Our lives are increasingly more stressful, much of the food we eat is nutritionally void and chemical loaded, the air we breathe is polluted and many people are using pharmaceuticals.
Toxins can accumulate in the human body over the years affecting our hormones, immune and nervous systems and liver. Symptoms such as fatigue, depression, headaches, asthma, allergies and arthritis can all be due to toxicity in the body. If you are one of the many people who are having trouble losing weight it could possibly be due to the toxins in your body playing havoc. Many studies have shown a link between the raise in toxins in our life and obesity (1).
Studies done by the Environmental Working Group have shown that newborn babies had, on average, 200 toxins in their cord blood (2). Each adult tested had an average of:
- 53 chemicals that have been linked to cancer
- 62 compounds toxic to the central nervous system (including the brain)
- 58 compounds toxic to the endocrine (hormonal and reproductive) system
- 55 compounds that are toxic to the immune system
How does someone become so toxic? We are exposed to toxins daily. Toxic overload happens when a toxic substance is absorbed at a rate faster than it can be metabolised and detoxified by our body. These chemicals and toxins can be found everywhere, from our foods, cosmetics, workplace, plastics, cleaning products, air pollution and clothing. While it is impossible to eliminate all toxins from our life we can take steps to minimise our exposure and one of the most effective ways
to do this is to look at what we are eating, the stuff we are putting directly into our bodies.
Non organic fruit and vegetables are heavily sprayed with pesticides. Factory farmed animals are injected with antibiotics (heavily due to poor farming conditions), xenohormones and other poisonous chemicals, and the animals are fed a diet of genetically modified corn, soy and other grains that affect their health, and then ultimately the person who consumes the meat. Processed foods and fast foods are full of additives, chemicals, trans fats, preservatives, corn, artificial sweeteners, and rancid vegetable oils.
If you want to lose body fat it is essential to think about the toxins you are putting into your body. Your body can’t be burning fat efficiently if it is overloaded with toxins. Your liver can only detoxify so much for you.
There are many things you can do to help your body with toxins if you know you are overloaded and would like to lose body fat, start with eliminating the inflammatory food, the ones filled with chemicals. Eat fiber rich foods to aid in detoxification. Include plenty of asparagus, cucumber, artichokes, cruciferous vegetables, parsley and cilantro which are helpful for detoxification, water retention and debloating. Drink plenty of filtered water throughout the day. Water works as a catalyst to most functions within the body.
Could toxic overload be preventing you from losing fat? If you’d like to know more and determine if your body may be showing symptoms of toxicity contact me for a nutritionist consult!
Leave a Reply