I’ve come to loathe the term detox.
It’s all too often associated in our modern, band-aid-fix of a world with the exact ideas that cause us more harm than good. It has a visual idea to many of removing "bad" from our bodies and of people "going on a detox" to "flush out toxins."
You might not know however, that as a living, breathing human, you are detoxing – at this very moment in fact. It’s an incredibly complex and impressive system that involves cells, tissues, organs and whole body systems.
Yes there are practices we can do, or not do, which support this natural process. However, that need not necessarily include expensive products and programs. Certainly not the ones that don’t come along with a highly qualified practitioner and individualised support.
Don’t be fooled by clever marketing terms – thinking that detoxing is only possible when the packet says so. It's simply not true.
WHY ARE OUR BODIES DETOXING ALL THE TIME?
Wouldn’t it be better to just do it for 7 days? And what about really healthy people, why are they needing to detox?
Our bodies detox because our bodies always want homeostasis – that being the best possible state that we can live and thrive in. And irrespective of your conscious food and drink intake, each of us has an extraordinary number of molecules that require detoxification.
DETOXIFICATION = FILTERING AND REMOVING CHEMICALS AND TOXINS UNNEEDED IN THE BODY
And examples are not always what you might think of: hormones are detoxed in the body, as are neurotransmitters like adrenaline, bacteria and toxins from our own cells, in addition to what you may usually think of - caffeine, pharmaceutical drugs and alcohol.
When our detox processes are working efficiently in the body, we can also expect to experience optimal digestive health, sound sleep, good moods, clear skin…..
Better than the opposite right?
So when you think of detox as the incredible physiological process that it is, as opposed to some type of restrictive program where you eat air for a week – you’re more likely to have strong and effective detoxification in the body. Because like everything with our body, extremes from week to week, say in this case – 7 days of drinking, smoking and eating, followed by a 7-day fast – are not supportive in the short or long term.
They’re not how we experience true and lasting health and happiness.
HOW DO YOU SUPPORT NATURAL DETOX IN THE BODY?
You can think of this in two ways:
- Reduction
- Increase
There’s really obvious things you can do to support natural detox in the body, for instance reducing the number of burdens that you consciously consume.
*I say consciously because worrying ourselves sick about everything we’re possibly exposed can be more damaging.
This could include reducing how much alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes and recreational drugs you consume. It can also include reducing, or learning to better manage the stress in your life. And considering your daily exposure to pollution, chemicals and plastics.
And then there’s the additional items that we can include or increase our exposure to that help support natural detox processes in the body. Include these foods and ideas [ complete list below ] not for one week or one month, though as part of your ongoing life. Shift your thinking to support your health from the inside-out, as part of your everyday existence and you'll find it's not only easier though also more effective, longer-lasting and enjoyable!
My Liver Detox Toolkit that you'll find below, is not about one food or one practice because as I've shared, that doesn't work in the long-term and isn't what health is about. Rather what you'll find in this toolkit are the practical and sustainable ways that you can support what's going on your body, today, tomorrow and everyday after that.
LIVER DETOX TOOLKIT
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Include cruciferous and sulphur-containing vegetables in your diet where the glucosinolate compounds within these foods help to support a natural detoxification pathway in the body. Onion, garlic, leek, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale and radish are all examples that you can include in your daily veg intake. This Green Detox Soup includes a whole heap of exactly these veggies and is delicious so get making!
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Alkalinity in the body which can be thought of the opposite to acidic. And it's also as simple as this - increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and you're increasing your alkalinity which further supports natural detox processes in the body.
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Fibre helps to "mop up" toxins and move them out of the body so look to include naturally high-fibre foods as part of your daily diet. This includes all fruit and vegetables, as well as wholegrains and legumes too.
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Simple as it sounds, water really is magic and seeing as every biochemical reaction in the body occurs in water, having adequate amounts is crucial! Reflect on your water intake and where needed, increase to approximately 30ml/kg of your bodyweight per day.
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Antioxidants, particularly Vitamins A, C and E are crucial to support what can be considered the "end products" of our liver detoxification. Having enough in our diet, ensures we can combat the possible oxidative stress that occurs when these end products are floating around too long. Vitamin A - think of your orange veg such as carrots and sweet potato, Vitamin C - think of strawberries, citrus and even broccoli (so double bang for your buck - see first point above on cruciferous veg!) and for Vitamin E - think spinach, capsicum, sunflower seeds and almonds.
Of course we're all remarkably and wonderfully unique individuals. Should you feel this list isn't comprehensive enough or you'd prefer a supportive and tailor-made plan for you and your life - I'd love to work with you and am currently taking enquires for appointments commencing September 2018.
Send me an email [hello@nadiafelsch.com].
