What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word detox? For most people it is a crazy cayenne pepper, water, and lemon concoction that is your only source of food for a few weeks. If you are thinking about doing one of these crazy treatments to your body I urge you to continue reading this article and find out why you shouldn’t. One of the biggest issues is that so many people think that things like this concoction is a form of detoxing. It is not! Detoxing can be very subtle if you want it to be. The purpose of detoxing is to eliminate and reduce as many toxins from yourself and your environment as possible. 

Detox Vs a Cleanse!

There are so many different things we can do to our bodies. Such as, detoxing, cleansing, dieting, and even fasting all of which serve a different purpose and are often put into the same category. Too often people miss label cleanse as a detox. In fact, it is one of the biggest switch ups when someone is trying to eliminate toxins. Due to the high level of confusion I thought it would be a good idea to distinguish between the different options. Back when your grandmother did a detox it was something similar to the cleanses of today. 

Flushing Your System

Cleanses can be very hard on your body! When you cleanse you are eliminating EVERYTHING! It is like a black Friday sale on anything and everything in your digestive system. If you have ever done a flush prior to a colonoscopy, where they make you drink GoLightly which makes you go non stop. Seriously, they need to rethink the name. It is very miss leading. This is a perfect example of a cleanse/flush which is designed to be VERY SHORT-TERM and eliminates EVERYTHING!

What Your Detox Should Have!

A detox is much more mild. You are slowly removing as many toxins from your environment as well as your daily nutrition. A detox maybe done regularly as well as over a longer period of time. For example, where a cleanse/flush should only be 1-3 days a detox can be 1-2 months if you really wanted. However, I would suggest sticking to the one month mark and repeating every other month. While it would be ideal to do your best to limit your exposure to as many toxins as possible it is unrealistic to think it is something you can do daily for the rest of time. There are also different foods, herbs, and spices that can help you naturally detox different parts of your body. 

Give Your Liver Love

Given that the liver tends to handle the bulk of the toxins our bodies are exposed to most detox programs will focus the bulk of their attention on this organ in particular. With that said, there are also a variety of detox programs that also branch out to other areas of the body while still contributing the bulk of their focus on the liver. Be sure to read the article My Owed to The Liver to read up on one of the hardest working organs! A detox differs not only in duration of the process, variety of food, but also in the fact that a well designed detox program rebuilds good bacteria while removing toxins from the digestive tract.

The Power in Fasting!

Another commonly miss labeled procedure is fasting. Monks often use fasting as a way to detox their bodies and with the topic of intermittent fasting on the rise it seems to pop up in a number of areas including detoxing. While it is possible for your body to naturally detox during your fast you do not receive the full effects of the detox while using the intermittent fasting method. In most cases of intermittent fasting you go anywhere between 12-16 hours without eating and only consume food within a small window of time. Your body starts to naturally detox around the 12 hour mark depending on the foods you are consuming. The less processed food you eat the quicker your body will begin to detox itself. When you consume high fat or overly processed foods your body takes longer to break them down due to its inability to identify friend from foe. 

A Natural Detox

However, when you fast for an entire day you will actually trick your body into burning fat while also naturally detoxing. At 24 hours of fasting your body begins burning fat for fuel and will continue to do so until after the 72 hour mark. That’s right if you are planning on fasting do not exceed the 3 day mark! After 72 hours your body starts to break down muscle, bone, you name it! For anyone out there who is thinking about doing the “dry fasting” think again. Dry fasting is where you do not even consume water! Your body NEEDS water!

Diet Vs Nutrition!

Lastly, one of my biggest pet peeves is the term diet. Diet is a term that describes your nutritional content not a weight loss trend! Somewhere along the lines the term diet lost its true meaning. To anyone in the medical profession we still look at the word diet and think nutritional regimen. Which is why when we ask what your diet consists of and you respond that you are currently trying the military diet we have a tendency to get annoyed. Let me explain something to all of you reading this a “diet” that is intended as a quick weight loss hack or trend is NOT good for you! Not only is it not good for you or your body, people who use these “diets” tend to gain back all the weight they lost and then some. 

How To Get Started Today!

If you ask me, it is just not worth it. Anyone who wants to lose weight the answer is simple: put good food in, exercise daily (nothing crazy just get moving for at least 30 minutes a day), reduce your stress, stay hydrated, and sleep regularly. Because we are all constantly exposed to high levels of toxins I strongly advise you to do a detox regularly, and now you know exactly what to look for when I say detox. Your gut contains the majority of your immunity which is why it is so important to take care of it. The best way to improve your health is through the foods we consume. To help you start here is a link to my favorite detox smoothies. For those of you who think you can’t enjoy your detox foods I want you to see just how easy it can be to eat your way to better health. Here is a quick and easy cookie recipe to help you detox with ease. As an added bonus here is a beauty treatment that can help you detox inside and out!

Chocolate Detox Cookies

Gluten Free Vegan Serves 24

• 3 Bananas
• ½ Cup Cacao Powder
• 1 Cup Dark Chocolate Vegan Chips
• ½ Cup Almond Butter
• Handful Sea Salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Mash the bananas and mix in almond butter, and cacao. Once combined fold in the chocolate chips and spoon out onto a baking sheet (pretreated with non-stick option). Top with a little salt and bake for 8-15 minutes or until they lose their sheen. Allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes and enjoy!

Detox Clay Mask

• 1 Drop Lavender Oil
• 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Drop Melaleuca Oil
• 2 Tbsp Bentonite Clay
• 1 Drop Frankincense Oil
• 2 Drops Yarrow Pam Oil

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients into a bowl adding oils last. Apply to clean, dry skin avoiding the eyes. Let dry for 5-15 minutes and wash with warm water to remove. 

Need a Helping Hand?

A happy and healthy life is closer than you may think. Our health is something that we all have to deal with daily, and when we don’t feel our best, it shows. If you are tired of just making it through your day then you NEED to start investing in your health today! You are not alone on this journey. If you ever need any help I am always here to do just that. Even if it is something as small as just acting as a sounding board. Do you have any questions or concerns I can help you with? Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] or you can even book a one-on-one call with me. Be sure to subscribe to gain access to tons of free goodies and check back daily for more great recipes and information!