3 Keys to a Successful Detox
3 KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL DETOX
We talked about the importance of timely detoxing in the last post. But how do you actually detox successfully? Here are the 3 keys to a successful detox.
[1] LIVER SUPPORT
The liver has many important jobs in the body. The most well-known being detoxification. The liver supports toxin removal by converting harmful substances in the body into less harmful forms and modifying them so the toxins can be more easily expelled by the body. To support the liver there are 3 things you should focus on:
REDUCE THE TOXIC LOAD
Household products (make-up, face-wash, shampoo, condition, body wash, moisturizer, hand soap, deodorant, sunscreen, dish soap, laundry detergent, and other cleaners) are often filled with chemicals including EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals). EDCs can cause reproductive health problems such as altered reproductive function in women and men, breast cancer, abnormal growth patterns, developmental delays in children, and impaired immune function. The goal here is to reduce the amount of chemicals you are putting in and on your body – because what goes on your body, goes in your body. There are small changes you can make to reduce your toxin exposure and they involve easy product (and produce) swaps. Simply take products made with harmful chemicals and produce with high levels of pesticide residue and swap them for cleaner versions!
PRODUCT SWAP
Switch from plastic to glass – water bottles, kitchen containers and product packaging. Choose cleaner cosmetic and household products. See how your products rank by searching them on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database or Healthy Living App and the Think Dirty App. These tools will rank each product as: Low Hazard (1-2), Moderate Hazard (3-6), or High Hazard (7-10). Switch your products to those with a “Low Hazard” ranking – even one small change helps!
PRODUCE SWAP
The Environmental Working Group releases two lists each year: The Dirty Dozen (foods with the highest pesticide residues) and The Clean Fifteen (foods with the lowest pesticide residues). If you’re eating foods from the dirty dozen list swap for organic! Or choose foods from the clean fifteen to reduce your toxic exposure.
NEUTRALIZE TOXINS & ADD SUPPORT
You can support the liver’s two detox phases simply by incorporating liver-supporting foods into your diet. These foods include: antioxidants (to neutralize oxidative stress) and sulfur-containing foods (to support removal of toxins). Pick a couple to add to your diet this week!
ANTIOXIDANT RICH FOODS: berries, walnuts, dark chocolate, and herbs and spices.
SULFUR RICH FOODS: Broccoli, cauliflower cabbage, kale, Brussel sprouts, radish, turnip, arugula, bok choy, watercress, kohlrabi, rutabaga, horseradish, maca, rapini, onion and garlic.
PROPER REMOVAL
Finally, to support the liver’s ability to detox we need to ensure the substances released for elimination are removed efficiently from the body. We want to avoid the re-circulation of these substances from the intestines back into the blood. This brings us to our second key to a successful detox: Elimination.
[2] ELIMINATION
When your body releases toxins you need to ensure that they are leaving your body. This is done by supporting your bowel (and kidney) function. Even if you are relatively regular there are 2 things you can do to maximize the removal of toxins from the body.
HYDRATION
I’ve touched on the importance of water for cognitive function and energy in the past, but elimination is another great reason to drink more water. Dehydration is associated with increased constipation and reduced levels of filtration by the kidney. This means poor elimination of toxins from the bowels and by urination. Up your fluid intake to get those toxins out of your body more efficiently! Remember you should aim to never reach a point when you actually feel thirst. Implement some of these tricks to help stay hydrated throughout the day:
1. Carry a water bottle around with you.
2. Drink a glass or two of water each morning when you wake.
3. Add lemon or cucumber to your water for taste.
4. Eat food with a high water content such as cabbage, celery, spinach, cooked squash, apples, or cooked broccoli.
FIBRE
Adequate fibre consumption helps ensure regular bowel movements and therefore the regular removal of toxins from your body. How much fibre are you getting daily? Women should aim for a minimum of 25-30g of fibre daily, while men should aim for at least 38g daily. If you aren’t getting enough fibre, work on adding some of these fibre-rich options to your meals to support the elimination of toxins from your body.
My Favourites: Chia seeds (1 tbsp) = 5g of fibre, Flaxseed (1 tbsp) = 3g of fibre, Psyllium husk fibre (1 tsp) = 5g of fibre.
Artichoke (1 medium) 10.3g, Almonds, whole (1/4 cup) 7.8g, Avocado (1/2) 6.7g, Raspberries / Blackberries (fresh or frozen; ½ cup) 4-4.2g, Sweet potato (1) 3.8g, Pumpkin or squash seeds (1/4 cup) 3.7g, Sunflower seeds (no shell; 1.4 cup) 3.6g, Apple (1) 3.5g.
[3] THE MIND
When we think of detoxification we typically focus on physical health and forget about the importance of detoxing mentally. Think about supporting your mind the same way we talked about supporting the liver:
REDUCE THE TOXIC LOAD
These mental toxins include toxic people and toxic thoughts. Re-evaluate the relationships in your life – are your giving priority to the ones that make you feel good or bad? Listen to what you are routinely telling yourself – is it largely positive or negative self-talk? Use tools such as Headspace and The Five-Minute Journal to reduce your negative self-talk and become more mindful. Mindfulness is a skill that improves with time, so don’t worry if you struggle at first. Next, focus your energy on your surroundings. Removing clutter from your desk, bedroom, and home can create simplicity and bring a sense of calm to your day.
NEUTRALIZE STRESSORS
The easiest way to reduce stressors is to remove them altogether. It is okay to say “no”. Listen to your body – is that dinner with friends or favour for your co-worker going to fill your cup or empty it? If you feel burnout or overwhelmed you can say no to a commitment. Spend that time meditating, exercising, sleeping, or just binge-watching your favourite TV show – do whatever it is that refills your cup. Your mental health should be a high priority item.
When saying no is not an option it is helpful to have strategies in place help mitigate that stress – both acute and chronic. Deep breathing exercises are a great tool, especially for acute stressors. These can reduce the subjective feeling of stress as well as objective stress parameters such as heart rate and cortisol levels (the stress hormone released by your adrenal glands). For chronic stress, talk to your ND about incorporating adrenal gland support into your regimen to support your body’s physiological response to stressors and reduce burnout.
ADD SUPPORT & PROPER REMOVAL
Social support has huge impacts on both your mental and physical health. Studies have shown that low social support is associated with heightened stress reactivity including elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and an exaggeration of cardiovascular and neuroendocrine response to stressors. Use your social network to help propel your mental health forward – talk about your toxins (people and thoughts) to help facilitate their removal from your day. You should rank ‘social support network’ up there with diet and exercise.
ASK FOR HELP
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It can be hard to address these toxic thoughts and relationships on your own. Talk to your health care provider about your mental health. We can chat about your options, give you the tools you need, and put you in-touch with extra support – such as psychotherapists whose entire profession is devoted helping you process your thoughts, emotions and experiences in a positive and supporting manner.
There you have it – the 3 keys to a successful detox: the liver, the gut and the mind. To chat more about your optimizing your health and wellness send me an email or book a free 15-minute consult. Don’t forget to check out this article on the importance of when to detox.