The modern world would have us believe that a drastic ‘detox’ should be part of our health routine, but is a ‘detox’ really necessary and if it is, what is the safest way to do it?
There is a lot of social media dedicated to detoxing, from extreme fasting and juicing, to supplements that help you shred and burn fat at unrealistic rates. The truth as always lies somewhere in between, and the smartest approach is always the balanced one.
What we need to understand is that our body detoxifies 24/7 in the form of elimination pathways through our major organs like the lungs, skin, lymphatics, kidneys, liver, and bowel.
Each organ has a different job to do as it deals with toxins that we inhale, absorb, or ingest. Some are naturally more harmful that others and that is when we may be able to support the detoxification pathways with nutrition, water, herbs, exercise, and supplements.
HOW DOES THE DETOX PROCESS WORK?
Understanding how each organ detoxifies is the first step. For instance, if you are not pooping, you are going to feel ‘shitty’ (pardon the pun), and the best way to detoxify the bowel is to increase your fluid intake in the form of water, fresh juices, smoothies, broths, and soups. Everyone should enjoy a satisfying evacuation daily, if not, look into doing a liquid day and get your motor moving.
A detoxification pathway you may not hear a lot about is our lymphatic system. Now for women this is extremely important as our lymphatic system disposes of cellular trash like bacteria, viruses, blood cells, toxins, and other molecular debris from every tissue in your body. So, this system needs your attention and the most pleasant method to detox the lymphatic system is through massage or manual lymphatic drainage. This is brilliant at relieving swelling, pain, improving the immune system and enhancing the flow of lymph fluid throughout the body. Other things you can do are regular exercise, skin brushing, hot and cold showers, deep breathing and cleaning up your diet.
Regardless of the body system that is congested, when you detoxify one, you will detoxify them all. That’s the beauty of the human body, everything is connected, and you may well experience a beautiful domino effect of healing on a systemic level.
WHERE DO I BEGIN?
When you make the decision to detox, you need to remove the temptations and that means rolling in the wheelie bin and start by removing the franken food from your fridge and pantry. Franken food is packaged food that contains no nutritional value, is loaded with preservatives, sugars, chemicals, and artificial fillers that contribute to inflammation, weight gain, and takes you in the opposite direction of where you want to go.
Make a pledge to yourself to only stock whole foods that nourish and nurture you, like fruits and vegetables, quality proteins and healthy fats. Shop at your local farmers market and avoid the toxic filled supermarkets.
While you are in detox mode, you could go one step further and clean out your cleaning chemicals and personal body products too. We are led to believe we need toxic cleaning products for our homes when in fact that is just not true. Switch over to natural cleaners like bicarb soda and vinegar and essential oils. These clean just about everything and are more friendly for our fur babies too.
With regards to body products and even make up, many contain toxic ingredients that pose a real threat to your health. There are so many natural and better alternatives now available from your health shop and weekend markets. Do your body, your hormones, and the planet a favour and go natural where you can!
WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM A DAILY DETOX?
The best detox is a daily detox and incorporating good habits into your daily life.
- Drink more water
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Find an exercise you love and do it daily
- Breathe fresh air deeply
- Learn to skin brush/massage
When you make changes on a daily basis, the first thing you will notice is a reduction in gas and bloating, one of the most common reasons women do a detox to begin with. You may also find that you sleep better, your eyes are brighter, your skin is clearer, and you have more energy. `
If you need to give your body a kick start due to years of neglect or chronic health conditions, please search out the advice of a health practitioner who can help you manage your path to wellness.
SUMMARY – SHOULD I OR SHOULDN’T I DETOX?
If you have never done a detox before, then I would recommend beginning with the 5 steps above and improving your diet, exercise, and daily routine. This alone can make a big difference and you can then reassess what needs extra attention.
If you are living with a chronic health condition and on medication, please seek the help of a professional as detoxing can speed up and/or eliminate your medication, neither of which is desirable.
If you are a relatively healthy person and want to improve your energy, sleep, and lifestyle habits, then you may benefit from the above changes with the added boost of supplements that can support your body as it deals with reducing inflammation, improving your bowel movements, ditching alcohol and sugar, making better food choices, exercising, and sweating.
While our organs know how to do their job, sometimes life and stress can add to their burden, and taking time out to prioritise your health through a balanced detox that nurtures rather than strips your body of vital nutrients, can help reset you on a better path of healthy ageing.
You will never regret being healthier and happier.
Written by Mona Hecke
Mona Hecke is a degree qualified Naturopath, nutrition specialist and health and wellness writer.
With over 20 years in the health industry, beginning with a focus on children and families, and a bestselling book ‘The Lunchbox Revolution’, Mona is now empowering women through education and conversation to take action and embrace change. Gut health, mindfulness, nutrition, hormones, and menopause are the topics that women want and need to know to create their healthy future.
Mona holds certifications in Lifestyle Coaching, Kinesiology, holistic herbal medicine, and nutrition.
A recognised leader in the health industry, Mona’s strong social media presence and passion for influencing change will continue to be a catalyst for health reform for the benefit of every Australian.
