Our Body’s Built In Cleansing System

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I recently posted an article about our Spring Cleanse & Ayurvedic De-Tox in which I outlined some details of the program and some of the reasons we recommend it. And while the very proactive approach of doing a cleanse is a good idea for keeping ourselves healthy, it turns out that our bodies are doing their own cleansing every day on their own.

Our body has the ability to clean and repair its own tissues by employing specialized cells in our immune system called macrophages. This cellular cleansing process is called autophagy, and it is a process whereby the macrophages digest and remove old and dysfunctional proteins that build up inside other cells, as well as anything that our immune system identifies as foreign.

These macrophages are large white blood cells and they are concentrated in our lymph nodes. Their job is to perform phagocytosis – locating foreign bodies and biological debris, engulfing them and then breaking them down into a form that neutralizes them and allows them to be eliminated or assimilated. Phagocytosis helps keep pathogens, old or unhealthy tissue and other potential disease causing materials from lingering in our bodies so that they don’t have the chance to make us ill.

As I mentioned, this cycle of cleansing and repairing is going on on its own all the time, but there are actions we can take to facilitate it and help it to work better.

Here are 3 things that we can do to help keep the autophagic function of our immune system working its best.

1. Fasting and/or restrictive eating

There is a lot of research which shows that fasting helps improve the ability of the macrophages to do the job of cleaning and making way for new and healthier tissue. Intermittent fasting in particular has been shown to be effective in boosting autophagy.

Here are some suggestions on how to do intermittent fasting:

The 12-16 hour daily fast: I have found this to be the easiest way to fast on a regular basis. Finish your dinner by 7pm and do not have anything to eat again until 8am the next morning. This amounts to a 12-13 hour daily fast.

The 5/2 plan: Eat whatever your normal food intake is 5 days of the week, and on then on the other 2 days eat very small meals. An example would be to have your regular meals Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and on Tuesday and Friday have only steamed vegetables or a light soup.

The 6/1 plan: Have whatever your regular meals are 6 days a week, and then completely fast from food the other day. This plan would work best for highly disciplined persons who is do not have a physically demanding job.

Bear in mind that if you decide to try one of these plans, there are CAUTIONS. 

PLEASE DO NOT FAST IF YOU ARE:

*Pregnant

*Younger than 18

*Frail or elderly

*Undergoing chemotherapy or radiation

*Dealing with hormonal diseases that require medications

*Have a history of eating disorders

***If you are not sure if intermittent fasting is appropriate for you, please discuss it with your doctor first.***

2. Exercise

When we exercise appropriately we put our body into a controlled, beneficial state of stress. When muscles are challenged with resistance, like lifting weights or doing a plank posture, it causes tiny micro-tears in our tissues. These tears stimulate minor inflammation which then triggers a cycle of cleansing and repair by the microphages. The macrophages from the lymph system then go into action, both stimulating the process of inflammation and doing the clean up of waste products left behind after the inflammation resolves.

Inflammation generally occurs in the first 24-36 hours after exercise. It typically feels like soreness or fatigue from the exercise. After 24-36 hours the body begins to lay down new collagen to both repair the established tissue and regenerate healthy new tissue. During this cycle a crew of macrophage cleaners are busy releasing soluble substances in our lymph system to remove debris, thereby making the tissue repair, regeneration and growth possible.

3. Sleep

When we sleep, our body and brain get the needed rest for recovery and rebuilding of tissue. During sleep the waste removal system of the brain, the glymphactic system, works to keep cellular debris from accumulating in the brain. The glymphatic system is a functional waste clearance pathway for the central nervous system. This pathway is composed of the cerebrospinal fluid housed in our spinal column and brain. The clearing of soluble proteins, waste products and excess extracellular fluid increases in this pathway during slow wave sleep.

*Research is being done to look into the possible role of the lymphatic system in preventing degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimers.*

In conclusion, our bodies have their own systems for “cleansing” the tissue and promoting tissue health. This system is greatly improved, as is our overall health when we avoid overeating, exercise regularly and appropriately and get enough quality sleep. And while eating right, exercising and sleeping enough are basic to human health, they’re not necessarily easy for everyone. Perhaps appreciating the amazing work our immune system does for us, day in day out, can inspire us to do our own part in keeping ourselves vibrant and well.