To Detox, or not to - that’s the question
It’s Spring, and you might be feeling this urge to clean your fridge out, your cabinets, and your closet. But in that, you might also feel this need to clean out your gut a little. Are you asking yourself, “Should I cleanse?”, “Am I detoxing like I should?”, “Is intermittent fasting for me?”, or “What on earth is a detox?” - or something like this? Then, this blog post is for you!
As the seasons shift and the weather changes, our diet does too. We eat lighter, fresher in the warmer months as the food was always more readily available from farm to table for most of us in the northern hemisphere. There might be some really important reasons why we do this, aside from what was available. It could be what was hiding in the food too! Come, let’s explore some more.
Is your ‘check engine light’ on?
What do I mean? I mean that if you’re finding you’ve been ignoring your body until the warmer weather woke you up and you feel less like yourself, then you might feel like you’ve neglected your health over the cold months and your ‘check engine light is on’. Take this quiz to see if paying closer attention to detoxification and your health is in order:
TAKE THE QUIZ
How did you do?
If you scored:
0-3 - You’re doing great and keep at it. Focus on exercise, ample water, detoxifying your mind, and ensuring you’re eating a diet rich in antioxidants (colourful fruits and vegetables) plus fibre-rich legumes, whole grains and nuts and seeds.
4-5 - There’s a few ways you can improve your gut health and perhaps, lower inflammation. If you’re open to suggestions, I suggest you start with understanding the gut microbiome first before getting in too deep. Watch my free masterclass.
6-7 - Hmmm, time to get serious about your gut health. If you ticked ‘yes’ to every question, then it’s time to sit down and take your health very seriously. You can book your free strategy call here.
For my 5’s, 6’s, and 7’s
If you scored a whopping 5, 6, or 7, then it’s time to consider what your body needs in terms of detoxification. Think about it this way, we have our very own detoxification systems built right in, one is known as the liver. But if something isn’t working right or we’re exposed to too much toxicity (yes, emotional toxicity & stress can weigh us down just as much as chemical toxins), then we may need to assist the detoxification process.
If you had a score over 4, you’ll likely wondering “now what?”. Let’s take a deeper dive, shall we?
DETOX? Cleanse? Not so fast
Let’s weigh out the pro’s & con’s of detoxing and cleansing
Detox
In short, detoxing the body focuses on removing toxins. This process is usually a bit longer than a cleanse and is intended to eliminate the toxins from cells and tissues.
Generally, detoxing is a diet that focuses on assisting in weight loss, removing toxins and can perhaps be short in duration (3-15 days). One common detox that’s cheap and simple is the water + lemon juice + apple cider vinegar + cayenne pepper. The claims are that you’ll shed weight and light up the cells in your body. The truth is, you’ll hydrate. Drinking this tonic first thing in the morning can encourage your bowels to move.
TRUTH: If moving your bowels is the goal, warm water or herbal tea will work equally as well. There’s no harm in the lemon juice to alkalize your stomach.
PROS
low in calories, promotes quick weight loss
easy to follow
short-term results
habits can be reset
can help you to determine what’s causing your digestive system distress
CONS
restrictive
focuses on reducing water retention, can dehydrate the body
may disrupt an already dysfunctional digestive system
can be expensive
energy-restrictive
lacks scientific evidence
CLEANSE
The ultimate goal in a cleanse is to clean the digestive tract. Marketed as giving the body a “rest” from what ails it can be misleading at times. Intent is to support the digestive system as a whole, not the entire body.
Unlike detoxes, cleanses focus on the digestive system and “cleaning out the intestines” more than anything. Ideal for situations that need some gut-nurturing cleaning, such as ridding the body or pathogens. Or perhaps when you have to prepare for, I dunno, a coloscopy.
But gentle is of the utmost importance in a cleanse. The thin lining protecting our gut can be easily damaged with harsh cleaning and for people experiencing tummy woes, they may already have intestinal impermeability (aka ‘leaky gut’). Care must be given with the foods selected and the reasons surrounding the cleanse. And rest is a must. Juice cleanses prevail on the market. While juicing provides the body with ample liquids, they can be costly and fibre is stripped from the fruits and vegetables. So, if the goal of a cleanse is to clean out the digestive system, fibre should be a part of it. Fibre will encourage good gut flora as well as beginning the training for motility in the bowels.
TRUTH: Cleanses can become addicting to those wishing to rid their body of excess weight or bloating.
PROS
may reduce bloating
may encourage bowel regularity
may help to shed parasites or an overgrowth of gut microbes (yeast, bacteria, fungus)
can help you to determine what’s causing your digestive system distress
CONS
restrictive
can cause frequent bowel movements
can be expensive
energy-draining
may strip your body of nutrients and good gut flora
lacking scientific evidence
Where to go next
If you took the quiz and had a score over 4, you’ll likely wondering “now what?”. Let’s take a deeper dive, shall we?
First, if you’re not familiar with the body’s detoxification process that takes part in the liver, please indulge in the science and investigation with me here.
Really, your feelings and your body come first. But I wanted to get the science out of my mouth. I am a Sagittarius after all and require a good ‘blurt’ now and again. Bloating, gas, aching muscles, headaches, brain fog, mood changes, anxiety, overwhelm, distress, depression, foul smell, bad breath. These are signs that your body is trying to detoxify
Understanding what is causing the toxic build-up in your body is next. It could take some testing to figure out what’s causing the heavy metals, molds, or endotoxins. But for those of us that are truly in tune with our bodies, we already know what it is. Want help figuring it out? Book your free strategy call with me.
