How to Spot a Toxin Overload: The body is a miraculous thing. For all the body’s parts and abilities, there are corresponding systems designed to keep track of what they’re experiencing and determine whether it is helpful or dangerous so it can respond appropriately and work fluidly, as a whole.
These bodily systems – circulatory, digestive, endocrine, immune, integumentary (hair, skin, nails), lymphatic, muscular, nervous, reproductive, respiratory, skeletal, and urinary – are topics that come up frequently. In particular, when someone asks how we’re feeling, we usually point to something, a symptom, that’s affecting one or more of these systems. It makes sense – they are always there to help us check in on and “read” our bodies, giving us a sense of how well we are at any given time…and when we’re NOT okay.
What’s Happening When We’re Not Feeling Well?
When we’re under the weather, understanding systemic symptoms can help us to determine where to look for the underlying issues. Think of the last time you experienced a skin breakout, hair thinning or falling out, or nail splitting (certainly signs of ill health). Or, maybe you’ve complained of feeling sluggish, heavy, uncomfortable, or constipated. Signs like these show us there’s something deeper going on in the body…something that needs remedying. It becomes important to then explore these – to look to the organs that support our systems and keep them functioning effectively, and to take care of them when they’re showing us signs that something is “off.”
The organs help the body maintain overall health, and of course organs like the heart, brain, and lungs are responsible for some of the most fundamental functions of life. Without them, well – we wouldn’t be here! But, organs have other important responsibilities, too, like neutralizing and eliminating toxins and irritants. The organs that help most with these functions are the lungs, the skin, the digestive tract, and most importantly: the liver and kidneys. When you start tracing back the symptoms of sickness to the organs that help keep the body functioning optimally, you can start to see connections to what may be underlying weaknesses and issues. 
How Does the Body Manage When Faced with Toxins and Irritants?
The simple answer? Detoxification. One of the things the body is especially good at is getting rid of any toxic elements and chemicals that can compromise overall health. That’s a big part of what our organs are designed to do – and most of the time they’re really good at it!
But not all toxins are equal and of course, there are many factors that can affect how the body responds to them. Also, toxins don’t come from only one source. In fact, the definition of a ‘toxin’ is surprisingly broad: anything that the body doesn’t find useful or that harms its integrity. The fact is, we’re combatting toxins all the time, both internally and externally.
The most common types of toxins we all encounter regularly come from: poor diets and poor digestion, undigested food that ferments in the digestive tract and creates an acidic environment in the body, medications, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, environmental toxins like air and water pollution, smoke, pesticides, animal and insect bites, and – more and more – electromagnetic frequency and radiation (primarily from appliances and gadgets such as microwaves, cell phones, computers, wireless internet, and TVs). Did you know even negative thoughts and emotions have been shown to be toxic to our bodies if they persist long enough? They can develop into significant sources of stress which is the number one root cause of illnesses. This toxic burden is an inescapable part of modern life – and we know that can be pretty scary! But being aware of toxins in our own bodies can give us all an opportunity to fight and reduce them proactively.
When subjected to all of these forms of toxins at once – as most of us are – it’s easy to see how our bodies can become inundated with chemicals from which we need to protect ourselves. It’s also easy to understand why, even though we might be doing everything we can to sustain a healthy lifestyle and keep our toxin-fighting organs in prime condition, our bodies sometimes need help in the battle.
How Do I Know if I’m in Toxic Overload?
As we said before: the body is constantly detoxifying. Literally all the time! Our organs are designed to do just that to keep us healthy. But, we all experience toxic overload at one time or another. Who hasn’t been super stressed out and fell to a poor diet or more frequent glasses of wine? Who hasn’t experienced an illness that just seems to hang on endlessly? These are just some instances when toxic overload makes our organs’ daily battle much harder to win. Sometimes toxins that we experience daily seem to compound in an overwhelming way. Ongoing situations like this can lead to chronic toxin overexposure. Learning to identify and properly respond to toxin overload can make a huge difference in our ability to heal from it.
So, are you experiencing toxin overload? Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you have persistent brain-fog, lack of focus, mental clarity, or migraines?
- Do you frequently struggle with fatigue, muscle aches or pains, general lack of motivation, or feelings of depression that just won’t go away?
- Have you noticed an increase in body odour, foul faecal odour, pungent or bad breath?
- Are you experiencing skin reactions or acne in ways you haven’t before?
- Have you recently become newly sensitive to chemicals, fragrances, or scents?
- Have you developed new allergies of any kind?
These are just some of the common changes you might notice and they’re some of the ways your body is trying to tell you: “Help! I’ve had enough!”
When you experience symptoms like these, come to visit us – our clinic is here for you! We want to help you reactivate your body’s natural defense mechanisms so that you can experience optimal health every day. Sometimes, our organs just need a little extra help to combat the toxins facing them. We have lots of ways to help you ensure that toxins are kept at bay and that your organs are happy, healthy, and strong. Call or email us at (519) 954-7950 or info@HealthSourceIMC.com and we’ll be happy to have a detailed consultation with you to find the right pathway to your optimal health.
The Team at Health Source Integrative Medical Centre
Written By:
Michael Reid
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