Hoo-boy has the health and wellness industry had a lot to say about Detoxing over the years... from marketing ploys to selling supplements or other miracle products, juice cleanses, to Infrared Saunas and everywhere in between, it can feel a little crazy-making trying to figure out what's what - and more importantly - what's right for YOU.
For the purposes of this article, we are referring specifically to the process the body goes through to get rid of waste. Although you might want to consider this a reminder that the same principles are going to apply to a mental detox. We are all to some degree exposed to toxins on a daily basis - from pollution to mold to poor quality foods and water - and our ability to process these toxins is affected by our overall stress levels, digestive health and quality of sleep to name a few. The good news is that your body is naturally detoxing on a daily basis. That means; don't go buy that $100 bottle of aloe and chug it down, unless you just enjoy dumping $100 down the drain! The real issues tend to creep up in the event that we are overloaded with toxins - ie. the rate of our exposure surpasses our body's ability to clean house, think of it like a cup filling up with water that eventually overflows.
If you are truly in a state of toxic overload, odds are you'll be feeling it as your body will be expressing all kinds of symptoms to tip you off - it is not recommended to attempt a detox protocol that doesn't ensure the elimination pathways are open first. Toxins are intelligently stored in body fat to protect organs - this is why sometimes it's suggested that difficulty losing weight can indicate a need for detox. However, the last thing we want to do is start a protocol that kicks these bad boys up without giving them a clear exit ramp right on out of the body!
As far as the fads go, you might've guessed it - there isn't going to be a miracle, one-size-fits-all quick fix solution here. That said, there are many ways we can help support our body's natural ability to detox, including:
- Eating foods rich in Vitamin C and glutathione - like spinach, avocado, asparagus and bell peppers
- Reduce toxic exposure - small changes can go a long way! Safer cleaning products, skincare and cookware are good places to look to start
- Move ya body! Exercise is a great way to stimulate lymphatic flow - which carries out toxins (lymph is one of those elimination pathways we mentioned earlier)
- Drink plenty of clean water - keep everything flowing along
- Sweat - the kidneys, liver and digestive tract do most of the heavy lifting for detox - but just as toxins can be absorbed through the skin, they can be "sweat back out"
If you read that list correct what you should have read was that a balanced diet, exercise, and proper hydration is going to help your body detox. If you do that on a regular basis the body is going to thank you a ton. You'll probably lose weight a bit easier and notice a positive impact on your mental health, too.
If you're not sure where to start!? Try us for 14 days and see what you don't feel like after!
