What if I told you your cells were eating themselves…and that this was a GOOD thing?
“Autophagy,” which translates to “self-eating” is the name of the miraculous function of our body to clean itself of damaged cells, and take out the trash within each cell. This function happens all the time, in every single cell – trillions of times each and every day!
Your body is designed to create health, and this housekeeping function is a vital part of the process to do so.
As you go about your daily life, your body is engaged in many activities that happen “under the radar,” so to speak, in that they go on without your conscious knowledge. Many of these activities produce waste byproducts.
For example, as the mitochondria that live in your cells convert the raw ingredients of the food you eat into the ATP (energy) your body runs on, natural metabolic by-products are produced which must be eliminated.
This process happens naturally and efficiently, by design. Elimination is a natural impulse and one of your body’s “hungers of health.”
There are also more overt visible eliminatory functions, such as your strong urges when it’s time to move your bowels, empty your bladder, or sneeze. This is elimination as well.
In addition, when we are truly healthy, we also recognize and are driven by the hunger to eliminate toxic people, toxic thoughts, toxic environments. We are driven to health on all levels: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
As long as we live in coherence with the nature around us, and with our own nature, this continues as it should.
But what happens when we do not eliminate as we should? How is our health affected when any one of those systems gets backed up, and instead of eliminating harmful toxins we hold onto them?
That is called disease.
Like a house that starts to smell when the kitchen trash doesn’t get taken out, our bodies start communicating to us via disease, which is the departure from health.
Many diseases begin as disrupted autophagy, or impaired elimination, such as leaky gut, hypothyroidism, cancer, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and other autoimmune conditions.
Is your body talking to you in any of the following ways? These are some common signs of an impaired elimination system:
- Bloated belly
- Skin Rash
- Acne
- High HgA1c
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Joint aches
- Itchy skin
- Tender “lymph” spots
- Disturbed sleep
- Poor immunity
- Allergies
- Lack of libido
- Overweight, especially midsection
- Gas, especially smelly
- Pronounced body odor
- Teeth grinding
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Headache
- Swollen ankles or fingers
- Dark circles
- Puffy eyes
Any of these signs can mean that you are experiencing an increased toxic load that is not being eliminated from your body as it should be.
That toxic load could be coming from exposure to such things as allergens in foods; heavy metals or environmental toxins such as pesticides, herbicides, solvents; or it could be coming from a stealth microbial imbalance from mold, yeast, bacteria or virus. There are ways to test for these things, and definitely ways to clear them from your body.
By living in congruence with your body’s design, you help to equip your body’s innate elimination systems. Here are some ways to do so:
- Eat only whole “real” foods (5-7 servings of organic nonGMO vegetables daily, and grass-fed, grass-finished MEATS and non-farm raised SEAFOOD).
- Drink clean water as free from chemicals as possible (THIS is the filter I recommend), 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily.
- Intermittent fasting (12:12 or 16:8 schedule) is great to liberate the energy usually focused on digestion to be focused on healing.
- Get enough sleep (7-9 hours daily).
- Limit exposure to EMFs and other electronics.
- Get ample time out in nature and sunlight.
- Express gratitude and practice mindfulness, every day.
- Keep your body fit: strong, balanced and flexible.
- Filter your interior air (THIS is the filter I use and recommend).
- Limit chemical cosmetic/skin care products – THIS natural skin care line gets my vote.
- Use natural cleaning products, for your skin and also your laundry – THIS is the laundry soap we use.
- Get out of plastics, which contain hormone disrupters. Use glass or stainless steel instead.
- Dry brush your skin before bathing – circular motions towards your armpits.
- Keep your bowels regular – fully evacuate your bowels at least once every day (ample water consumption and a “Squatty Potty” can help; stay away from laxatives. If this is a challenge for you, please reach out. If you need some natural temporary help, I do stock healthy options).
- Breath work is fantastic at moving out toxins. Daily deep breathing exercises should be part of your routine.
- Infrared dry SAUNA can be a great tool to incorporate (if you’re new to that, begin slowly and do not overdo).
The goal is to live in peace and happiness, in congruence with your body’s needs. Your body wants to create health, not disease. Trust that it knows what to do if you give it what it needs, and keep from it what it harms it.
Your partner in health,
Dr. Wade Binley
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