Detox Into Spring

You may have gained that dreaded COVID 15 (or more) as you continually fed yourself through quarantine and remote living but now, as the season changes, it is time to detox into spring. 

By flipping the script on what you put in your body and adapting some minor lifestyle changes you can start shedding your system of accumulated toxins (like atmospheric pollutants) and maybe lose some weight in the process too. 

Hit the ground running this spring, literally, and embrace foods and activities that could have you going right into next fall, regardless of the pandemic nightmare hanging over our heads.

Is Detoxification Necessary?

Your body has an amazing built-in detoxification system primarily carried out by the skin, digestive system, liver, kidneys, and lungs. Therefore, some speculation on whether a detox protocol is necessary in the first place is always a concern. Most doctors will tell you that it is a waste of time and money, yet naturopathic doctors (NDs) believe differently. 

In one survey of the naturopathic doctor’s approach to assisting the body in detoxification, published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, it was stated that,

“The high frequency of use of dietary interventions for detoxification is supported, in part, by the scientific literature. As increasing evidence of the relationship between body burden and adverse health effects of synthetic chemicals emerges, safe and effective methods of reducing body burden levels will be a vital component []…Detoxification therapies used by NDs may serve as an adequate means to reduce the body burden of synthetic chemicals found today in humans”

Prepare and Power Up

Your body is constantly bombarded with different toxins such as: 

• Noxious cleaning products
• Manufactured and manipulated processed food
• Vapors from chemically treated fabric like new furniture or rugs 
• Airborne fossil fuel pollutants from cars, trucks, buses, trucks, jets, etc.
• Volatile organic compounds that may emit from synthetics such as indoor house paint

You may think detoxification of these and other toxins is a big overhaul scrubbing of your insides. But that isn’t how it works. Although your detox organs can handle most of these toxins, it could take a lot of energy away from more important functions. 

A detox protocol boosts these organ functions to strengthen and increase production while stoking the digestive and musculoskeletal system for increased elimination. Going beyond a one time detox and maintaining a continued detox practice may increase your quality of life.

Getting Started

Committing to a detox program doesn’t mean you need to purchase special drinks, supplements, or powders. All you need to do is follow these simple steps:

• Stop the crap
• Eat more greens
• Move the body
• Increase plain water

That’s it, if you’re getting started on a path to detox into spring, follow this list.

Stop the Crap

Starting a detoxification program means stopping the crap. It’s not that hard to avoid as “the crap” will consist of everything that is not healthy such as: 

• Processed sugars
• Excessive salt
• Fried/oily foods
• Lack of exercise
• Oils such as canola, cottonseed, soybean, grapeseed
• Avoid anything else that requires an ingredient list that takes up most of the packaging

Alcohol – If alcohol is consumed daily, eliminating regular consumption can help the body detox and rebuild. Alcohol can causes fat buildup, scarring and inflammation of the liver impeding its ability to properly detox your system. As a result, waste can build up causing all sorts of problems over time.

A study of alcohol consumption, published in the Journal of Molecular Biology, reported that, 

“Previous studies have provided substantial evidence that acetaldehyde [metabolized liver enzymes broken down from alcohol] induces various forms of DNA damage leading to cancer development”

Eat More Greens

People are beginning to realize that eating a high meat diet may do more harm than good. Eating a diet primarily made up of greens and other plant based choices is the best detox available and can be a continued adjunct to systemic detoxification. This is mainly due to the high antioxidants found in just about every fruit, vegetable, whole grain and legume (bean). Antioxidants have been continuously shown to increase free radical consumption resulting in the mitigation of future disease.

A study and database research published in Nutrition Journal concluded that, 

“This database is to our best knowledge the most comprehensive Antioxidant Food Database published and it shows that plant-based foods introduce significantly more antioxidants into human diet than non-plant foods.”

Add green juicing to the list and feed yourself greens all day.

Move the Body

One of the easiest ways to eliminate embedded toxins is to be as physically active as possible. Whether you choose a brisk thirty-minute walk each evening after dinner or constantly going to the gym, squeezing your muscles and increasing circulation encourages systemic detoxification.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Matzkin, chief of women’s sports medicine at Harvard Medical School, as reported by Reuters, 

“The human body is designed to get rid of what we don’t need…In general exercise helps our lungs; kidneys get rid of things that can cause us onset of disease,”

Hydrate

Water is like a detoxification medicine for the body. It assists in flushing out the system while feeding the skin, digestive tract, and other essential detoxification organs. 

According to Joy Dubost, RD, food scientist and former spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 

“The best way to clean out your system is by drinking plenty of water and getting enough fiber to keep your digestive system regular.”

Drink filtered water throughout the day avoiding other beverages with sugar and dye additives.

These simple steps can help you detox into spring, allowing your body to re-set, rebalance, and rejuvenate after being cooped up all winter. In addition, once you have mastered these four detox protocols look into intermittent fasting to really turn it up a notch or two, 

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3239317/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618592/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841576/

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fitness-detoxification/can-exercise-detoxify-the-body-health-experts-are-skeptical-idUSBRE8BG0KQ20121217