Everyone Should Detox
Did you know the average adult carries over 700 toxins in their body? And that the average newborn baby has 287 known toxins in their umbilical cord?
What does it mean “to detox”?
We define detox as the body’s physiological process of reducing internal toxicity.
Every day the liver, kidneys, colon and skin are working to eliminate toxins, with the liver being the main driver of detox via two sets of enzyme pathways called Phase I and Phase II. In these pathways, fat-soluble toxins are converted into water-soluble compounds so they can be safely eliminated via stool and urine.
There are many critical nutrients needed to run phase I and II liver detoxification pathways. These include B-vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids (which come from protein). A diet high in organic fruits and vegetables, as well as clean sources of protein and fiber will go a long way in supporting the body’s daily need for detoxification. Your integrative healthcare practitioner can also guide you in providing your body with additional, tailored detoxification support.
Although our bodies are continuously working to combat toxins, if more toxins come in than our detox pathways can handle, our health begins to suffer and symptoms arise.
Common symptoms and conditions indicating an excessive body burden:
Digestive issues
Ongoing fatigue
Allergies
Obesity
Type II diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
Skin issues
Hormonal imbalance
Difficulty losing weight
Bad breath
Insomnia
Brain fog
Joint pain
Difficulty managing stress
Anxiety/depression
Cold sores
Cancer
Infertility
Behavioral and mood disorders
Neurological symptoms (tremor, headache, brain fog, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's)
Does it feel like time to detox?
For more than 20 years, the primary detox we recommend at Leaves of Life is the Clear Change 10-day kit by Metagenics. The kit includes:
A protein powder that contains detox-supportive nutrients, protein and amino acids (berry, vanilla or chai flavors).
Capsules that contain unpleasant-tasting detox supportive nutrients that would otherwise ruin the protein powder :)
A booklet that guides you through a Mediterranean style diet that is designed to be anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic. Sample menus, recipes and a shopping list, as well as detailed instructions on how to move through the program are included.
Some additional information we’ve compiled and included as part of the kit.
Things you can do to support your body’s detox efforts every day:
*Choose organic whenever possible. Even if you can’ t go all organic, we strongly encourage avoiding the “Dirty Dozen.” Ewg.org provides this yearly list of the 12 most heavily contaminated fruits/veggies.
*Remove inflammatory foods such as trans fats, refined carbs, sugar and processed foods.
*Drink plenty of clean, filtered water to support the kidneys in removing toxins.
*Work up a sweat regularly (exercise, hot baths, sauna, etc). The skin is essentially your 3rd kidney!
*Consume plenty of fiber to bind up toxins and ensure regular bowel movements to carry them out.
*Get rid of plastics as much as possible, and never, ever, ever heat food or water in plastic before consumption.
*Work on cleaning up your personal care and other products -the environmental working group has a healthy living app that can help (https://www.ewg.org/apps/).
*Minimize EMF exposure. EMFs have a synergistic effect with certain toxins.
*Work to lower stress levels.
*Eliminate toxic relationships as much as possible.
*Get regular deep sleep - aim for 7-8 hours per night. Proper sleep hygiene allows our brain to clear out harmful waste products, possibly helping reduce risk for developing Alzheimer’s.
*Consider using a professional grade detox supplementation kit such as the Clear Change twice yearly.
*Work with an integrative wellness provider if you need more guidance.
Some patients have already attempted detoxification with other providers and have found they have a compromised ability to detoxify. In these cases, it can be helpful to do some focused testing to determine where you may be compromised. This can help us to optimize your detoxification capacity.
Three of the main factors affecting our total toxic burden are:
The amount and types of toxins we're exposed to in our diet and environment.
Whether our diet provides sufficient nutrients necessary for supporting detoxification pathways.
Our genetic ability to produce detoxification enzymes for processing and eliminating toxins.
For some patients, it can be helpful to understand what types of toxins are present, what critical detoxification nutrients may be insufficiently present and whether there is genetic compromise in the ability to detoxify. We can work with you to determine if testing is necessary in your specific circumstance.
Beyond detox support, an integrative wellness provider:
Sees the body as a whole
Looks for the root cause
Takes a thorough history from birth to present day
Focuses on body systems and how they are connected
Lays the foundation for health by addressing lifestyle factors
Does targeted testing as necessary
Creates an individualized care plan with the client as a partner
Is not limited by time constraints imposed by insurance companies.
Schedule an appointment today to begin your journey towards optimal health and wellness!