What are Toxins?
First, to understand the idea of “what are toxins”, one must first define “toxins.”
According to Wikipedia, a toxin is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms. Although this definition might not include the same substances we consider toxins when it comes to their effect on our bodies, it communicates the essence of what a toxin is. It is poison!
In the context of alternative medicine, the term is often used non-specifically to refer to any substance claimed to cause ill health, ranging anywhere from trace amounts of pesticides to common food items like refined sugar or additives like artificial sweeteners and MSG.
So, now that we understand the terms when we ask “What are Toxins?”, let’s further discover what toxins we need to avoid in our everyday lives to return our bodies to the healthy state of our ancestors.
External Toxins
So, think back a few million years to the days of our ancestors.
What did they not have that we do today? And which of those items can cause harm to our bodies today?
Therein lies the list, the answer to the question of "What are Toxins?" And these are the very things we need to avoid in our existence today.
Look around, do you see automobiles? The exhaust from those vehicles is a toxin to our bodies. Is someone smoking nearby? Toxin. Is a factory belching black, smelly smoke on the skyline? You got it…toxin.
Oops, look there! In your mouth! What’s that substance that nice dentist put in your teeth? A dental filling? One more toxin.
The mercury in an amalgam filling can cause brain damage, kidney damage and can even cause immune system problems. There are lots more problems associated with dental fillings, but we’ll leave that for another day.
And mercury isn’t the only heavy metal that causes problems. Other metals to watch out for are:
- lead,
- nickel,
- cadmium,
- arsenic
- and aluminum.
What about the food you eat? Did you get a little MSG in your dinner? You probably did. Then there’s aspartame, that wonderful no-calorie sweetener that’s downright deadly. Don’t forget nitrites, nitrates, trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup. Yup, all toxins.
And exactly how did those wonderful healthy veggies you ate today grow in the field? Was it with healthy organic farming methods, or were they dosed with pesticides and chemical fertilizers? Uh, oh, more toxins!
So let’s give those toxins a name, or maybe we’ll call it a category. We’ll label those toxins – External Toxins. External toxins are those poisons you find floating around in the environment due to the actions of mankind.
Internal Toxins
Next, look inside your body.
There's that question again. "What are Toxins?"
There are constant metabolic functions occurring, and each has its byproduct. Detrimental flora such as these steal the nutrients meant to keep your system healthy. And in exchange for your nutrients, they give off waste products just as any organism does. These waste products are the toxins.
Candida albicans is a beneficial yeast that helps your body to digest food in the intestines. However, there is a dark side to this as well. Candida absolutely loves sugar. It has other foods it prefers, but sugar is the biggie. And if you give candida too much sugar, it grows into a living, breathing monster.
First it sends tiny fingers through the lining of your intestines and into the bloodstream. There it takes over parts of your body little by little. Scary, isn’t it? Well, candida is a living organism, so when it consumes your lunch, it gives off waste. That waste is your toxin.
But candida isn’t the only parasite stealing your nutrients. Parasites come in many shapes and sizes, from microscopic to tapeworms of up to 50 feet long. Did you know a tapeworm can live up to 20 years? Ugh! Don’t get me going about how parasites steal away the best years of your life.
Parasites such as tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms and giardia invade the body and eat your food before you get a chance at it. These parasites also give off waste, and again, their waste is your toxin.
Even the byproducts of your own digestion produce toxins. For example, it takes about 12 hours to digest meat. During this time, the meat putrefies in the digestive system, producing toxins. Likewise, dairy and eggs require the same 12 hours for digestion.
What Can We Do?
So with all the toxins, external and internal, entering our systems, it’s a wonder we can even be alive at all.
Perhaps that life is simply being shortened…
Consider disease, for example. Toxins are known to be the catalyst for most diseases. The ones that we don’t know about will probably be discovered later. So if diseases are known to be more prevalent in people with certain known toxins, such as the link between altzheimer’s disease and aluminum, doesn’t it make sense to reduce your toxic load?
It certainly makes sense to me! And now that you know "What are Toxins?", and you know the cause and effect of toxins in your body, maybe it’s time you look into ways to detox your body as well. You’ll find pages in this site that explain different toxins and their effects, as well as foods, supplements, and teas that will help you eliminate toxins from your system.
Take a look around. Find one thing you can do that will make a difference and incorporate it into your life. After you’ve made that one change, choose another. Soon you’ll begin to see a difference in the way you feel and the way you look.
Thanks for stopping by, and…here’s to a new you!
