Detoxing The Right Way
- Jessica Koeman
- Jan 30, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 23, 2020
Detoxing is the new "Do it yourself" fad that everyone has been talking about. With so many different options and ways of detoxing, it seems impossible to choose one, and most importantly, choose the RIGHT one! Well, at the end of this blog post, I hope that you can walk away feeling like you know exactly how to detox appropriately and effectively!
First, what is a detox?
A detox is referred to a medical procedure that rids the body of what is usually life-threatening, levels of alcohol, drugs, or poisons. Those undergoing detoxification are usually treated in hospitals or clinics. However, now detoxing is being promoted to the general public as a more mild "do it yourself" option. They promise to eliminate toxins that are "alleged" to be held responsible for a variety of symptoms like headache, bloating, joint pain, fatigue, and depression. BUT, most people nowadays use it as a weight loss tool.
So we went from ridding the body of life-threatening toxins to society's newest weight loss tool. Sounds fishy? Maybe, maybe not. Let's get educated and dive into some of the different types of detoxing mechanisms out there today!
#1: Foot Pads
What are foot pads? They are pieces of fabric that you wrap around your feet to keep on when you sleep. By the time you wake up in the morning, you will see the fabric has changed to black to revel the toxins (usually heavy metals) your body excreted over night. Foot pad manufactures explain that there are “magnetic channels” that pull your sweat and the toxins that come with it. However, don't fall for this! Countless research has debunked this phenomenon of ridding heavy metals and toxins through your skin. This is due to the fact that very few heavy metals or other toxins are excreted through the skin. When you sweat, it is literally 99% water! You sweat because it is your body's defense mechanism to regulate your body temperature, not your toxins!
But how does the foot pad turn black?!
It's simple! The fabric just changes color. (Sigh). That's it. The pads even turn dark after a few minutes near a warm fireplace or warm water (another sigh). Researchers encourage those who are concerned about heavy metals to simply avoid them in the first place, and not look for ways to flush them out of the body!
Then why do people feel a difference and feel more energised when they wake up in the morning after using foot pads?
Well, once you’ve spent money on something like this, you’re more likely to think that it works. You don’t want to look like a fool to yourself. If that's not enough, the foot pads contain vinegar. So the swift smell of vinegar can definitely be the one to give you a quick jolt in the morning!
#2: Detox Diets
This is probably the most popular form of detoxing right now! These are usually short term diets lasting up to 3 days (if they say to do more than that, RUN) that promise to eliminate toxins from your body. This usually involves a period of fasting followed by a very strict diet containing fruits, vegetables, fruit juices, and water. That's it. The purpose for this? To "reset" your organs by fasting and eliminating your toxins through facies, urine and sweat. It is also promised to give your body the nutrition it needs to survive while on this type of diet.
So what does it really do and is it really good for you?
Research studies have shown very little evidence that detoxing diets are actually good for you, BUT there is also little evidence that they are truly bad. However, they CAN do more harm than good to the wrong person. The thing is, if you are drinking just juices for your detox, you are consuming A LOT of sugar and it could have a harmful effect on your body. First, your blood sugar levels will obviously go up due to the increased sugar intake. This is also due to the lack of fibre and protein that help slow your digestion down and moderate your blood-sugar levels. This means, your calories are very low and very restricted during a juice detox, which will also mean that you WILL lose weight. Some people have reported to lose up to 25 lbs through the result of a juice detox! How? This seems to be due to loss of fluid (water weight) and carb stores rather than fat. This weight is usually regained quickly once you go off the cleanse mostly due to the person resuming the same lifestyle as before.
If a detox diet involves restricting your calories severely, it will most definitely cause weight loss and improve your metabolic health, but it’s probably not going to help you keep weight off in the long term.
"But, can I just do it to rid my body of the horrible toxins marketers tell me I have?"
I'm going to answer this question with a question....have you ever seen a juice detox company tell you EXACTLY which toxins they are going to eliminate? Most will say no, and there is a reason for that! If they do, check to see if the juice or cleanse contains laxatives. If so, that is how they are most likely tricking you into thinking you are illuminating your toxins, through your fecal matter. Most cleansers have natural laxatives. That's how you “cleanse”, when in reality that doesn’t really happen. Laxative abuse is dangerous, and can result in a variety of health problems and sometimes life-threatening. However, these companies will also throw in all this other stuff that seems good or that may help, but educate yourself first! Like I said, laxatives can be dangerous to your health, especially if your body begins to depend on it quickly. Science says, you don’t need to detox if you have regular and healthy bowel movements. Your body is a natural fertilizer and knows how to clean itself appropriately! It literally knows what its doing, and it’s not dangerous. Fecal matter nourishes and protects bowels. There's a reason you have it!
In addition to this (and moving away from poop related convos), your body literally has it's own natural detox system and filter called your liver, lungs and kidneys! It does the work for you day in and day out without you even noticing! However, there are healthier ways to enhance your natural detox system which we will go into now.
First there a few simple ways to detox like, cutting down alcohol, and illuminating tobacco, processed foods, salt and sugar. A QUALITY, plant-based diet will always help promote your body’s natural detox system, but it isn't 100% necessary to go vegan for this purpose. Some "detoxifying" foods you can try are whole grains, peanuts, avocado, banana and spinach to name a few. Your body also needs certain nutrients from foods to eliminate toxic chemicals, including those found in broccoli, seaweed, leeks, and garlic.
Second, there are also some foods that have antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties that can help you body's natural detox organs mentioned before like turmeric, parsley, and fish. However, you still have to pay attention to the QUANTITY you consume! It's all about safe and correct portion sizes! And just to be clear, these foods don’t have to be consumed in traditional “cleanse” type of diet to have their effect. (Please don't just blend all this up and put yourself through that torture)(for the love of God please don't). Anyone can just add them to their diet, because there is no such thing as a cure all! A few days of bottled beverages isn’t going to magically cure your health issues or make you 25 pounds lighter forever! If it was that easy, literally everyone in the fitness industry would do it. Literally everyone. Including me.
A much healthier way to think about "detoxing" yourself is to lose the restrictive mindset and instead focus on foods you can add to your diet for their nutritional benefits. Incorporating whole foods into your diet has proven benefits to help your body run properly — including ridding itself of waste products efficiently and most effectively! You literally just need to eat healthy. (Funny how everything goes back to that. Darn it!).
However, after all this science and research, and you are still stuck on doing a cleanse....be smart! Like I said before, don't cleanse for longer than 3 days. Make sure you’re hydrating properly throughout the duration of it, and please eat if you feel faint or nauseous. Be cautious of any plan that restricts major food groups or promotes a singular food as this isn't a wholistic approach. It is also a good idea to ALWAYS get your physician’s approval as well.
At the end of the day, your body is a beautiful thing and you shouldn't discredit it! It is strong and is durable! It is literally built to keep you alive! What you may not realize is that your body is always exposed to toxic substances and most of the time, it can remove them without additional help. The wellness industry tells us that toxins are dangerous and we need to get them out, but don't let good marketing without the proper research fool you! Your body has the natural ability to detoxify itself! You are quite LITERALLY a strong, independent woman! Now go have a beautiful day with your strong, independent self!
Disclaimer: The contents of this blog should not be taken as medical advice. If you have a health problem, this blog post is not intended to help treat, diagnose or cure it. This blog post is also not intended to replace and/or go against the advice of a physician or medical professional. Always consult your doctor before taking advice and/or making changes to your health.
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