Detoxification Process, And Why It’s Not a Quick Fix
DETOXIFICATION = BIOTRANSFORMATION
Sounds kind of complicated, right?
It is. It definitely is. Only because I feel like sometimes we can have a skewed idea of what detox really means. To some, detoxing looks like resetting the body, getting back to eating clean, cleansing the liver, taking a bunch of supplements, ridding all bodily impurities, or restarting the body with real food, stress management, and proper exercise. Which seems to be true and the right way of thinking.
I think more often than not, the word detox is used overused A LOT of the time (I mean, we’ve all seen the marketing of it). But in reality, detoxification simply means taking something that can damage the body and breaking it down so the body can excrete it. The sciency term is actually called “biotransformation.”
DETOXING IS NO SIMPLE QUICK FIX
I wish detoxing was a simple and quick fix, like taking a pack of pills or doing a 3-day juice cleanse. But the reality is not like that at all. The detoxification process is a freaking lot of work, and it’s a lifestyle shift, which doesn’t happen overnight. Our body is exposed to all sorts of toxins, and it’s time to get rid of them the PROPER way.
Let’s talk about the liver for example. Just because you have a liver doesn’t mean you’re ridding toxins well. It’s important to remember that the liver is just a PART of the full detox experience. It’s not just one thing or the other. (However this plays an important part in the detoxification process, we’ll jump more into this later!).
Another part of the detoxification process is making sure you open your detox exit pathways. What does this mean? We always want to make sure we are working backwards.We need to make sure your bowels are movin (AT LEAST 1 times a day, if not more!), you're sweating toxins out (YES that means working out or sitting in a sauna or hot yoga!), urinating frequently (drinking plenty of water), and breathing properly (meditation helps), are a few to name at least.
GETTING THE RIGHT NUTRIENTS IS IMPORTANT
FOOD! Yes, getting the right food / nutrients our body needs is vitally important in the detox process and in this series. Amino acids, sulfur, choline, and magnesium are super great examples of nutrients your body might be lacking.
Back to the liver! To narrow down into the liver part even further, our liver has 2 main phases of detoxification. The truth is, the liver NEEDS nutrients to work for you, so set yourself up for success with building a nutrient dense food foundation! The jist is taking toxins and breaking them down to a form that can leave the body easily.
SO, WHAT IS SAFE DETOXING?
The safest way to detox is to build the detox foundation properly. Then, if needed, you can target whatever you need to. An easy start would be to focus on the 5 phases of this process:
Ensure your exit pathways are open
Eat adequate protein (for those amino acids)
Get lots of nutrients through fruits, veggies, herbs & spices
Sleep well
Focus Foods: cruciferous veggies, garlic, onions, beets, whole eggs, meat, leafy greens, omega 3’s, artichokes, broccoli sprouts
There are additional steps that can be added but that's individualized based on what you’re detoxing. Also, to make sure you are getting all of the nutrients needed, you can add detox supplements (to help bridge the gap in your diet).
WHEN DO I KNOW THAT I’M DONE DETOXING?
The truth is, we’re never really done. Certain protocols for individuals are short-term, like 3-12 months. But the process of making sure your body is getting the proper nutrients it needs is never-ending. We should always keep the detox pathways open with the detox foundation recommendations.
The best example I can give you is to listen to your body, always. If it’s feeling worse with any of these things mentioned above, it’s possible that you’re targeting one phase or your exit pathways are blocked. If you suspect this is an area you need to work on, I highly recommend working with a practitioner to help guide you on specifics for you.
If you want to dig into root causes of your symptoms, let’s chat. You can apply for a free strategy call here, or go to nutritionbyrobyn.com/apply
Xoxo
~Robyn