With a new year upon us, many are thinking it would be a good time to rid your body of all those yummy (and bad for you!) holiday treats and bad habits that may have crept in during this challenging time. I have also had a lot of people tell me they are afraid to detox, or haven’t a clue on where to start! But you know what? Detoxing is not scary, but many still remain fearful.
How do you know when you need to detox? Your body will tell you.
If you experience headaches, migraines, have intense sugar cravings, low energy, gas or bloating, brain fog, anxiety, mood swings, or general irritability, chances are your body is in toxic overload and you need to detox. Most of these symptoms are usually an effect of an underlying illness or are signs that something else is going on. In addition , the majority of the conditions we face today like thyroid issues, irritable bowl, SIBO, Diabetes, High blood pressure and eczema have their roots in an overloaded toxins including long standing pathogens ie bacterial and viruses.
First let’s look at the potential benefits of a healthy cleanse. By detoxing, most of these underlying issues will resolve, you’ll also experience these other benefits:
- Heals muscle pain
- Improves immunity
- Reduces blood sugar levels
- Promotes clearer skin
- Eliminates toxins and heavy metals
- Supports digestion and weight loss
- Reduces inflammation and arthritis
- Helps you sleep better
- Eliminates parasites
- Treats candida overgrowth
- Boosts energy
- Lowers cholesterol levels
Detoxing is not scary: Get past the myths
So now we know what a detox can do for you, let’s look at some of the myths to convince you that detoxing is not scary:
- “It will be too hard to do and I have no willpower”
I’m not going to tell you detoxing is a piece of cake (in fact, cake, may be one of the reasons you need to detox!). Sure, it will be difficult at first but I have faith in you and know you can do this. And the good news is, you don’t have to do it alone; grab a friend or 2 and do it together. Having a partner helps you be accountable to someone and to work through the struggles together. - “It’s too long, I could never make it that long”
Then don’t! No one said you have to jump right in and do a 28-day cleanse the first time you try to detox. Start slow; try it for 1 day, then next time go for 2, and work your way up to what you feel comfortable with. While I feel the 28-Day Cleanse is a great way to detox, anytime you give your body a break and feed it well, it will thank you. And you never know, once you start for a few days, you may surprise yourself and keep doing it. - “I want to do the 28-day detox, but it seem expensive”
Yes, vegetables and fruits, especially organic, can be a bit pricer. But, is your health worth it? Think about how much money you spend on over-the-counter pharmaceuticals for things like pain, acid reflux, and aches and pains—which only temporality ease symptoms and don’t actually solve underlying issues. Not to mention the cost of healthcare in general with doctor appointments and being referred to specialists, or even the cost of an ER visit if the pain gets worse. Organic doesn’t seem that costly now does it? - “I’ll starve to death”
You won’t! The idea is to eat. Just changing the quality of the food you eat that has a natural detoxing effect on your body. You’ll also be drinking a lot of water, which your body craves when it’s dehydrated, and most times we mistake dehydration as hunger, and overeat when we just need a few glasses of water. During the program, your metabolic need is declining, meaning your body feels like it needs less food mostly because you are feeding yourself with nutrient rich/high antioxidant foods that nourish you on a cellular level. However, if you are actually hungry, you can eat more fruits and vegetables. All calories are not the same; 150 calories of ice cream is about ¼ cup full of sugar and milk/fat which are not helping you to heal the conditions you wish to heal. On the other hand, 1 cup of spinach is 7 calories, you would need to eat 21 servings of spinach to reach 150 calories! I’m pretty sure even if you’re hungry on the 28-day plan, you’ll be full well before 21 serving of spinach! - “I’ve heard people who are detoxing are emotionally unstable”
Sometimes detoxing does release trapped emotions. This is a good thing. Not only is your body ridding itself of physical toxins, it’s releasing emotional ones that have been holding you down for years. I remember one time I was getting a massage and I just started to cry, even though the massage felt great. It was my body releasing pent-up tension and emotions held in the tissues, the same is true when you detox. - “But I’ll be exhausted, have headaches, and other side effect”
Yes, this is possible. You didn’t accumulate all those toxins overnight, you can’t expect to get them out overnight, so you may have some side effects for a day or two. To offset this, start on a weekend when you’re not doing much (say you’re stuck inside in a pandemic during a winter snow storm!). You’ll feel much better in a few days.
Our bodies take in chemicals daily and not just from food. Everything in our world has chemicals; from inside our houses they come from carpets, couches, painted walls, foods, even kids pajamas that are flame-retardant; to outside chemicals from exhaust, smoke, factories, roadside construction, even the water we drink has chemicals. You need to detox.
Our bodies can eliminate some of these toxins naturally through the liver, kidneys, lungs, bowel, skin and blood, the problem is the amount we take in far exceeds the amount of work these organs need to remove them. Detoxing is essential to keeping these organs in working order.
See, detoxing is not as scary as it sounds-and the benefits outweigh the “scariness.” Give it a try, your body and your mind will thank you.
A cleanse to fit you
The great thing about cleanses is you can start simple by removing non-healing foods like soy, dairy, wheat, eggs, and corn. These are the foods that mostly wreak havoc on your body and by removing them your body will start to heal.
My favorite cleanses, due to how they are structured and how safe they are for anyone, are the various cleansing routines laid out in the book Cleanse to Heal by Anthony William
If you’re serious about a healthy start to the new year, schedule an introductory telemedicine consultation with me before you start. I can help determine the best cleanse for you and support you on your journey to better health.
