This is a step-by-step approach to a holistic detox for health in 2020!
The average life span consists of 948 months. For just one of those, this health plan challenges you to live well. By establishing a strong foundation of healthy choices and eliminating obstacles, you will be surprised how much change you will see in 30 days. This one month may change the way you live the rest of your year.
As a naturopathic doctor, I believe that true healing lies in the crossroads of physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. This detox plan is aimed at achieving goals in each area, with exercises and recommendations for your body, mind, and soul. Without the involvement and harmony of each aspect of living, lasting change cannot occur.
Let's dive in and see how your physical health improves, your energy increases, and your mind and heart shift.
I Find and eliminate toxic exposures
1. Exogenous toxins (from outside the body)
a. Do you have a history of heavy metal exposure through environment or occupation? Do you eat farmed fish, consume canned foods, drink tap water, or eat non-organic/conventionally farmed foods? Do you smoke? If so, then you may be at risk for increased exposure to heavy metals and chemicals. Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are some of the most prevalent and damaging metals. They have the potential to increase free radicals in the body, damage DNA, mitochondria and cell membranes, and disrupt the endocrine system. Chemicals such as persistent organic pollutants, most commonly from pesticides and industrial chemicals and byproducts, have the potential of bio-accumulating in organisms, leading to the development of certain cancers, reproductive issues, changes in the immune and nervous systems, alterations in genes and birth defects.
b. Know the sources and avoid when possible:
Lead: Lead paint (before 1977), lead pipes (homes build before 1986), indoor firing ranges, cigarette smoke, occupational exposures (welders, use of lead solder, etc.), and contamination of food, air, water or soil. Lead exposures are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and all cause mortality. What can I do? Ask your health care provider for lead testing, especially if you have a known history of occupational or environmental exposures. Filter your water, consume organic local foods, quit smoking, and find out if you have lead in your home.
Mercury: Amalgams (metal dental fillings), fish, water, air pollution. Mercury toxicity can impact the nervous system and cause nerve cell damage. It typically affects the brain and kidneys. What can I do? Ask your healthcare provider for mercury testing, especially if you have a history of exposure. Consider safe amalgam removal, and stick to wild caught, cold-water, oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel).
Arsenic: Dietary (conventionally farmed seafood, rice, mushrooms, poultry), tap water. Arsenic exposure has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease and cancer. Arsenic has an affinity for accumulating in the liver and kidneys. What can I do? Filter your water, consume free-range, pasture-raised organic meats, stick to wild caught, cold-water, oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), and limit your rice intake.
Cadmium: Cigarettes, burning industrial/household waste, sewage, contaminated food, air, water, soil from industry, and occupational exposures (battery production, plastic manufacturing, pigment use, steel plating). Higher levels of cadmium in the body have been linked to cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke, as well as osteoporosis. What can I do? Ask your doctor for testing if you have a known environmental or occupational exposure. Quit smoking, protect yourself from combustion fumes, filter your water, know where your food is coming from and choose organic.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): These are organic compounds that resist environmental breakdown, and thus can accumulate in the body. Pesticides, solvents, industrial chemicals and plastics are among the list. POPs can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, endocrine disruption (thyroid and sex hormones) and diabetes. What can I do? Filter your water, choose organic farming practices, and refer to my article for ways to replace your household and beauty products for chemical-free alternatives.
Inappropriate Pharmaceuticals: Pharmaceuticals like birth control pills, antibiotics, painkillers, hormone replacement therapy, antidepressants, and chemotherapy agents have been found in public water supplies. What can I do? If you can do one thing to reduce exogenous toxins this month it is to get yourself and your family a water filter. The EWG has guidelines for selecting a water filter based on the needs of your area.
2. Endogenous toxins (from inside the body)
a. Do you have digestive issues, like gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea? Or problems with hormone balancing, such as mood swings, PMS, irregular or heavy periods? You could have an imbalance of intestinal flora causing digestive issues and interfering with the proper elimination of hormones from the body. If hormones aren’t excreted properly, they can be reabsorbed and recirculate leading to increased levels and those crazy symptoms.
b. Ideally, find a trained practitioner who can assess the function of your gut. In the meantime, consider incorporating a good quality spore-based probiotic, consuming more fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yogurts), fiber and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, cabbage, etc.), which support hormone detoxification.
