Get started on those New Year’s Resolutions with a Detox! If you are looking to lose weight, increase energy, improve digestion, reduce pain and inflammation, or just seeking best health and prevention, a regular detox program is key!
Why consider a detox?
In our modern society, we are exposed to thousands of toxins every day. Luckily, our bodies are designed to deal with most of these and eliminate them from our system. Even when we have heavy exposure, the body has ways of packaging up and storing these toxins to keep us protected.
Environmental toxins can include simple things– things you may not think about regularly. There are, of course, some obvious toxin exposures such as food pesticides, water contaminants, air pollutants, heavy metals, and synthetic chemicals. But there are other, day-to-day toxins we often don’t think about, including fumes from new carpets, paints, that ‘new car’ smell, the hanging tree air freshener in your car, compounds in make-up, perfumes, lotions, soaps, scented candles, cleaning products, and much, much more.
Our current exposure to these compounds has greatly exceeded that of our grandparents, and it has exceeded what our bodies can keep up with today. The United States Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 80% of all illnesses have environmental and lifestyle causes. Every person is different, and what one person’s body can tolerate will be different from another. We all have some level of toxic load in our bodies; the point at which this becomes symptomatic, however, is different for everyone. There is no good way to measure what any one person’s toxic load really is. In general, our daily exposure leads to two things: unwanted inflammation that causes tissue destruction and pain; and decreased functional organ space resulting in compromised metabolic processes. This greatly raises health risks, including chronic disease.
Signs you might need a detox
The resulting symptoms of chronic inflammation and the need for a detox include:
- Headaches
- Joint and muscle aches
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
- Skin disruptions
- Gastro-intestinal complaints: heartburn, indigestion, gas & bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea
- Difficulty with weight loss
- Hormone imbalance
- And more
You may already be experiencing some of these things now, or perhaps not at all. Sometimes we don’t realize that we have symptoms until they’re gone, and only then do we notice how much better we feel.
Benefits
Detoxing as the name suggests, rids you of toxic chemical build-up from the environment, and is a great way to rejuvenate your body from the inside out. In addition to the long-term health benefits you will receive, you will also notice an immediate improvement in how you feel on a day-to-day basis.
The most common benefits included:
- Increased Energy levels
- Increased mental clarity
- Alleviation of headaches
- Improved sleep
- Improved gut health
- Reduced joint and muscle pain
- Increased flexibility
- Improved gastrointestinal functioning
- Regular bowel movements that are well formed and easy to pass
- Alleviation of gas and bloating
- Alleviation of heartburn and indigestion
- Resolution of skin rashes
- Improved skin complexion
- Improved PMS symptoms
- Reduction in Hot Flashes
Ready to get started on achieving your health goals?! Here’s what you need to know:
Key components of detoxing
Any good detoxification program aims to eliminate build-up of compounds contributing to inflammation and blocking normal function. To achieve this, you want to decrease the amount of exposure coming in and increase the amount of toxins going on. There are several ways to achieve this as outlined below.
Reduce input of toxins
Reduce your exposure to chemical compounds including perfumes, dyes and cleaning agents (non-toxic, hypo-allergenic cleaning agents are ok). Eat a hypo-allergenic/anti-inflammatory diet for 3 weeks:
Foods To Consume
- Organic lean meats: chicken, turkey, fish
- Organic, grass fed beef in moderation
- Organic eggs
- Beans
- Vegetables: leafy greens, asparagus, brussel sprouts, carrots, sweet peppers, etc.
- Fruit: cherries, berries, apples, pears, oranges, etc.
- Gluten-free grains
- Nuts and seeds: walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, etc. (no peanuts)
- Fats and oils: avocados, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil
Foods To Avoid
- Gluten and gluten-containing grains (see handout of gluten-containing products)
- Read labels this is often an added product, especially in gluten-free products
- Soy, including edamame, tofu and tempeh
- Dairy: cow and goat products – butter, milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
- Peanuts and peanut butter (other nuts are allowed)
- Cane sugar (natural sugars such as honey, maple syrup and stevia or allowed)
- Artificial sweeteners: sucralose, maltodextrin (from corn), saccharin, aspartame
- Coffee
- Alcohol of any kind
- Processed and packaged foods
- Fried foods
Maximize output of toxins
The body has 5 natural pathways to eliminate toxins. The goal is to support and maximize these pathways to help the detoxification of the body.
- Liver is the processing plant of the body and supporting liver function is a key component to a healthy and successful detox program, and overall, important to rid your body of toxins.
- Bowels remove excrement that consists of food wastes as well as waste products dumped by the liver. Fiber will support the biding of dumped liver toxins and the evacuation of the bowels.
- Kidneys filter toxins and waste products thru the urine. It is important to consume plenty of water to encourage this process.
- Skin also releases toxins through sweat and exfoliation. Regular exercise to increase sweating (as well as metabolism) and saunas are great to encourage this process. You can also exfoliate regularly to encourage cell turn-over.
- Lungs also excrete waste in gas form. CO2 being the common waste product that we know. Deep breathing exercises will encourage the use of this organ as an elimination pathway. Additionally, deep breathing exercises also stimulate lymphatic flow. The lymph system is analogous to the city sewer pipes. Encouraging lymphatic flow supports drainage of the lymphatic system.
Supplementation
The use of supplements can be helpful in supporting the liver, and the body’s natural ability to break down and clear toxins from the body. You can certainly use food-based nutrition with lots of fresh veggies and green juices as well. For maximum results we recommend additional support to keep those detox pathways open. Think of it like bringing more workers to the assembly line, you’ll get higher production.
When choosing supplements, it’s important to know what you are getting. Lots of supplements can have fillers and contaminants that are not listed on the bottle. To help ensure you are getting the most potent and purist quality of supplement, look for products with the GMP certification.
Product recommendations
We recommend our KOI Paleo MediCleanse 21-Day Detox Kit. This includes individually wrapped servings of protein shakes containing essential nutrients for detoxification along with individually wrapped pill packs for added support. It also includes a full packet of information on diet and lifestyle tips and 2 of our Detox Nutrient Injections.
Additional supportive supplements can include Probiotics, Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Fiber.
All these products are available in our storefront retail space. Stop by or call today to speak with one of our health professionals, who can answer all your questions and make specific recommendations for your health goals.