“Before you start any cleanse, fast or detox process, start with these 7 steps.”
If you already know what’s causing a build-up or blockage in your body, let’s investigate.
Detoxes and classes aren’t for everyone. In fact, you can do more harm than good. If you’re not addressing the root cause and following the detox to a tee, you could either find it to be ineffective or damaging to your health. I always recommend speaking with a registered and qualified health professional that understands your personal needs. Following along with some instagrammy guru that has zero credentials, training, or care in the world could be very scary for your health, or your ego at the least.
7 foundational steps to clearing your detox pathways
Before you start running out to detoxify your liver, let’s start with the foundation. These 7 steps can have you feeling well, regardless if the source of your root cause. But know your body first and foremost.
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Get a journal! I mean it. Document your starting point. Write down what you ate, how you felt after eating it. Write about your appetite and activity, include the weather and how it made you feel.
Speaking about feelings, include some thoughts on your stress levels, relationships, work, school, home, etc.
Sign up for my on-demand MASTERCLASS and score the goodies from the event. There’s a HABIT TRACKER in the goodie bag that can help you get on your way. If you truly want to see change in your body, documenting your process is a non-negotiable (for me, anyhow).
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Switching to a less-toxic lifestyle. Where can you replace some GMO and pesticide laden foods with organic non-GMO fresh and frozen foods? If you’re into it, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen. The EWG publishes a new list each year, listing the dozen fruits & veg most likely to be dirty or laden with toxins compared to their clean 15 cousins.
I’m going to recommend some foods on the Dirty Dozen list, so please choose from a local small farmer, grow your own, or shop in the organic section.
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Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. And don’t miss a beat. Keep it varied. Keep it interesting and plentiful. This includes hydration! And I cannot emphasize enough the importance of eating sulfur-rich foods such as the cruciferous vegetables, onions, leeks, garlic, and legumes. Check out my recipes for a variety of colour, diversity, and nutrient-dense plant-based nutrition.
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Adopt a healthy lifestyle with daily exercise, mind work, spiritual work. And take out, avoid or reduce some toxic lifestyle habits, i.e. alcohol, smoking, emotionally toxic relationships.
If a relationship is a struggle for you, I highly recommend a psychologist, therapist, or social worker. Trust these professionals to help you cope with situations better. They’re the experts and can provide you with the tools.
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Supplement as needed. Most of us lack some vitamins and minerals (magnesium is a common one) in our diet due to lifestyle, nutrition, or genetics. It can also be an absorption issue that might have a root cause.
Talk with your favourite health professional (wink wink) about which supplements might be right for you.
If you’re looking to save some money on your supplement recommendations, send me a message and we can set up a free Fullscript account for you, and I’ll share a discount with you for all future orders.
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Protect your liver. It may seem simple if you’re following a healthy plant-rich diet, avoiding alcohol, drugs and smoking. But toxicity can come in the form of emotionally toxic relationships, including the ones we have with our selves!
Self love is really important and so is including time in the day for you. Just you. Looking after yourself like you deserve to be held and honoured.
Let’s not forget about stress. Hello! We all experience it in life. No one ever survives their life without being challenged by a healthy dose of stress now and again. And yes, it can catch up to you many years later, after the big “stress-event” occurred. The body knows how to keep the score.
So, what does “protect your liver” mean? Put on your emotional armour, practice joy, experience love, give love to yourself, restore your mind, breathe, and join me for a Happy Heart session (you can learn more here).
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When the seasons change, clean out your cupboards and toss out what no longer serves you. Hint: Don’t do this while hungry.
It can also be a time for some cleansing herbs in your routine. Milk thistle is a go-to, but not for everyone. Before you run out to get some supplements, sharing your full medical and holistic health history with a trusted health care professional is crucial! Don’t DIY your way through this. You have a support team. :)
However, I bet you came here to find out what to eat…
In summary, we have the usual suspects:
Lots of soluble fibre to promote bile secretion. I recommend oats, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds. One of my favourites is flaxseed here to ensure any excess estrogen (that comes with hormone cycles, menopause and peri-menopause - especially with an imbalance in estrogen/progesterone levels) can leave the body. Flaxseed is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids for some brain health protection too.
Anti-oxidant rich foods: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, citrus fruits (minus that grapefruit), turmeric, beans, beets, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, dark chocolate (check out some tasty & vegan ways to get your dose), most nuts and seeds, artichokes, asparagus, kale, cabbage.
Protect the liver from further damage with high sulphur foods: legumes, garlic, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts.
Eat as organic and local as possible. If you grow your own food, even better!
Hydrate!
At the end of this, if you’re still experiencing trouble, then it’s time to talk. There are a few recommendations and herbal solutions I can suggest that may assist you with your journey. I want you to take my FREE advice first and foremost. Through this you will learn to trust your body more, feel what it’s meant to feel and possibly eliminate the toxins.
Following a lifestyle that you can manage is important. No crash diets, no harsh cleanses and gentle detoxification is how I like to work with clients. If it’s not sustainable, we won’t incorporate the change to your life. If it’s one step at the time, you’re more likely to stick with it. That’s why the process can take time and it need not be expensive. With a proper consultation (not DM’ing one-off questions) and a personalized protocol, you are well on your way to your healthiest version of you!
Want to learn more about the liver and how it detoxifies toxins? Continue on in the Liver Detox series with this next blog post >>>>