3. Toxins & inflammation you control:
a. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, marijuana use, recreational drugs and inappropriate use of pharmaceuticals, high fructose corn syrup, processed foods, preservatives, food coloring and additives like MSG and sulfites.
b. For those looking to change their diet and considering food sensitivities, this month may be the time to finally do an elimination diet. An elimination diet is a diet in which you remove potential problem foods from your diet for a period of time to see if symptoms improve. After 3-6 weeks, you made re-introduce or re-challenge the foods, one by one, consuming them and noticing if symptoms re-emerge. Gluten is a common cause of inflammation for some, while dairy, corn, soy, peanuts, processed/added sugars, caffeine, alcohol, or inflammatory fats are the problem for others (or some combination of them all). An elimination diet removes those food groups, and focuses instead on organic fruit and vegetables, good quality protein, healthy fats, nuts and seeds, legumes, and seasoning herbs.
This seems like a lot for step one of the detox, but just a few changes will make a huge difference in your detox. A good detox HAS to start with avoiding toxic exposures. All the celery juice in the world can’t stand up against a chronic exposure that remains undetected and unaddressed.
Takeaways: Filter your water, choose organic foods, ditch the alcohol and tobacco, discuss your exposure history with your healthcare provider and ask if there is testing available.
II A Nourishing Diet
Food is nourishment. I think we forget this important concept. Food represents so many things to us: family, comfort, tradition, happiness, contentment, satisfaction, certainty… however, food can also be attached to uncertainty, fear, control, shame, disappointment. Think about 3 words that summarize your relationship to food:
This month, I want to flip the script on food and unite on a common understanding. This month food is nourishment. What we take in fuels us, powers us, nourishes us. Consider food to be a source of life, a blessing, a means by which we can Be in the world. Each time you sit down to eat this month, whether you are someone who prays or pauses in gratitude or eats over the kitchen sink (GUILTY!), I challenge you to think this thought or speak it aloud: With this food, I nourish myself.
When we think of the food we eat as nourishment, we can change our patterns and relationship with our diet. When we think of food's ability to nourish our bodies, minds AND spirits, it opens up the possibility for a better relationship with what we eat. This month, our diet plan is not to take away and restrict. Our plan is to nourish.
What nourishes me? Nourishment means different things to each of us. It is based on our upbringings, our habits, our preferences, our biases. Think about the foods that you believe nourish you, body, mind, and soul:
Next think about the foods that bring negative emotions, the foods that you believe might be obstacles to being nourished, the foods that do not nourish you:
Remember that what you believe is helping you and what you believe is hurting you, will do just that.
Refer to my article on the best diet, keeping in mind that the best diet is the one that is individualized to you. If you are able to try the elimination re-challenge diet this month, you may discover food sensitivities that you were unaware of, as well as feel generally better by decreasing processed foods and sugar from the diet.
III Exercise & Sauna
This month’s challenge is to sweat everyday. Movement stimulates the bowels, circulates the blood and lymph, and raises your temperature inducing a sweat. These actions support our detoxification pathways and that’s the name of the game this month. Pick something you enjoy and do it often. Your workout doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Something that you enjoyed in the past or something you’ve wanted to try are great options for this detox. If you have experience with/access to a sauna, you can incorporate sauna time into your detox plan. Regular sauna use is associated with improved cardiovascular health, and reduced risk of dementia and premature death. Sweating can mobilize stored toxins in the body, so it is important to support digestive elimination by increasing your fiber intake this month. Dietary fiber acts like a binder in our gut, trapping and expelling waste as it moves through the system.
IV Sleep
If sleep is a problem area for you, this HAS to be a priority for you during your detox. The body needs restorative sleep to perform non-essential processes that don’t get done during the day when you are busy thinking, talking, eating, working, exercising, etc. If these tasks are non-essential then why are they important? Because poor sleep adds up. Take the brain for example. Adequate sleep protects the brain from developing beta-amyloid proteins, which are metabolic waste products linked to Alzheimer’s dementia. Think of good sleep like a detox for the brain. Refer to my article on how to get the best sleep.
V Stress
You knew this was coming. But don’t worry, this is not your average vague warning of the health risks linked to high stress. What I will say is this: if stress is impacting your ability to function and be the person who is most you, then your stress response is off balance. This isn’t something you can wish away and it’s not something to be ashamed of either. This is a detox, in every sense of the word. Give yourself the permission to detox from the negative effects of stress in your life. This means something different to each of us, so here is an exercise. List three things that you find draining and you dread doing. Then list three things that fill you up, energize you and that you enjoy. Now you have to strike a balance, daily. And that is the stress plan for your 30-day detox.
VI Mind
What is a detoxified mind? Write a couple of sentences about what that means to you. For me, a detoxified mind is clear of clutter, open to new ideas, and focused on the present moment. A detoxified mind can form a thought, connect an idea, and construct a concept without fog or fatigue or fear. Our minds generally control us, we are victim to whatever thoughts and worries enter and exit the scene. Our goal this month is not to control our thoughts, but rather to meditate on them. Start to notice thoughts without judgment. The best way I can do this is with breathing practice. Refer to my article on functional breathing and incorporate 20 minutes into your day for the next 30 days. Additionally, I find that a detoxified mind needs a clean physical environment. Use the new year as a chance to de-clutter, clean and freshen your living environment. Consider new air filters for your home.
