Aaahhh the infamous detox. Over the past several years, we’ve heard many opinions around the subject. Some people swear by an annual detox, others think it’s pseudoscience. The truth—there’s a major benefit to periodic cleansing that’s hard to dispute…
Cleansing breaks your daily cycle. By creating space between you and your dietary habits, you can reflect and reevaluate your lifestyle and attitude. By shifting your perspective with a cleanse, you have room to make purposeful and lasting changes.
What you should know about cleansing?
First and foremost, know that the word cleanse/detox is a general one. As the wellness industry has grown in recent years, many companies have commodified the idea of detoxification. Now you can find various detox products– drinks, foods, supplements, etc.– that claim they will rid your body of toxins and impurities. It’s important you understand exactly what a product does in your body…how is it working? Is it cleansing a specific organ, helping to repair tissue, reducing inflammation, clearing mucus and congestion? Be wary of ‘detox’ products that don’t provide any specific information about how the detoxification process works or any evidence of its claims.
There are countless ways to cleanse. Drinking warm water with lemon every morning is a kind of mini cleanse…this drink breaks your fast and flushes the kidneys. Mental cleanses involve eliminating external stimuli like television and social media, and allowing yourself a few days to slow down and focus on your own thoughts and emotions.
Detoxification Explained
In general, detoxication is a period of specific dietary and lifestyle changes that minimize toxin consumption and maximize toxin elimination. A simple detox can consist of increasing your water intake, while decreasing your intake of sugar, refined-flour, dairy, process foods, fats, and caffeine–ultimately improving elimination and decreasing toxin accumulation in your body. During this period, focus on drinking filtered water, organic herbal teas, eating organic fruits and vegetables, and other alkaline whole foods that help shift your body from acidic to alkaline. Get plenty of sleep and try to minimize stress during this time. Allow your body a break from the day-to-day.
Your Guide to a Super Simple detox:
–Duration: Typically 7-21 days to fully benefit from the process. You may also periodically do 3-day “weekend” cleanses that make you more conscious of your dietary habits and reconnect you with your body.
–Eliminate: Drugs (except necessary prescriptions), cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, hydrogenated fats, high-fat non-organic meats, fried foods, processed sugar (sweets), refined flour (no breads or baked good), dairy
–Diet: Drink plenty of filtered water, herbal teas, and eat fruits and vegetables. You can also eat whole grains, millet, rice, sprouted seeds, and legumes in moderation. Eat organic whenever possible. Eat lightly during this period to avoid overtaxing your body with digestion. Try to eat smaller meals more often throughout the day. Try to eat your last meal three hours before bed.
–Lifestyle: Sleep well. Sweat in a sauna or steam. Exercise lightly with yoga or a brisk walk. Meditate daily. Avoid stressful situations whenever possible by minimizing conflict and time spent around negative people or media.
–Supplements: Milk Thistle & Dandelion
During the first couple days of a detox, you may experience symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, or mild aches and pains…almost as if a flu is coming on. These are normal symptoms of the body beginning the detoxification process and are typically gone by the third day. These are mild symptoms and should not cause you significant discomfort, but if you feel concerned with anything you experience, consult your doctor. It is usually recommended to begin a detox on a Friday, so you can rest over the weekend if you do experience any symptoms.
Safely Detoxing: It is completely safe for a healthy person to go on a detoxification diet. However, if you have heart problems, are underweight, struggle with extreme fatigue, poor circulation, have a chronic or significant illness, recently undergone surgery, or are pregnant, consult a qualified physician before beginning any kind of detox, even a mild one. Releasing too many toxins in a short period can burden an already taxed body, so work with a doctor to make sure you are caring for your body’s particular needs.
