Detoxing or Spring Cleaning: A Guide for the Beginner
This hand-out has been adapted from lecture notes so please excuse some of the rather clunky use of grammar.
1.
Why should you consider a detox plan?
Basically, to remove toxins and maintain or restore a state of health. Look upon it as a short diet plan rather than anything more sinister! It doesn't involve Betty Ford or cold turkey.
What are toxins?
Toxin is simply another word for poison. They may be relatively harmless in small quantities, but if they are allowed to build up, they may hamper the normal, healthy working of the human body.
Toxins are taken into our bodies through breathing, drinking, and eating. Amongst others they are alcohol, nicotine, drugs and pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals in food, or soot and petrochemical residues from the atmosphere.
They may be directly cytotoxic themselves, or give rise to the production of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable elements which possess a very high energy. They need to disperse this energy as rapidly as possible to become stable, but in doing so they start a chain reaction. Free radicals usually come from burning or oxidative processes. Inhaling vehicle exhaust fumes, ultra-violet rays, smoking, eating charred food, even strenuous exercise, all produce free radicals. The delicate internal structures of cells, including the DNA, and connective tissue, are particularly vulnerable to free radical damage. Although you may not notice their effect immediately, if allowed to act unchallenged they may lead to chronic health conditions and drastically reduce quality of life in the later years.
The human body will most happily thrive on a diet which is sometimes known as a Stone Age diet, a diet free of processed foods, rich in fruit and raw or lightly cooked vegetables, significant but moderate consumption of oily fish and lean meat, and wholegrains and cereals. We also ideally require plenty of exercise and rest.
‘Mental' toxins help us to deviate from this ideal state of affairs. ‘Poisonous' thoughts that keep us from the straight and narrow. It maybe a feeling that we need to live life in the fast lane, both at work and at play. When it comes to eating we grab what is close to hand, processed foods high in sugars and saturated fats, not high quality nutritive foods. Then down the pub for unrestrained alcohol and nicotine consumption. This will not support a good state of health in the long run, This may start to lead to a feeling that all is not well, a feeling of dissatisfaction. This is a good sign that you need to reset your body and your attitudes. Push out all of the toxins and free radicals that have been accumulating in your cells and the unhealthy state of mind from your psyche.
As the biblical parable has it, the wise man built his house upon the rock. It is the same with our bodies, if we don't lay good nutritional foundations for our health, then we can also expect that state of health to come tumbling down at some point in the future.
2.
First stage of a detox is to get your head round it. Why are you detoxing and what do you hope to gain from it. My first detox was an experiment. I wasn't happy with my diet and lifestyle and I wanted to see what I could do about it. I had my wife's support and we went through it together. We resolved to: only eat organic, nutrient rich food; to drink more water to assist the processing of toxins; take more exercise; and to give up smoking and drinking. Obviously it took a few days to get organised, to clear the fridge of stuff that wouldn't fit in with the plan, and to stock up on what we were going to need. We focussed our minds on being healthy people for a change, and waited to see where it was going to take us.
We did this for a period of two weeks, after which I was able to completely give up smoking, I had been going out for a run every night and this continued to the extent that I was able to do the Edinburgh Marathon last autumn, and last but not least I discovered how much nicer tasting brown rice is than white rice. These lasting side-effects have been with me for two years and made that first detox very worthwhile.
3.
If you want to decrease toxins in your system you have to do one of two things, preferably both: decrease or eliminate intake of toxis, and accelerate the rate of excretion.
I. Base your diet on fresh or dried fruit and raw or lightly cooked vegetables. This is a great time to buy a steamer or a juicer (John lewis has a good selection). Overcooking will destroy anti-oxidant nutrients which will help mop up free radicals. Don't take fruit with other foods as it will ferment and give you a feeling of bloatedness. It is better to take it on an empty stomach.
II. Whole grains. The advantage of eating brown rice and wholemeal pastas and breads is not just the increase in fibre, but all the richness of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals that are attached to the husk of the grain. In the Far East where white (polished) rice is a staple, B1 deficiency, beri-beri is becoming increasingly prevalent.
Live yoghurt will help to restore balance to your digestive system.
Drink water, fruit and vegetable juices, and herbal teas.
Spice up your meals with as many herbs, spices, nuts and seeds as you wish.
Aim to only consume organic produce to both increase the amount of nutrients available and to avoid taking in any more toxins. You will probably have to learn to cook for yourself again if you want to control what you eat.
ii. Avoid taking unnecessary OTC medicines (do not stop taking prescription medications unless under the supervision of your doctor), alcohol, nicotine, tea, coffee, saturated animal fats, refined sugars, processed foods, and difficult to digest proteins like meat and dairy.
4.
The organs of elimination are the lungs, skin, liver, bowels, kidneys and urinary system. These will work naturally but you can stimulate their action by taking a range of herbs. The most important liver herbs are milk thistle and dandelion. Milk thistle is a superbly effective herb that is prescribed in some European countries along with certain prescription medications to help the body minimise the side-effects. It is one of the few substances known to man that actually stimulates the growth of new liver cells. Dandelion is a perfect complement to milk thistle as it helps squeeze the bile (the end product of liver detoxification and essential for fat absorption) into the bowel. Bioforce Milk Thistle Complex contains both milk thistle, dandelion, and artichoke. A diet rich in soft soluble fibres will then remove it completely from the body. A diet low in fibre will result in poor digestion and a feeling of sluggishness and liverishness.
By taking moderate cardio-vascular exercise you will increase the excretion of toxins through the skin and the lungs. Make sure you take plenty of water though to ensure the kidneys can continue to work. Exercise is important to successful detoxing because it stimulates the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a passive system of vessels in the body which transport cell fluid back into the blood system. The lymph is filtered through a series of nodes throughout the body. As it is passive its flow is stimulated by muscle contraction and gravity. Exercise will, therefore, help lymph filtration.
Kidney function is stimulated by herbs like birch and (golden grass), as well as most herbal teas and an adequate intake of water.
The health of the bowels can be aided by probiotic bacteria, aloe vera, soft fibres, and water.
A multi-vitamin containing selenium and anti-oxidants will help to aid natural detoxification in the liver and bond to heavy metals like mercury from fillings, preventing them from accumulating in soft tissues of the body. Some people will release toxins but will be unable to remove them from the body. A good multi-vitamin will help.
Combination detox products like Bioforce's Detox Box and Ortis Pure Plan are simple ways to make sure you get the most out of your time detoxing. It is not worth doing a detox for any period shorter than ten days. Your body simply will not have time to respond effectively.
5.
Some people may develop mild side-effects from the detox. Symptoms like headaches, spots, tiredness as toxins come out, but this will all pass if you stick to your plan.
At hanover healthfoods we will happily go through a programme with you and give you all the support you need.
At the end of it you will feel mentally and physically enriched, you may even have lost a few pounds. But most of all your body will be a healthier place for you to live.
The question is what do you want to achieve from a detox and could it help you change your life?
Most staff at hanover healthfoods have been on at least one detox and will be happy to advise as to which foods and supplements will be most appropriate for your needs. Give us a ring on 0131-225 4291, e-mail us at enquiries@hanoverhealth.co.uk, or call in.
John McKee MA (Hons), DipHFR
Manager, Hanover Healthfoods
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