Detoxing your body brings numerous health benefits. It will boost your immune system – you’ll be far less susceptible to colds and minor infections – and allow your liver, kidneys and bowels to work more efficiently. In the long term, by regularly detoxing your body, you greatly reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and arthritis.

What is detoxing?

Detoxing is the way your body gets rid of potentially harmful chemicals (toxins). It’s a process that goes on all the time, thanks to your body’s processing machinery, or detoxifiers. In fact. your body is designed to cope with toxins. The problem arises when you lake in more toxins than your body can handle, or your body’s detoxifiers cannot carry out their job quite as well as they should. Your system becomes overloaded and you develop all sorts of symptoms including bloating, lack of energy and dull skin. That’s when you need to give your body a helping hand: when it’s time to embark on the detox diet.

What are toxins?

Toxins are substances that are capable of harming your body. These substances can be naturally produced in the body (like carbon dioxide) or they can enter your body from the air you breathe, the food and drink you consume or as chemicals absorbed through your skin.

In fact, you probably don’t realize that you are bombarded by toxins every day. These come from pollutants in the air, cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes, detergents, household chemicals and toxic metals in the environment such as mercury and lead. And then there’s the cocktail of pesticide residues and artificial additives in your food as well as the toxins found in alcohol, caffeine, drugs and medications. So now you know why that detoxing your body on a regular basis is an important part of your healthy lifestyle.