We live in world of ever-increasing toxicity.  It comes from our food in the form of agro-chemicals, it’s put in our drinking water.  We lather it on our bodies every morning when we ‘clean’ ourselves - it’s in the air, our homes… it’s everywhere.

So chances are pretty darn good your body is doing the big job of cleaning up this bombardment of toxicity on a daily basis.  If our exposure is high and the gunk is accumulating, then our bodies start to struggle and show signs and symptoms that it could use a little help.  That’s what symptoms are - your body’s way of saying, “hola - we have a problem here that needs some attention, thanks...”  

So what do we do? We reach for the panadol to quieten that body up.  But if ignored, the issue will compound until our body starts screaming and yelling at us, because we’re not listening and taking action. This can look like a diagnosis of something gnarly like autoimmune disease or cancer.

And we don’t want that.  So let’s start listening.

Here are 10 signs your body could use a little help getting the gunk out of it’s trunk :-)

1. Moodiness and Crankiness:  When our bodies are toxic, they aren’t functioning properly.  Period.  All kinds of systems start to break down and this includes our sleep, hormones, and brain function.  No wonder you’re moody, bro!  Being toxic doesn’t feel good - but because it’s insidious, and can change us slowly over time, we think cranky is the ‘new normal.’ But it’s not.

2. Fatigue:  This isn’t the kind of tired you feel after working hard all day - this is the kind of tired that doesn’t seem to go away and that stays with you even after a good eight hours sleep.

3. Skin issues like Acne, Rosacea, and Eczema:  Our skin is one of the main pathways of detoxification and elimination. In other words, it’s one of the main ways our body gets the crap out - through our skin. If the pathway is having symptoms then you know you need to be cleaning that up.  Your skin health is also closely related to your liver function and your digestion - other detox champions. 

4. Resistance to Weight Loss:  If you’ve attempted to lose weight several times and can’t seem to meet your ideal no matter how hard you try, it’s a sign of toxicity in the body which is likely linked to the balance of your hormones.  Also many toxins are stored in our body’s fat.

5. Bad Breath or Strong Body Odour:  If you are smelly all over - it’s time to clean up the funk!  When you detox and introduce healthy foods into your diet, you will notice a significant change in your body’s fragrance :-)

6. Brain Fog and Inability to Stay Focussed: If your body is all gunked up, so is your brain.  Add some insomnia and hormonal imbalance and you start feeling a little zombified.

7. Headaches: Everyone knows how your head feels after a big night out.  That’s indicative of an increase in the body’s toxicity from alcohol.  But if you are having them frequently, it’s an indication there is a buildup of toxicity in the body.

8. Digestive Issues like Constipation or Loose Stools:  Our gut is the cornerstone of our health.  It can also be a hot seat of toxicity if we don’t look after it properly.  If you’ve had a couple of rounds of antibiotics and don’t take probiotics or eat fermented foods regularly - and have a love of carbs and sugars, then we have a problem.  A toxic problem.

9. Sleep Disturbances or Insomnia:  If you have trouble sleeping at night or frequently wake after falling asleep, then a detox can help.  Sleep is regulated by the hormone melatonin. Our bodies hormones are like a big family all working together.  Toxicity can mess them up so they start miscommunicating and we start having symptoms like insomnia.

10. Food Cravings:  If you are craving addictive foods and substances like sugar, carbohydrates, caffeine, and alcohol, it’s a sign the body is out of balance.  Doing a detox is like pushing the reset button and can be the perfect springboard for creating new healthy habits moving forward.  It’s much easier to create lifestyle changes with a lighter, cleaner body, then it is from a toxic, addicted body -that is an uphill battle not worth having.

If all of this is sounding a little scary, please don’t fret.  The good news is our bodies are extremely intelligent masterpieces, and when given clean, nutrient dense and supportive inputs, it will do the rest - cleanse, rebalance and heal.  Amazing, huh?

Written by Alison Ramsay - you can find her here.