May 16, 2011
Spending as much time in the tropics as we do, sometimes it’s hard to notice the seasons change. But winter has ended, and for many, this has been a crazy time of the year.
Perhaps we have just finished a hectic charter season, or maybe the boss has been living aboard for six months. Stews are exhausted, and there is a good chance your body is stressed, filled with the toxins the body creates when it’s in overdrive too long.
When most of us think of toxins, we think of things that we believe to be bad for us, like alcohol, caffeine, sugar, nicotine, saturated fats, and stress -- things we have control over. Add to the list pesticides and toxic compounds we are exposed to in our jobs, and it is no surprise that we feel overwhelmed at this time of year.
The human body is a wonderful thing. We have our own natural detox systems that prevent us from being poisoned by natural toxins. Our bodies are like the engine room of life, with all of the accompanying fuel, cooling, and exhaust systems working overtime. Here are the basics:
The liver is the first line of defense. Waste products from the digestive process and toxins pass into the liver where they are neutralized by enzymes. They become water soluble and are passed into the bowel and kidneys for excretion. If there are too many toxins to process, they are passed into the body’s fat stores where they do less damage. Beer belly, anyone? Or that last 10 pounds you just can’t get rid of? Excessive alcohol and chronic stress put a huge load on the liver.
Between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., the liver begins its cleaning program. The nervous system is stimulated and it can be the best energy of the day. Unfortunately, this is also the time when many of us punish the liver with alcohol, a hallmark of the yachting industry.
Next, the kidneys filter the blood, removing water-soluble toxins in urine. Many of us are chronically dehydrated, forcing the kidneys to work overtime. Drink lots of water, team.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and, like the liver, it produces enzymes that make some of the toxins that enter it water soluble. These enter into the blood stream and are excreted in urine and sweat. This is another reason to drink plenty of water.
The lungs remove carbon dioxide from the body and also make some toxins water soluble so they can be exhaled. Regular aerobic exercise strengthens the lungs, improves circulation, and increases the productivity of your lungs. Smoking, on the other hand, does not help your lungs in any way, shape, or form.
And we have the bowel system. After toxins are processed, they are excreted by the bowel system. If the system is sluggish, toxins can linger in the body and be reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
When toxins build up, our detox system can’t work at full capacity. The most simple and commonly experienced example of this is the hangover. If the amount of alcohol your body can process is exceeded, it starts to build up and effectively poisons the body. Symptoms include nausea, headache, and stomach upset. The symptoms will subside once the body has the chance to eliminate the toxins. Been there, done that.
Well, what’s a stew to do? For one thing, traditional detox does not work as well as we might think. When we severely limit calorie consumption, as most detox plans do, the body slows down. More toxins are pushed into fat stores, and may eventually be released into the bloodstream.
It might be better to adopt a new system of eating that gently and consistently introduces cleansing foods into our systems. In her book, Detox, Helen Foster gives 14 detox plans to fight the effects of modern life. In addition, she gives a list of the top 10 detox super foods: apple, avocado, artichoke, beet, cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli, garlic, Kiwi fruit, prunes, seaweed and watercress.
There you have it, 10 foods to help reduce your toxic load. And spring is a great time to do it. Maybe the shipyard period that follows a busy season is God’s way of helping out, giving many of us our first opportunity to rest and recover in months.
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