets them out of the body where they just cause problems. However, if this is happening in excess, as happens at adolescence when the body is dealing with a whole new set of hormones and chemical agents in the blood, it may mean you are overly toxic and could use a detox.
10. Lack of food enjoyment or taste. This one is a it less obvious but a major factor. If you notice that regular and healthy foods aren’t satisfying your hunger, it may mean you have formed a dependency or addiction to the toxins you get from other, less healthy sources. If you drink coffee for a morning jolt, but the caffeine is having less and less of an effect, then you’re reached a critical mass of caffeine in your bloodstream and it is having a reduced effect. To compensate, perform a body cleanse to rid your body of caffeine (and your dependency on it) for a while. Then, when/if you return to it, it will be a fresh stimulant to the body once again.
All of these symptoms are influential in self-diagnosing a toxic system. Pay attention to the signals your body is sending. It is a perfectly-balanced instrument capable of complete auto-pilot in the health department but you can easily throw it off-balance with poor choices. Let your symptoms guide you to the root problems, which can often be taken care of with a total body cleanse to get you back on track with a healthy, fresh, clean start.
