You can eat anything you want, but it doesn’t mean you will be nourished. Healthy foods will help provide vitamins and minerals, but unhealthy foods will actually keep you from absorbing them.
How Do We Absorb?
Unless you’re on an IV, there are really two main ways we absorb nutrients (and toxins.) One way is through our gut, and another is through our skin. So, it makes sense to be mindful of what we eat and what we place on our skin.
Of course, there are components in the water and air, which we absorb. Unfortunately, we don’t always have as much control over those. We do, however, have choices about what we ingest through our stomach and wear on our skin.
Our Digestive System
Our digestive system is complex. It’s responsible for many functions including breaking down our foods and then using it or discarding it. If the system is working properly, it will absorb nutrients and dispose unusable products and toxins and send them away as waste.
Our gut is full of bacteria, hopefully, more good than bad. When gut flora is out of balance, it doesn’t matter how healthy the foods are that we eat. If we are unable to absorb the nutrients, then it all goes to waste, literally. This is where probiotics and keeping our digestive system healthy through mindful living is essential.
Our Largest Organ: Skin
Just about everything you place or rub on your skin, absorbs into your bloodstream. This includes make-up, lotion, sunscreen, bug spray, and perfume, among others. If these products are not manufactured with organic, natural, plant-based elements, they are most likely toxic.
Your actual skin may not have a reaction to these chemicals, but internally pollution is rising.
Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Kelle Kleingartner, suggests avoiding these 5 ingredients when purchasing skin care or cosmetic products:
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Triclosan
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Parabens
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Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
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Phthalates/Synthetic fragrances
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Formaldehyde
Unfortunately, many skin care products that use these chemicals do not include them on the label. Other times, they are disguised by fancy names. All of the above are toxic and will affect us negatively, internally, eventually.
How Can We Absorb the Good Stuff?
The first thing is to make sure that your pipes are clean. An overload of bad food along with unsavory chemicals creates toxicity in your system. Then, you get “clogged” up.
Clogging creates fat cells. Your body wants to keep toxins away from your vital organs, so it sends them to adipose tissues. Clogging also results in headaches, joint pain, inflammation, hormone imbalance, and other pesky disorders and disease.
Unclogging requires a combination of stopping and starting. Stop: smoking, wearing poisonous cosmetics and skin products, drinking too much alcohol and coffee, and eating processed, refined foods and sugars.
Sounds overwhelming? If it seems too tough to do all at once, remove the most toxic items first. Even just cut down on a few. A 30-day nutritious food detox program can give you the support you need without throwing your body into shock. Be kind to yourself.
Our bodies are miraculous. They have incredible healing capacity.
Start: drinking water all day long. Practice methods to keep your stress levels to a minimum. Eat whole, organic, fresh produce, fish, lean meats, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and ancient grains. Exercise daily, with moderate to strenuous levels three-times-a-week.
Once you’ve unclogged, your body can absorb all the good things you offer it. Your immune system will be boosted; your serotonin levels increased, and overall you should have clear and pure energy.
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