Most of us bathe regularly without giving a thought to cleaning our insides. But statistical correlations between environmental pollutants and disease indicate that periodic detoxification is critical to our health, says Dr. Timothy Morley, medical director of Tomorrow Medicine in Mount Kisco and White Plains.

“According to recent government-funded annual reviews of public health, 60,000 Americans die each year from air pollution, 53 million Americans drink contaminated water and 21,000 die from cancer-causing pesticides,” he says. “And pesticides aren’t the only toxins in our foods. There are also fertilizers, chemical sprays, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives.” In addition, we absorb toxins through our skin, from chemicals on our clothes, sheets and towels, he says.

Because the human body doesn’t shed all toxins, they can accumulate in soft tissues, organs and bones, Morley says. Scientists have also found that chemicals like pesticides and PCBs interfere with many aspects of metabolism, including the ability to burn calories after weight loss.

Some symptoms of toxic overload are obvious, like bad breath and gastrointestinal problems. Others are subtle, like irritability and weight gain. Regardless, the problems won’t go away by themselves, Morley says.

“The body can’t naturally detox itself, and just eating good food won’t take care of the problem either,” he says. “Detoxification needs to be done properly, through a program that’s safe, natural and effective to achieve optimal health.”

Tomorrow Medicine is located at 1133 Westchester Ave., White Plains. To schedule a complimentary consultation, call 914.615.9004. For more info visit Tomorrowmedicine.com.