Menu

Detox For Better Health

by | Jan 3, 2023

New year, new you! Now is the time to reset your body so you can face 2023 with optimum vitality. A healthy, sustainable detox not only helps support your body’s natural cleansing process of unwanted toxins, but also helps you unlearn any unhealthy habits you’ve developed over the past year.

You’ve probably seen ads for “detoxes” and “cleanses” that make huge claims and ultimately require a big commitment in both time and money. These ads often prey on our wish for a simple solution, but the truth is your body is capable of detoxing on its own – it really is a self-sustaining system. Your skin, digestive system, liver, and lungs are continually cleansing your body of unwanted substances.

However, we can support our body’s natural detox processes for optimal health and vitality. This is particularly true for anyone struggling to turn an unhealthy lifestyle around.

Here are some tips to help you detox naturally for the coming year!

Girl in a jacket

Why Detox?

Over the course of everyday life, we’re all exposed to toxins, including environmental pollutants, such as toxic chemicals in cleaning and personal care products, heavy metals in food and water, BPA in food storage containers, pesticides, and more.

Although our bodies are designed to be self-cleansing, many of these substances accumulate in the body, where they can harm your health in many ways.1

Ways To Detox

Detoxing is a broad term for a few different ways of resetting your body. It’s important to determine the right method for you, and it’s always a good idea to work with a healthcare practitioner to create a realistic and healthy plan.

Here are some popular detox strategies.

1 – Fasting

Generally speaking, there are two approaches to fasting. Some people choose an extended fast without any food for a set period – often between 24 to 72 hours. Some of these extended fasts are “water only” fasts, while others allow liquids like lemon juice or beef broth.

Intermittent fasting, which means alternating periods of food intake with periods of fasting, has become more popular in recent years. Intermittent fasting has some flexibility. For example, you could eat normally for 12 hours, and fast for 12 hours, or have an eight hour eating window.

Fasting has been traditionally used as a way to improve health and many recent studies back its benefits, including:

  • Healthy blood glucose metabolism2
  • Normal inflammatory responses3
  • Healthy blood lipid metabolism4
  • Body weight and composition management5
  • Supporting the body’s normal cellular waste removal process6

Fasting isn’t for everyone, however. People with low blood sugar or Type 1 diabetes should consult with a healthcare practitioner first.7 And fasting can also increase your levels of the stress hormone cortisol,8 so if you’re already stressed or busy, approach fasting with caution. Anyone with a history of disordered eating should also talk with a healthcare provider before beginning a fast.

2 – Dietary cleanse

A dietary cleanse typically involves eliminating certain food groups, such as inflammatory or processed foods like sugar, white flour, and unhealthy fats.

The exact dietary changes will depend on your current health and goals, and are often best determined in tandem with a healthcare provider. Some common cleansing strategies include food sensitivity detoxes, in which you eliminate foods that are known to cause sensitivities and reintroduce them keeping careful records of symptoms.

Some general tips for a successful dietary detox include:

  • Up your water intake. Water will help eliminate waste products from your body.9
  • Focus on antioxidant-rich foods. Antioxidants prevent oxidative stress, which leads to cell damage. Foods rich in antioxidants include berries, leafy green vegetables, dark chocolate and green tea.
  • Eat foods high in sulfur. Sulfur-rich foods like cruciferous vegetables, legumes, beef, and turkey can help transport heavy metals like cadmium from your body.10
  • Cut down on salt. Salt makes your cells retain water, which slows down urination, one of the processes through which your body eliminates toxins.

3 – Sweat it out

Although we tend to overestimate the ability of a good sweat to “flush out” the effects of unhealthy choices, some studies have found that sweat does contain waste products.11 More research needed on the effectiveness of activities like taking a sauna, but many people enjoy the endorphin release.

Exercising has many benefits that can support your body during a detox as well, including its ability to help manage inflammation and support immune health.12 However, it’s important not to overly tax your body during this time, so consult with a healthcare practitioner for the right program for you.

4 – Supplement for support

Help your body do its job by choosing supplements wisely. Particularly while you’re detoxing, it’s important to work with a practitioner to choose the best supplements for your specific needs. Supplementation can also depend on what kind of detox you are doing, since some supplements and multivitamins work best when taken with foods, for example. The aim of supplementation is to support your body’s natural detoxing abilities.* Some commonly used supplements for detox support include:

  • Activated charcoal. Some toxins may bind to activated charcoal in the lower intestine, so they can be eliminated with a bowel movement.*13
  • Probiotics. By encouraging a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut, probiotics help ensure your digestive system performs its natural detoxification function.*14
  • Turmeric. This spice contains a compound called curcumin that helps support your body’s antioxidant pathways.*15
  • Green tea. One study found that chemicals in green tea called green tea catechins may help support detoxification.*15
  • Chlorella. This is another species of algae that may help support your body’s detoxification of certain compounds.*16

Start your year off on the right foot with safe, sustainable detox support. Here’s to a healthy, happy 2023!

With Gratitude,
Kerry

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References
1. Genuis SJ. Elimination of persistent toxicants from the human body. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2011 Jan;30(1):3-18. doi: 10.1177/0960327110368417. Epub 2010 Apr 16. PMID: 20400489.

