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Say Goodbye to Stubborn Fat

and Boost Your Energy

We all know it’s important to detox our lives from time to time, but how many of us directly connect our toxic load with how much fat we carry, especially stubborn fat?

And how many of us directly connect the toxic load we carry with our ability to get up in the morning, go to the gym or for a run, feel happy and generally make of life what we want each and every day?

The chances are that unless you’re reading this from a remote island in the south pacific enjoying natural, local and organic food, fresh clean water and air, plus a relatively stress free life then your body is topping up on toxins pretty much every day – and that can store up big trouble in your vital organs.

So how do I know if I’m toxic?

Let’s take a look at some of the big factors:

• Heavy metals like mercury – from amalgam fillings and sources like fish
• Pesticides, hormones, e-numbers, additives, preservatives and other chemicals from foods (especially processed)
• Prescription and recreational drugs
• Unclean air, inside and outside the home
• Plastics (which can be absorbed into your body)
• Stress – toxic thoughts and emotions that drain you
• Alcohol, cigarettes, coffee
• Tap water – we know not to drink tap water in certain countries, but how successful do you think your average local filtering facility is at getting everything harmful out – including heavy metals and hormones?
• A sedentary lifestyle

If you regularly come into contact with any of the above, and if you’d be happier with less stubborn body fat and a boost to your daily energy and vitality, then there’s a lot you can do.

Are toxins really related to fat loss?

Yes – often after detoxing (and at 3D Personal Training we’ve witnessed ourselves) people tend to lose a large amount of weight because toxins get stored in adipose or fatty tissue to keep them as far away from your vital organs as possible – and that means storing them wrapped in fat on the outside of your body.

This fat can be really stubborn because once those toxins are tucked away your body really doesn’t want to metabolise them back into your system, stressing your vital organs – especially if those vital organs are already toxic and struggling to process your lifestyle choices already.

When you detox your body it feels able to deal with toxins buried in your fat and metabolises it. Sweeping out those toxins can make a huge difference if you want to get trim!

And what about toxins and my energy levels?

If you want a permanently high energy level that allows you to get the most out of life day in day out, toxins can mean a no go. Good energy levels can allow you to move your body more and work out more effectively, giving you the power to alter your body shape for good.

More energy can also affect your mood, lifting your spirits, give you a spring in your step, and it can mean big benefits for your family – imagine mum and dad coming home from work having enough energy to give the kids the run-around for a change?!

Why do toxins hold the key?

Because your cellular power houses, called mitochondria, are inhibited and made dysfunctional by toxins. When you’re toxic and your power houses are offline, you’ve got less energy to work and play with.

Mitochondria generate most of your adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is an essential source of energy – you’re stopping your cells producing ATP when you’re toxic.

You can quite easily turn around the health of your mitochondria through a good detox – look after your mitochondria and they’ll give you the gift of permanently high energy levels. Just imagine what a powerful tool that can be in your life.

Toxins can also seriously clog up your digestive system – if your gut is clogged up you’re not effectively getting energy or nutrients from your food. An unhealthy gut also means your immune system is impaired, leading to more illness and still less energy. The biggest favour you can do your digestive system, your immune system and yourself is a great detox.

Freeing your digestive system from the toxic chains that inhibit it – and you – will mean a massive lift in your energy and vitality.

So how do I detoxify effectively?

Detoxifying effectively is one half of the equation, the other half is introducing the right exercise, nutrition and lifestyle choices into your life, but for now lets just talk about getting the bad stuff out.

Here are the 3D Personal Training top 10 detoxifying strategies you should be following for long term energy, vitality and fat loss:

1. Remove as many toxic sources in your life as possible:

• Reduce all consumption of processed foods especially those with e-numbers
• Install quality water filters (e.g. reverse osmosis) and air filters (many plants are great for this) into your home
• Buy natural and safe home products (especially those used to clean) and personal goods including toothpaste, make-up and so on
• Replace aluminium and Teflon cookware with cast iron, ceramic, glass or a safer alternative
• If you ride a bike in a big city, get a face mask

2. Drink plenty of clean filtered water

• Being optimally hydrated is essential for all aspects of health but especially for facilitating the chemical reactions that produce energy and sweep out those toxins. Start the day with 2 big glasses of water with a little bit of fresh lemon juice to help your liver and sip water outside of meal times throughout the day

3. Exercise regularly

• Use a combination of strength training, cardio and flexibility which will help move blood, fluid and oxygen throughout your body, cleansing it in the process. Yoga is great for detoxifying as it uses all three components and also focuses heavily on breath, which moves a lot of toxins out of your body

4. Breathe deeply

• Breath is one of the major ways of detoxifying. It’s your personal exhaust system - block your car exhaust pipe for a while and see what happens: the combustion chamber will get backed up and the engine will shut down pretty quickly. Take some time out to breathe deeply each day and it will go a long way to relaxing and energising you

5. Take a sauna

• Particularly infrared sauna’s which are considered one of the most effective and safest ways of increasing circulation and removing all kinds of harmful toxic substances. They also come in a wide variety of relatively cheap portable chair versions (check the internet)

6. Get a colonic

• This may sound a bit hardcore for many of you but cleaning out all the waste products in your colon is one quick way to flatten the abs, skyrocket your energy levels, boost your immune system, your overall health, and give you great skin

7. Start scrubbing your skin

• Your skin is the largest organ in your body - regular scrubbing will allow the process of detoxification to be more effective, and will help you achieve a vibrant healthy glow too

8. Get plenty of rest

• Did you know that between 10pm and 2am your body performs many physical repair processes? For instance gall bladder activity, which plays a major role in detoxification by releasing bile to digest fats and also cleanse your body of toxins and heavy metals, is at its peak during these times. Aim to be asleep by 10pm, particularly in winter when there’s more stress on your body

9. Using herbs and supplements

• We strongly recommend before using any herbs or supplements you consult your health practitioner, as taking them randomly can range from being plain harmful to being a waste of time, effort and money. At 3D Personal Training we use Hair Mineral Analysis (HMA) to find out what specific supplemental vitamins and minerals you need to balance your system. HMA also gives an excellent indication of heavy metals and other toxins in your system. The following products are also highly regarded for their detoxification ability: chlorella, apple citrus pectin, bentonite clay, PCA-RX, and coriander

10. Regularly take time out

• Taking time out means different things to different people, but try to take a little bit of time out each day to catch your breath and deal with mental stresses. Additionally, have at least one full day off all work each week and do those things that rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit

At 3D Personal Training our message is simple: if you want to lose fat and turn up the dial on your energy levels, you need an effective detox. Start by cutting the inflow of toxic substances, increase the outflow, and at the same time start putting some good clean stuff in.

In no time at all you’ll feel the difference, and that can have a massive impact on what you get out of life, every day. We hope you to decide to reduce your toxic load, lose some stubborn body fat and boost your energy and vitality. A good detox is an ideal way to begin.

Yours in health, 

Craig Burton and Matt Brereton-Patel.