Things to consider before you detox!
This time of the year always brings the need for a spring detox!But before you go out and buy your next 'detox' kit , I wanted to go over a few things with you that you should be aware of (in a mum voice).Firstly, your body is CONSTANTLY detoxing. We have 5 main organs that are involved in the detoxification process:
- Your lungs- We breathe in toxins (air pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides etc. ), but we also breathe a lot of the bad stuff out too.
- Kidneys- These little guys act as a filter system. If they are suffering, you will definitely know about it!
- Your bowels- Regular bowel motions eliminate toxins. Our bile binds to these toxins and then we poop them away. So if your constipated....where are your toxins going? They are getting re-absorbed!!
- The liver- Your liver is SO SO busy! Blood gets filtered through the liver and toxins are being constantly removed. things like: bacteria, hormones, prescription medication, fats, coffee, alcohol etc.
- The skin- This is the last area that your body has to eliminate toxins. Sweat is the most common way toxins are released, but when your skin has rashes (if not from direct contact), acne, eczema and rosacea, this can be also due to a clogged detoxification pathway.
Generally when you embark on a detox, the standard is eliminated:
- coffee
- alcohol
- gluten
- refined sugar
- dairy
It can be quite a shock for some people. I am all for a good detox (don't get me wrong), but you need to take baby steps so you're not putting too much strain on your organs.Ensuring you have regular bowel motions is a start. There is no use supporting your detoxification process if your not able to excrete out the toxins. Usually this is rectified by the diet changes you have made, but sometimes by adding in some probiotics (strain specific for constipation) and even digestive support (such as pancreatic enzymes or hydrochloric acid), can help with regular bowel motion.Drinking filtered water not only helps your kidneys, but your also avoiding all of the little extras that are being added to your tap water. Chlorine and nitrate are some big factors here.Using activated charcoal in your regime can help bind the toxins for elimination. This can cause constipation in some people, so adequate water in take is needed.It might not be until a week or so later that you may add liver support. For some people, there genetic profile may mean they lack a few enzymes in the liver detoxification process, so caution is required. but liver support herbs such as:
- St. Mary's thistle
- Dandelion root
- Turmeric
- Fennel
- Fenugreek
Are all generally safe to consume. Amino acids are also a great addition for your liver too. As these are used in phase 2 of the liver detoxification process. Amino acids such taurine, glutathione, cysteine, glycine and methionine (to name a few) are all required for the liver to work efficiently.And a few extras?
- Dry skin brushing
- Epsom salt baths
- Sleep and rest
- Movement
I recently did a FB Live on the topic.