Detox 101
Updated Sep. 27th, 2023
So you had a little too much to drink, eat and maybe even picked up some other bad habits over the holidays. Now, as a result, you're feeling sluggish, tired and lethargic? It sounds like you've come down with a bad case of what we like to call the 'holiday hangover'. But you realise that, and this is why you are considering a cleanse or detox (whichever you prefer to call it!). Often when we expose our bodies to toxins, such as too much alcohol, it is normal to feel the need to help your body rid them. However, there is a difference between tossing the word around and actually buckling down and doing it. But first let's be clear, detoxes and diets are not the same. And before you start doing your research, let's first understand that there are several detoxes that are hard on your body and will actually do more harm than good – we're here to help you do it the proper way.
But first, we know you're all asking the same thing, so we won't make you wait... DOES
DOES DETOXING WORK?
Yes, BUT (and it's a big but, so pay attention), not all detoxes are created equal and not all detoxes are created for all people. You also have to remember that there is a difference between dieting and detoxing – we wanted to remind you of that fact, again.
How Does a Detox Work?
A detox, short for detoxification, is the body's natural, ongoing process of neutralising or eliminating toxins from our body. What are toxins? This can be anything that can potentially harm body tissue – think of the process that leads to an ammonia, or even man-made toxins that are floating around in the environment that we ingest. Together our liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, skin, blood and lymphatic systems work to ensure toxins are transformed to less harmful compounds and disposed from our body, a detox simply helps this process along. Did you know that the average American has over 90 toxic chemicals in their body? While this stat is scary, Dr. Oz only recommends doing a cleanse 3-4 times a year, at most.
What is a Detox?
Let’s start with a quick definition of a detox [or detox diet] because there are so many options out there, and we couldn’t possibly address them all in one article. It's also important to understand the point of a detox diet. For the purposes of this article, we are talking about a 2-3 week (minimum) restriction of certain foods and drinks that tend to be harder on the detoxification system of the body. The detox that is referenced here may also include the addition of other herbs, vitamins, minerals or nutrients that are known to support specific organs of detoxification (which is the liver, colon, and kidneys). We are not talking about calorie restricted, or ‘juice’ diets (including the well-known cayenne, maple syrup, and lemon water detox), nor a detox that contains heavy and harsh laxatives that keep you running to the washroom the entire life of the detox. The foods and herbs in these diets are not meant to directly cleanse the body of anything. A good detox simply aims to support the organs that are responsible for the mighty job of detoxification, and in so doing, speed up/encourage these processes more, so your body can be more effective. A detox diet/cleanse can, if done correctly, work quite well – leading to improvements in liver function, elimination processes/bowel function, clearer skin, less bloating and gas, improvements in mental function and mood, as well as provide an increase in energy, for starters. And even weight-loss.
The Organs of Detoxification
Everything that we consume, including foods, medication, drinks, and supplements, is filtered through our liver making it the most important organ in detoxification. Other organs that play important roles in the detoxification process are the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and skin. Since everything is filtered through the liver, it can get sluggish over time from all of the processed, refined and fast food chemicals we consume. In fact, alcohol, refined sugar, coffee, processed/pre-made food and fast foods are included as restricted foods when doing a detox.
Detox Support through Herbs and Nutrients
Herbs such as milk thistle, dandelion, globe artichoke, and curcumin are important for liver support, as are lipotropic factors, choline, inositol, and methionine. Vitamins C, E, and a full range of B’s, as well as minerals such as magnesium, selenium, molybdenum are also vitally important for the detoxification process. A number of amino acids (taurine, glycine, glutamic acid), along with CoQ10, and NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine), are also necessary nutrients for detox – your lungs, liver, and kidneys all benefit from these.
Other helpful hints
Another ‘must’ with any detox is increasing water consumption, along with fibre. This gently supports the bowel in its job of eliminating all the toxins filtered by the liver, and helps to decrease any side effects. Exercise can also help to support the detoxification process, and elimination of toxins through the skin (sweat). So get moving!
How will I feel?
The detox that we are talking about here will have significantly fewer side effects than many of the ‘unhealthier’ detox options. That being said, headaches during detoxification are very common, as are acne flare-ups, or skin exacerbation. Generally, the first week of a detox can cause individuals to feel a little more lethargic than usual. Listen to your body and be gentle with it. Go to bed early if you are tired, and don't over do it with exercise if your body is saying no. By the end of the second week, most people feel significantly better than they did before they started.
We advise you seek the advice of a Naturopathic doctor before starting any detox regime – they can tailor the detox to your individual needs, and monitor your progress throughout.
What a detox diet consists of:
Fruits: Apples, bananas, pears, oranges, etc. [fresh, frozen, dried or canned in natural fruit juice]
Fruit juice: Homemade fresh fruit juices or smoothies [not sweetened]
Vegetables: Almost any vegetable: carrots, turnip, sprouts, cabbage, onions, peppers, sweet corn, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, salad, etc. [fresh or frozen]
Beans and lentils: Any beans: haricot, cannelloni, red kidney, black eye, red lentils, green lentils, etc [fresh, dried or canned in water]
Starches: Potatoes [all types], brown rice, rice noodles etc.