2.Barnosky AR, Hoddy KK, Unterman TG, Varady KA. Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction for type 2 diabetes prevention: a review of human findings. Transl Res. 2014 Oct;164(4):302-11. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2014.05.013. Epub 2014 Jun 12. PMID: 24993615.

3. Faris MA, Kacimi S, Al-Kurd RA, Fararjeh MA, Bustanji YK, Mohammad MK, Salem ML. Intermittent fasting during Ramadan attenuates proinflammatory cytokines and immune cells in healthy subjects. Nutr Res. 2012 Dec;32(12):947-55. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2012.06.021. Epub 2012 Oct 4. PMID: 23244540.

4. Bhutani S, Klempel MC, Berger RA, Varady KA. Improvements in coronary heart disease risk indicators by alternate-day fasting involve adipose tissue modulations. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Nov;18(11):2152-9. doi: 10.1038/oby.2010.54. Epub 2010 Mar 18. PMID: 20300080.

5 Laurens C, Grundler F, Damiot A, Chery I, Le Maho AL, Zahariev A, Le Maho Y, Bergouignan A, Gauquelin-Koch G, Simon C, Blanc S, Wilhelmi de Toledo F. Is muscle and protein loss relevant in long-term fasting in healthy men? A prospective trial on physiological adaptations. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2021 Dec;12(6):1690-1703. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12766. Epub 2021 Oct 20. PMID: 34668663; PMCID: PMC8718030.

6. Bagherniya M, Butler AE, Barreto GE, Sahebkar A. The effect of fasting or calorie restriction on autophagy induction: A review of the literature. Ageing Res Rev. 2018 Nov;47:183-197. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2018.08.004. Epub 2018 Aug 30. PMID: 30172870.

7 Goodrick CL, Ingram DK, Reynolds MA, Freeman JR, Cider NL. Differential effects of intermittent feeding and voluntary exercise on body weight and lifespan in adult rats. J Gerontol. 1983 Jan;38(1):36-45. doi: 10.1093/geronj/38.1.36. PMID: 6848584

8. Mazurak N, Günther A, Grau FS, Muth ER, Pustovoyt M, Bischoff SC, Zipfel S, Enck P. Effects of a 48-h fast on heart rate variability and cortisol levels in healthy female subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Apr;67(4):401-6. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2013.32. Epub 2013 Feb 13. PMID: 23403876.

9. Popkin BM, D’Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, hydration, and health. Nutr Rev. 2010 Aug;68(8):439-58. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x. PMID: 20646222; PMCID: PMC2908954.

10 Hodges RE, Minich DM. Modulation of Metabolic Detoxification Pathways Using Foods and Food-Derived Components: A Scientific Review with Clinical Application. J Nutr Metab. 2015;2015:760689. doi: 10.1155/2015/760689. Epub 2015 Jun 16. PMID: 26167297; PMCID: PMC4488002.

11. Baker LB. Physiology of sweat gland function: The roles of sweating and sweat composition in human health. Temperature (Austin). 2019 Jul 17;6(3):211-259. doi: 10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145. PMID: 31608304; PMCID: PMC6773238.

12. Scheffer DDL, Latini A. Exercise-induced immune system response: Anti-inflammatory status on peripheral and central organs. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2020 Oct 1;1866(10):165823. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165823. Epub 2020 Apr 29. PMID: 32360589; PMCID: PMC7188661.

13. Skov K, Graudal NA, Jürgens G. The effect of activated charcoal on drug exposure following intravenous administration: A meta-analysis. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2021 Apr;128(4):568-578. doi: 10.1111/bcpt.13553. Epub 2021 Jan 21. PMID: 33386684.

14. Wang ZB, Xin SS, Ding LN, Ding WY, Hou YL, Liu CQ, Zhang XD. The Potential Role of Probiotics in Controlling Overweight/Obesity and Associated Metabolic Parameters in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Apr 15;2019:3862971. doi: 10.1155/2019/3862971. PMID: 31118956; PMCID: PMC6500612.

15. Sharifi-Rad J, Rayess YE, Rizk AA, Sadaka C, Zgheib R, Zam W, Sestito S, Rapposelli S, Neffe-Skocińska K, Zielińska D, Salehi B, Setzer WN, Dosoky NS, Taheri Y, El Beyrouthy M, Martorell M, Ostrander EA, Suleria HAR, Cho WC, Maroyi A, Martins N. Turmeric and Its Major Compound Curcumin on Health: Bioactive Effects and Safety Profiles for Food, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnological and Medicinal Applications. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Sep 15;11:01021. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01021. PMID: 33041781; PMCID: PMC7522354.

16. Naeini F, Zarezadeh M, Mohiti S, Tutunchi H, Ebrahimi Mamaghani M, Ostadrahimi A. Spirulina supplementation as an adjuvant therapy in enhancement of antioxidant capacity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Int J Clin Pract. 2021 Oct;75(10):e14618. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.14618. Epub 2021 Aug 4. PMID: 34235823.