The Down & Dirty of Detox

Detox:

noun

/ˈdētäks/

1. a process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances; detoxification.

   "he ended up in detox for three months"

verb

/dēˈtäks/

1. abstain from or rid the body of toxic or unhealthy substances.

   "he checked into a hospital to detox"

I really hate the word detox. It conjures up images of skinny girls slurping down disgusting drinks or fasting, both of which can often do more harm than good if you don’t know what you are doing.

If you read my post from a few weeks ago (and who are we kidding, I know you read it!), you know that most of us are not feeling great-we are tired, bloated, experiencing brain fog, and not sleeping well.

Enter in detox.

True detoxification is a natural process that is completed by our lymph, kidneys, blood, liver, and skin (thank you sweat!).

When our systems can no longer keep up with the toxic load that all of us are bombarded with on the daily, our normal biological and physiological functions are impacted.

We detox to naturally rid our body from the load of toxins we are exposed to everyday-from plastics in our food (yes-gross), to gasoline, to pesticides literally everywhere. And our body is actually really good at this… until it’s not.

And let me tell you this, if you are not sweating regularly or pooping 2-3 times a day, your draining pathways are not working properly and therefore you are not able to detoxify. Period.

There are many ways to support our detox pathways-exercising is an excellent one. Eating cruciferous vegetables is another. Yet often for so many of us, especially if you were born after 1980 when pesticide use skyrocketed, we have neglected these pathways for so long, that we more of a jump start than just diet and exercise alone can provide.

If you are anything like I was, you are working out and eating well (most of the time) and yet still struggling to feel your best.

Our detoxification systems is incredibly important for supporting our overall health AND requires a TON of nutrients from cysteine to zinc and when deficient, it means our detox system is functioning at a disadvantage. 

There are two things that have to happen in conjunction in order for our detoxification system to work at its best: 

1. We need to reduce and eliminate as many toxins as possible. This includes from our food, our water, our air, and the products we use around the house. This will "lighten the load" on our liver and allow it to work more efficiently. 

2. We need to eat a widely diverse diet and supplement as needed. Many of the nutrients required for the liver are things not found in the traditional diet: marshmallow root and milk thistle. However there are TONS of foods we can eat more of including pasture raised meat, B vitamins from things like quinoa and almonds, antioxidants from colorful foods like berries, broccoli (especially broccoli sprouts), garlic, and turmeric. Zinc is ESSENTIAL and can be found in cashews, dark meat chicken, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, and red meat. Magnesium is also required. 

Signs your detox pathways are not working optimally:

• Clammy hands
• Depression
• Difficulty tolerating exercise
• Digestive symptoms
• Disturbed sleep
• Extreme fatigue/brain fog
• Fluid retention
• Headaches
• Itchy skin
• Hormonal issues
• Autoimmune disease
• ADHD/Autism
• Allergies
• Mold reactions/MCAS
• Elevated triglycerides
• Gallbladder issues
• Skin issues (eczema, etc)
• Anger 

To work on your detoxification processes, the toxins also have to have a place to go. 

1. You HAVE to be having daily bowel movements. No exceptions. If you aren't, start there. Use motility stimulating herbs or enemas, but get pooping. 

2. You HAVE to be sweating. Some toxins, such as mold, exit better from the skin. Sweating is not optional, so find a way to make that happen and then do it 5x/week. And then shower, because if you don't, you'll just reabsorbed all those lovely toxins your body just kicked out. 

Detox is something I dig into with my clients in Reclaim Your Metabolism because if you are trying all the things and can't lose weight, there is almost always a detox problem we have to address.  

Questions? Ask! This is ONE of my favorite (I do have many) topics to talk about so don't hesitate.