Hopefully you saw my last blog post on what detoxing is and the huge array of benefits that it provides. If not you can read it here. Now I’m going to tell you everything you need to know to do your own detoxification, including my top ten tips.
Support your body’s detoxification processes
With a healthy balanced diet that contains high-quality protein, complex carbohydrates, fibre, and essential fats, our bodies get what they need to support muscle and organ function and to help prevent depleted energy resources during the detoxification efforts.
But that is just the beginning.
Additional targeted nutritional support (supplements and herbs) can specifically address the detoxification process and protect the function of the main organs involved in this process – the liver, the kidneys, and the intestinal tract:
• Liver: filters out and transforms toxic substances in the blood into harmless substances that can be excreted in the urine or stool
• Kidneys: provide a route for toxin excretion via the urine, performing a vital component in the detoxification process as they provide a route for toxin excretion via the urine
• Intestines: support regular bowel movements, eliminate the build-up of pathogenic bacteria and internal toxins, and provide a strong and intact barrier to prevent the leakage of toxic materials from the intestines into circulation.
Before detoxing
A colon hydrotherapy treatment is your first port of call if you are considering carrying out any kind of detox or cleanse, especially if you suffer with constipation and/or IBS.
The bowel needs to be empty before any detox can take place, otherwise there is the risk of absorption of endotoxic material released by the death of harmful micro-organisms within the body, sometimes known as the Herxheimer Reaction. This causes unpleasant symptoms, such as fever, chills, aches and pains, headaches, and fatigue.
For a qualified, registered and regulated colon hydrotherapist, visit the Association of Registered Colon Hydroptherapists’ or the RICTAT International Colonic Association’s website.
Val is a great example of how one colon hydrotherapy treatment can not only give the bowel a good cleanse, but also positively affect so many other areas of our general health and wellbeing.
“I can’t believe how well I feel after the my colonic treatment. My stomach is flat, my bowels are settled, all the pain, colic, and bloating have gone. The most amazing thing is I have so much more energy, and I am able to sleep better, so that I actually wake up feeling as if I have had a good sleep. Linda, you have given me my life back!”
Supplements to consider
Many liver-supporting supplements use specific nutrients to aid the liver in its processes. These nutrients include:
- Live Bacteria probiotics
- Digestive Enzymes
- B vitamins
- Antioxidants (Vitamins A,C,E)
- Glutathione
- Milk Thistle
- Specific amino acids
- Vitamin D
- Bioflavanoids
- Quercetin
- Turmeric
- NAC
- Charcoal – this is another good supplement to consider as this binds toxins in the body and removes them
- Fibre supplements are also good as they help to remove the toxins by ensuring the bowels are working well
It is important that you work with a practitioner when considering supplementation, as they will check any current medications that you are taking for any drug-nutrient interactions. They will also make sure any supplements you take are suitable for your condition.
One of my most popular Kits, particularly in January or any time you feel your body needs to ‘detox’ is my 30-day Perfect Balance Kit. It contains full size pots of my Live Bacteria capsules, Digestive Enzymes tablets, Garlic tablets and Omega 3 fish oil capsules.
Treatments to compliment a detox
There are a number of things that you can do to help the effectiveness of your detox. These include:
- Colon hydrotherapy treatments to flush out accumulated waste from the bowel
- Skin brushing to stimulate the lymphatic system
- Saunas to sweat out toxins
- Epsom salts baths
- Alkalising salts taken internally
- Exercise to stimulate the lymphatic system (a trampette, sometimes called a rebounder is particularly good for this)
- Getting plenty of good quality sleep
- Meditation and mindfulness
- Introspection on the past year and goals for the coming year
- Avoid anyone who, for whatever reasons they have, is trying to put you off your health goals – it’s your journey, not theirs
Retreats to consider
Retreats are a great way to help you to focus on your detox, and avoid the temptations and distractions of everyday life. Some of the ones I would recommend are:
My 10 top tips for detoxing and cleansing
1. First, lighten up your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars, and saturated fats, all of which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to your healing process. Also, minimise the use of chemical-based household cleaners and personal health care products (cleansers, shampoos, deodorants, and toothpastes), and substitute with natural alternatives.
2. Eat plenty of fibre, including brown rice and organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Fibre is essential in the detoxing process as it binds to toxins and helps to excrete them. The last thing you want while detoxing is to be constipated as this allows for toxins to recirculate around the body. Fibre will help to prevent this.
3. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods. In particular the cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts) have excellent detoxifying benefits. Another great addition is coriander, which acts as a chelating agent, dragging heavy metals out of the body.
4. Take a Vitamin C supplement, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins. Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant and detoxifier of every cell in your body.
5. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs, such as the Just For Tummies Milk Thistle tablets, and drinking green tea. Another good supplement to take to help bind to toxins and help the bowel to eliminate them are the Just For Tummies charcoal capsules.
Try a 5-day Charcoal cleanse – take two Charcoal capsules 30 minutes before you eat lunch, then 2 more capsules 30 minutes after you have finished lunch, repeating at dinnertime. Continue for 5 days. You can read more about the Charcoal cleanse here.
This is what Sharon had to say after completing her charcoal cleanse:
“These capsules are amazing! I followed Linda’s 5-day charcoal cleanse programme, and I’ve never had such a flat stomach. Bloating has gone completely. I feel great!”
6. Dry-brush your skin every day, as this helps to get the lymphatic system moving which helps to remove toxins and stops it becoming stagnant and sluggish.
7. Boost your Vitamin D levels to improve your immune system and mood – you can take a supplement, eat foods that are rich in vitamin D such as eggs and mushrooms, and expose your skin to any sunlight you can during the winter (often hard when we wrap ourselves up in scarves, hats and gloves) but at least try and obtain some on your face by not wearing an SPF moisturiser or makeup).
8. Intermittent fasting: try to rest your digestive system by finishing eating at 7pm in the evening and not having anything to eat until 9 or 10am the following day; this means that the digestive system has 14+ hours of rest to do its housekeeping. When you do eat the next day, start off by drinking warm lemon and ginger water 30 minutes before you eat solid food or alternatively a Just For Tummies Tummy Tea pyramid, full of cleansing herbs and spices.
If you can manage on a juice first thing until lunchtime, this is a great way of cleansing the system further, and flooding it with nutrients and vitamins to aid the liver in processing toxins with minimal work required by the digestive system. If you feel too hungry to manage with just a juice in the morning, then don’t worry, it doesn’t suit everyone. You can fit your juice in as a snack later in the day, and start your day with a cleansing vegetable broth, a smoothie, or some quinoa porridge.
9. Decrease large amounts of animal protein, as this is hard for the body to break down and process. Instead, include vegetable sources of protein and invest in an organic vegan protein powder in order to consume enough protein. Protein is important in liver detoxification, however it is important to consume the right type of protein and not bombard the digestive system with red meat that is acidic and difficult to break down.
10. Bathe in Epsom salts – the magnesium in the salts is taken up trans-dermally and it helps the liver to work optimally. It is also responsible for the muscle action of the bowels, preventing constipation. The sulphur element of the salts draws toxins out from the body.
Good luck with your detox. I’d love to hear how you get on! Why not email me on linda@justfortummies.co.uk or let me know in my Facebook group, Tummy Talk.
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