VII Spirit
Spirituality is that connection to something greater than us. It is the notion that there is an invisible life force within us and shared by all. For some it is a religious spirituality and for others it is not. Write down one sentence about what spirituality means to you. This month, make a spiritual goal. If you are religious, maybe you will read your holy book each day or offer daily prayers. If you are not religious, maybe you experience your higher purpose through art or song or dance. Maybe you meditate or journal or converse with others on the topic. Whatever your spiritual practice is, create an achievable daily or weekly goal, recognizing that a whole person detox extends to the soul.
VIII Support the organs of elimination
The body has several ways of eliminating waste and toxins via the organs of elimination. These are: the kidneys, liver, gut, lungs, skin and lymph. Through urination, digestion, breath, sweat and lymph flow, we remove what we don’t need and what doesn’t belong.
Kidney: This month you are reducing burden by drinking filtered water and avoiding heavy metals and chemicals where you can. Gotu kola is a favorite botanical medicine for kidney support, mitigating harm from toxins and inhibiting scar tissue formation which can impair function of the kidneys as they filter blood and make urine.
Liver: You are loving your liver with foods such as cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, bok choi, as wells as beets, artichoke, carrots, grapefruit, garlic, nuts, fatty fish, and avocados. You are decreasing liver burden by removing/decreasing exposures. Milk thistle is an herb with a special affinity for the liver. It is best known for its amazing protective effects in the face of high toxic liver burden.
Gut: You are supporting the gut with probiotics, fermented foods, and lots of vegetable fiber this month. Fiber works to detox the gut by binding up waste products and packaging them for elimination. The best source of fiber during this detox is aboveground, fibrous green leafy veggies. This month you are choosing nourishing and organic foods, and maybe doing an elimination diet to find which foods are inflammatory in your system. Glutamine and collagen are supportive to the integrity of the intestinal lining, repairing damage and decreasing inflammation.
Lungs: You are breathing 20 minutes daily this month in a way that makes your lungs proud. You have educated yourself on exposures that may be airborne and are doing your best to avoid these. You have deep cleaned your living environment to improve air quality in your home. NAC is the precursor to glutathione, your body’s main antioxidant. It works in the lungs (and systemically) to reduce inflammation and thin secretions so that you can get them out.
Skin: You are sweating everyday and loving your liver and gut with dietary nutrients essential for skin health. You are reducing your use of chemical containing personal and beauty products and protecting your largest organ from harmful exposures. If you need a moisturizer this month, consider a lightweight oil like sesame or almond oil rather than a thicker lotion or cream. Omega-3 fatty acids, like those contained in fish oil supplements, are crucial for the structure and function of every cell membrane in the body. Omega-3 fats are anti-inflammatory and support skin integrity.
Lymph: You are sweating and moving this month, which supports lymph flow. Consider skin brushing before showering with a soft natural bristle brush. In small strokes brush from your feet upwards toward your heart, and from your fingertips to your chest. This follows the natural flow of lymphatic fluid as it moves your immune cells through your body, clearing unwanted invaders and toxins.
Always discuss with your healthcare practitioner about any new supplements you are considering and if they are safe and indicated for you.
There are so many “detox” products on the market these days. Some are helpful, some neutral, and others harmful. While the right supplement addition may support your detox, the most powerful predictor of the success of your detox plan is your commitment to lifestyle modifications. Changes in the way you eat, sleep, stress, and move have the biggest impact on your overall health and ability to detox optimally. Remember that if you don’t address the sources of toxic exposures in your life (toxic substances, toxic ideas, toxic people), you will only be putting a band-aid on the problem with expensive detox supplements.
Get the most out of your detox this month by establishing the right foundations for a healthy 2020.
Template for daily detox support:
Day 1:
Today I am grateful for:
1.
2.
3.
My intention for today is:
Today I will nourish myself with:
Today I will challenge myself by:
Daily Check-List:
Did I drink clean water and eat mindfully?
Did I sweat today?
Did I sleep well last night?
Did I balance my have to’s and want to’s? Did I do something joyful?
Did I breathe for 20 minutes?
Did I do my spiritual practice?
30-day Detox Check-list:
1. Read and print this article for reference
2. Refer to the environmental toxins article about cleaner products and practices, including water filters for your home and shopping guides (EWG website for reference to the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen)
3. Refer to the best diet article for support with food choices this month
4. Refer to the sleep hygiene article for support with your sleep this month
5. Refer to the functional breathing article to inform your 20 minute daily breathing practice
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