To Detox or Not to Detox?!

again, sister Lyndsay and I discussed what this week’s newsletter focus should be and she suggested that detox would be good content. With the spring approaching, we start to focus on getting healthy; shedding the toxins that have built up in our system while hibernating throughout the cold months. 


What is the purpose of detoxifying the body? What does detoxification do for the body?
Well, www.dictionary.com states ‘to rid of poison or the effect of poison’. Essentially, a good detox purifies the blood. This is an age old practice that is used around the world to optimize health and to protect the body from disease. Traditionally the body has always naturally detoxified itself, the liver, the kidneys and the colon are all organs that play a role in the body’s filtration system. Poor diet, exposure to chemicals and unhealthy behaviours can and have damaged our ability to natural get rid of toxins in the body. This is why our bodies need a little help in this department.


There are many ways to detox the body. There are programs, products, food fasts, regular fasts, juice fasts, lemonade fasts and I am sure there are many more that I am not aware of. Finding a detoxification process that is best for you is less of a challenge that sticking to the program you choose. If you are going to start this process, you must be committed to completing it to feel the positive effects.


Here is a list of things you can do to promote natural detoxification in the body:

• Increase your plant based food intake
• Increase your intake of green foods, eating as many in their natural raw state
• Decrease  your intake of animal based food products
• Steer clear of trans fats and saturated fats
• Eliminate as much salt intake as possible
• Cut out caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol
• Remove the white stuff from your diet (sugar, flour and rice)
• Eat more whole grains and high fibre foods 
• Get rid of as many chemical based household cleansers and personal body care products and replace them with natural and alternative products

It is no secret, that eating a healthy diet can promote natural detoxification and this includes foods that are rich in antioxidants. A few suggestions to help you move in the direction of a healthier intake of antioxidant rich foods:

• Berries; highest are blueberries, cranberries and blackberries
• Nuts; highest are pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts
• Spices; highest are cinnamon, cloves and oregano
• Beans; highest are red kidney, black and pinto
• Leafy greens; highest are spinach and parsley

Although many would say that all bodies will benefit from a detox, not all detox programs are best for everybody. Should you choose to go the route of a detoxification process, finding one that is right for your body should be done with care and direction of holistic professional or with direction of a nutritionist. If you decide to go it alone, do your research online and request information from the nutritional consultants many well staffed natural food stores often employ. 


To detox, to not detox, that is a question you have to ask your body!