What Is Detoxing? And How To Really Do It

While there are many products that claim to detox your body or people telling you how to detox through things like restrictive diets, cleanses, and supplements, real detox is something the body does on it's own all the time, every single day. Through the organs of elimination which are:

·Liver/digestion
·Kidneys
·Skin
·Lungs
·Assistants: Lymph (Immune system. Constantly clearing out toxins, waste, pathogens) and Circulation (circulatory system brings blood to organs of elimination).

Why so many detoxes are gimmicks:

·Depleting nutrients instead of building
·Acute instead of daily (one time cleanse instead of long-term habits)
·Abrupt instead of supportive
·Promotes binge/purge behavior.
·Not usually based on science. Based on selling a product.

“Internally produced toxins increase greatly when metabolic processes go awry, typically as a result of nutritional deficiencies.”- Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine

Aka malnourishment = body functions less optimally = more toxins in body. Restrictive "detoxes" can get in the way of the body's natural functions. Real detox happens all day, every day and works best when the body is nourished.

Why focus on supporting detox pathways?

·Heavy metals
·Oxidative stress
·Pollutants
·Obesogens
·Microbial compounds
·PFAs
·BPA

Mechanisms of liver detox:
· Filtering the blood: The liver filters 2 quarts of blood every minute all day, every day to get rid of toxins, excess hormones, and waste. 99% of toxins are removed when this is functioning optimally. If the body is nutrient deficient or has poor circulation this won’t be happening as optimally. (Tips: movement, circulatory herbs, niacin (B3)-blood mover nutrient, limit alcohol)
·Bile (carries fat-soluble environmental pollution and excess cholesterol, triglycerides, and hormones out of blood stream to feces) Fiber assist bile in catching all of these toxins and leftover hormonal waste. 99% of this can be reabsorbed into the blood if not enough fiber. Must have cholesterol to make bile and cholesterol is made from vitamin B5. Stool is 75% water, bacteria, fiber, undigested food, sloughed cells, waste cholesterol, waste hormones, waste toxins, bile waste. Without bowel movements, this waste is circulating back into the blood. Bile salts are made from the amino acids’ taurine and glycine, so you have to have PROTEIN to detox.
·Phase 1- Making fat soluble toxins more water soluble and able too be excreted through kidneys. Or they don’t get through kidneys and have to go to phase 2 to be made even more water soluble.
·Phase 2- Conjugation. Requires nutrients and energy. Glutathione conjugation: converts fat-soluble toxins (like mercury, lead, nicotine, alcohol) not excreted in bile to water-soluble forms. Low fiber uses up all glutathione, methionine, and cysteine for this.

Detoxification requires a LOT of nutrients. So a juice cleanse for example, lacks protein, fiber, and cholesterol. All essential nutrients for detoxification.

Nutrients to support detox:

Antioxidants and Glutathione supporting foods (protein, veg, herbs)
Taurine (fish, shellfish, meat, seaweed) & Glycine (bone broth, meat, seafood, poultry skin, dairy)
B vitamins, C, A, and E vitamins
Brassicas & sulfurous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, onions)
Fiber
Cysteine & Methionine (meat, eggs, dairy, lentils, brazil nuts)
Cholesterol (eggs, cheese, shellfish, steak, organ meats, sardines)
Well sourced green tea
Ellagic acid (fruits & veg)
Herbal bitters before/with meals (arugula, dandelion, herbal bitters tinctures

Other ways to support detox:

Support a healthy gut microbiome which supports digestion & therefore gets ride of waste better (see my post this!)
Make sure blood sugar is regulated to support kidneys
Hydrate with re-mineralized water
Epsom slats or magnesium flakes in bath
Maximize oxygen (deep breathing, mediation, exercise)
Meals with protein, healthy fats, and veggies/fruit
Dry brushing to stimulate lymph
Decreasing toxin exposure as much as possible (but don't stress about it ;)
Regulate circadian rhythm and get good sleep
Jump
Sun/vitamin D/outside time
Sauna

This isn’t meant to overwhelm, hopefully you’ll actually find some relief that you don’t need to blow your money or drink strictly liquids and take a million supplements for a week! I’m more of a adding in kinda girl than taking away anyways. 🥰Our bodies are amazing, intelligent beings that take care of us through processes we don’t even have to think about. Focus on eating whole foods and nurturing your spirit, your body will do the rest.🤍✨

If you like doing detoxes for the challenge, try this that will assist your body’s natural detox: Go a week without social media and alcohol & include as many detox supportive foods as you can in that week!