People are seeking ways to detox and cleanse their bodies of toxins for many reasons: weight loss, heart burn, digestive problems such as gas and bloating, acne and other skin problems, body aches and pains, fatigue or just to become healthier. With the marketplace filled with more and more processed foods, additives, sweeteners and convenience / fast foods to help with hectic schedules, our bodies need to work harder than ever to get rid of these toxins we consume. And when we consider the environmental toxins we are exposed to from the chemical, dyes and fragrances in cleaning products, make-up, beauty products,and air fresheners..just to name a few – it certainly is time to DETOX!
The good news is the body has its own natural daily cleansing process to eliminate or filter out the toxins though the use of the liver,kidneys, colon, intestines and skin. Our job is to expose it to the least amount of environmental toxins and give it the best possible nutrients to be able to do its job well.
Nutrition impacts every aspect of our health. Food is not merely fuel for our bodies; it becomes our body as the nutrients are utilized to create structures that make up our muscles, bones, hormones, organs and brain. Therefore all the systems in our body are influenced greatly by what we eat. The quality of our food has far reaching impact on just about any chronic health condition, so everything we eat can bring us either closer to health and wellness or closer to illness and disease.
Through empowering and educating our patients on optimal nutrition and ways to limit toxic exposure, we can create health for ourselves. Identifying and eliminating sources of toxicity and learning how to nourish our bodies to promote health and strengthen the immune system is key to long-term wellness.
During the course of a detox or cleansing program the body may not always feel its best, particularly through the first few days. Being monitored by a healthcare provider who specializes in nutrition is essential to help you through any obstacles you encounter and to ensure your detox process is healthy and safe. Suffering from headaches or fatigue during the detox may simply be caused from the lack of caffeine that you normally get from your coffee, but other more serious issues may be happening to your body during a detox or cleanse that can also make you feel weak, fatigued or dizzy. Your detox may not provide the minimum calories or protein your body needs. This is not advisable.
Consuming only a ‘juice cleanse’ can make your insulin levels spike and then crash which is why we recommend only juicing with vegetables and not fruits. The lack of calories and/or protein can force your body to burn muscle mass for energy, which can give you that weak, fatigued feeling that’s not from a lack of coffee!
Exercise is important during any detoxification program, but it should not be overly strenuous during this time. Ultimately, exercise will also help ensure a healthy body composition, the relationship between your lean muscle tissue and your body fat. Maintaining and/or building muscle mass will help increase your metabolism to burn calories faster. By adding muscle building exercise, the scale may not be ‘moving down’ but you will be ‘slimming down’! That’s because you are building muscles which weigh more than the fat you are burning while exercising, making you leaner. Here is where the dividends to a consistent resistance exercise program pay off big.
Stress can also be toxic to your body. Your body produces stress hormones to protect itself. Your body needs that stress hormone (cortisol/adrenaline) when you’re being chased by an attack dog, but if you are always under stress and your body is continually releasing large amounts of these stress hormones, your liver needs to work overtime for them to be detoxified. Learning stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing or yoga exercise can be very helpful.
The detox or cleanse is just the beginning part of our program which will guide you through the steps to help clean out and eliminate foods that are toxic or “addictions” to your body. Break your habit of eating foods that are not helping with your weight loss and start learning how to replenish your body with quality low fat proteins, healthy carbohydrates and fats, as well as supplements when needed.
You will learn how to reduce the toxins you are exposed to for a long and healthier lifespan for you and your loved ones. Learn about juicing, smoothies and other ways to use food to support optimal health, healing and detoxification. We’ll also provide you with resources to find clean makeup and body products to help you begin your journey to a less toxic body and home.