Fresh fish: Any fresh fish: cod, salmon, lobster, plaice, mackerel, crab, trout, haddock, tuna, Dover sole, red mullet, prawns, etc
Unsalted nuts: Brazil, cashew, hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans, pine nuts, macadamia, walnuts, pistachio, etc
Live natural yogurt
Extras: Garlic, ginger and fresh herbs, honey etc
DRINK: Tap or mineral water [at least 2 litres a day] + herbal/fruit teas
AVOID EATING!
Meats: Chicken, turkey, Red meat, and meat products such as burgers, sausages, etc
Milk and milk products: such as cheese, cream, and butter
Eggs
Breads: Anything that contains wheat etc
Salted snacks, salted nuts
Refined Sugars: Sweets, jam, chocolate, sugar etc
Alcohol
Coffee, tea
Fizzy drinks
Squashes: all types
Processed foods
Sauces: salad dressing, pickles, mayonnaise etc.
Salt
Things to Avoid
The diets in the following list have the potential to be harmful, and hard on the body. As Dr. Oz exclaims, downsides to popular detoxes can rob the body of important nutrients, place your body in starvation mode and in turn, actually slow down your metabolism. These types of detoxes are typically, if anything, more taxing on our organs and can create dehydration, fatigue, dizziness and/or nausea.
- Avoid 2-3 day detox kits (they tend to be very harsh as they are trying to speed up a process that in no way can, or should happen this quickly.). These short detox diets also tend to be very restrictive, which can have consequences for those with blood sugar issues, blood pressure issues, or immune deficiencies, to name a few.
- Avoid detoxes that use harsh/strong laxatives, and a lot of them, to increase elimination of waste. These can be very inflammatory to the bowel, and for those with inflammatory bowel issues, will surely cause a flare-up. They can also cause cramping, diarrhoea, nausea, and dehydration, to name a few side effects.
- Avoid calorie restricted detoxes that last more than 24 hours. Juice diets have their place, but need to be conducted under the strict supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner, and again, are not for everyone.
Be cautious when doing these, or any detox in the heart of the summer, or winter. Especially in the winter, when our body is already overwhelmed with cold and flu viruses, and other infection, a detox can further compromise or weaken your immune defences. You should never start a detox when you have an infection.
I do a detox annually, to ensure everything is cleaned out and working well.
Hello Ashley,
That's a great approach, to support your body with natural herbs and healthy, detoxing foods. We're glad your feeling good and that our article has helped you in detoxing in a healthy way.
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/detoxification/
Stay healthy & well!
Great information about detoxing. I've never done one before.
Great information about detoxing, I haven't done one but have been thinking about trying. Excellent info for a newbie like me!
I like the advice in this article that recommends a safe way to detox. Eat healthy, exercise, get rest, add in beneficial supplements to support your detox organs. I like the advice not to detox in the hottest or coldest parts of the year when your body is already working harder.
Hello Wendy,
Yes, fad detox's aren't the healthiest way to go about it. We wanted to educate on how to cleanse in a healthy way. Milk Thistle is a great supplement to support detoxification and an overall cleanse.
Stay healthy & well
A good article on how to gradually detox the body. The diet restrictions are pretty extensive. I find it is usually enough to increase fruit and vegetables and eliminate caffeine, sugar, wheat, soy, dairy and red meat. Never heard of eliminating all types of squashes before. I find it also helpful to add a small amount of mineral powder (no sugar added electrolytes) and acacia powder (clear fibre) to all the extra water I drink. A bit of gentle dry body brushing also helps to make sure the lymph system is draining well.
Hello Margaret,
Thank you for your comment; we're glad you've enjoyed our articles. Detoxing doesn't have to mean starving or doing a crazy cleanse. Often times it's about eating clean and taking natural herbal supplements that support the bodies natural detoxification process. We have more articles on this topic if you're interest in learning more:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/detoxification/
Have a healthy day!
Great article. I was happy to see exercise included in your "helpful hints" With so many toxins are in our food, but also in the air we breathe, the water we drink, products we apply directly to our skin, hair, and even fingernails and eyelashes detoxing is so important. Although some of these toxins will pass through us, but some build up in our organs, causing them to not function effectively. A big mistake I made when I first tried detoxing was not opening my channels of elimination first. I had major detox reactions because I had stirred up all of my toxins, but I wasn't able to effectively eliminate them. After consulting with a Naturopath, I worked on a program that opened up my organs (bowels, liver and gallbladder, kidneys, and skin) for the excretion or elimination of toxins. This made subsequent detox cleanses much more manageable. A few things that really helped me were sauna, bouncing on a trampoline for my lymph system, and as you mentioned exercise, diet, herbs and supplements to help with parasites.
Hello Ryan,
We're happy you enjoyed our Detox 101 article and thank you for sharing your tips and experience. Indeed, your body must be able to release the toxins from a cleanse in order to be effective. We are exposed to toxins daily; therefore daily detoxing activities such as exercise, taking herbs and using a sauna are great ways to micro-detox daily.
Stay healthy & well!
Loved this article! Fabulous information that covered all aspects of detoxification. So important to get this information out to those whom might shy away from cleansing. It offers so many benefits and would be an asset to anyone's health care regime.
Hello Judy,
Thank you for your positive feedback on the article! We're happy to hear that you found it informative and valuable. Detoxification is indeed an important aspect of maintaining good health, and we're glad to be able to share this information with others who may be hesitant about cleansing. Since you're enjoying out articles so much, we think you'll really like our Youtube channel, be sure to check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/@NTLnutrition/featured
Have a healthy day!