Everyday on its own, the body naturally detoxifies and cleanses. The organs of detoxification work together everyday to rid the body of waste. Over time drinking, poor food quality, use of toxic skin care products, and lack of exercise can all put a toll on the organs of detoxification. While getting rid of alcohol and sugary drinks as well as processed foods are great starts to a whole body cleanse or detoxification, we should also think about what we need to add to nourish our organs of detoxification.
As you read though this blog post there are many things to eliminate as well as add during a whole body cleanse. Nothing needs to be extreme or ridged. Consistency and being open during a time of detoxifying is best. There are many lifestyle changes and new habits and behaviors that need to be made during a cleanse, so being gentle with yourself and how your approach cleansing is important. Towards the end of the blog post there is a guide on how to approach cleansing so it’s not harsh or restrictive.
But first, lets learn a little bit about the organs of detoxification….
The organs that are in charge of detoxifying and cleansing
1. The skin: Sometimes called ‘the third kidney’. A lot of toxins come out through perspiration and in dead skin cells that flake off. Alternatively a lot of toxins also go in through the skin though different toiletry products and cosmetics
How to Cleanse/Nourish:
· Dry brushing
· Oil massage
· Purge of toxic products that come in contact with the skin
· Scrubs
· Masks
· Healthy exercise that promotes sweat
· steam rooms and saunas
2. The lungs: The organ of breath. The respiratory rhythm consists of 14 inhales and exhales per minute, about 600 million times in a lifetime. The air we take into our lungs is fuel for energy. The lungs, bronchial tubes, nose, and windpipe, are our first defenses against pollution in the air.. Smoking is the fastest way to get toxins into the body. Detox the lungs with breathes of fresh air, exercise, and stretches/movements that open the chest
How to Cleanse/Nourish:
· Nasya Oil
· Breathe Work
· Steams
· Neti Pot
· Manual therapy around the rib cage and thoracic spine
3. The kidneys: The management of water in our body. The human body is 70% water and the kidneys are in charge of maintaining that level and distributing it around the body every day. They keep watch over sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and bicarbonate levels.
How to Cleanse/Nourish:
· Move, exercise, and sweat.
· Hydrate.
· Monitor intake of animal protein, dairy, salt, and alcohol.
· Include supportive foods like papaya, potatoes, spinach, endive, zucchini, apples, and grapefruit
· Include supportive herbal teas include thyme, rosemary, and cherry stems.
4. The Colon: Also known as the large Intestines or the ileum. The large intestines breaks down the rest of the left over food from the small intestines, transforms it into liquid and then into solid waste. The colon filters a lot of water and therefore needs a lot of water to do its job.
How to Cleanse/Nourish:
· Stay hydrated
· Healthy Exercise
· Breathe
· Visceral/Manual therapy
· Include Fermented foods
· Chew food slowly
· Eating organic and staying clear of pesticides.
· Eat fiber rich foods.
5. The liver: Your first line of defense against toxins is your liver, which acts like a filter in preventing toxic substances contained in foods from passing into your blood stream. Whenever we consume anything in excess, the liver kicks into go mode and starts breaking things down. The liver produces bile, which is needed to digest fat and to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.
How to cleanse/Nourish:
· Sweat, Sauna/Steam room
· Limit over the counter medications
· Limit alcohol and sulfites
· Hydrate
· Chew slowly and mindfully
· Consume grapefruit juice, dandelion greens, radish, fennel, and lettuce. Limit dairy and meats.
· Consume CCF Tea (Cumin, Coriander, Fennel)
10 Basic Steps to get you on the path of a Healthy Cleanse
1. Clear out the Fake and Replace with Real Foods
-Most packaged foods are processed.
- Replace fast food and packaged foods with homemade simple meals
- Get back to basics with local food from farmers and local artisan food makers
-Consume more greens and plant-based foods
2. Choose foods that are of their Whole Form
-When reading nutrition information, turn to ingredients list first. If there are things on there you are not familiar with, ditch it.
-Look for minimal ingredients that are non-GMO and Organic
Simple Groceries to have at home to cook meals:
· Organic Protein (Chicken, Fish, Tofu, Tempeh, Eggs, Lentils, Legumes, Wild Seafood)
· Complex Carbohydrates (Starchy: Bananas, Potatoes, Carrots, Yams, Lentils, Chickpeas… Non-Starchy: Brussels Sprouts, Dark Leafy Greens, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Lettuce, Asparagus, Tomatoes, Celery, Cucumber etc.)
· Grains (Quinoa, Brown Rice, Buckwheat, Oats, Millet)
· Cooking Oils (Avocado, Coconut, Olive oil. Ghee, Toasted Sesame)
· Spices and Fresh Herbs!!!!
· Yogurts dairy or vegan friendly
· Binders (Nut milks, Coconut milk)
· Nuts and seeds. Fall Guide: Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews
· Seasonal Produce
3. When choosing Fruits and Vegetables
- Choose Organic or Farm Fresh
- Shop local farmers markets for seasonal veggies that will most likely contain superior nutrient content
- Check out the “Clean 13” and the “Dirty Dozen” visit www.ewg.org
- Fall/Winter Harvest includes: Avocados, beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, chives, onions, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, dates, figs, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, mangoes, oranges.
4. Ditch the Sugar
- Start by getting rid of all processed sugars then progress to eliminating more natural sugars including maple, honey, stevia, coconut sugar and cane sugar
- Limit fruits in the beginning to decrease stress on the bodies system.
- If craving some sweets try low glycemic fruits like blueberries, raspberries, or green apples.
5. Eat plenty of Fat
- Fat is essential for energy, metabolism, growth, brain and organ function, hormone health, and tissue healing.
- Stick with more unsaturated fats like avocados, coconut, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and flax seeds.
- Consume more Omega 3 Fatty Acids over Omega 6: Omega 3 Fatty acids include Fresh Water fish including Salmon, Mackerel, and Rainbow Trout, Eggs, Flax Seeds and Oil. .
6. Hydration
- Drinking plenty of purified water
- Adding bone broth is not only hydrating but the broth is very nutrient dense providing nourishment for the body during a cleanse
- Juicing is a great way to hydrate and consume easily absorbable nutrients, Try Celery, Cucumber, Ginger and Lemon
- Drinking herbal teas is a great way to cleanse certain organs of the body. Milk thistle, Dandelion, Turmeric, Ginger, CCF Tea (cumin, coriander, Fennel)
7. Short Elimination of Grains and Gluten
- Even if you are not sensitive to gluten or other grains these foods still tax the digestive system and can cause stress
- Start with eliminating all gluten containing grains and then from there eliminating grains that are gluten free like brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and oats
- Looking up recipes that are “Paleo” are easy ways to find meals that eliminate grains of both gluten and non-gluten origin
8. Gentle Sweating and movement
- Gentle movement can help assist the body in getting rid of toxins and promote movement of fascia, tissue, and bowel movements all while stimulating the body.
- Infrared sauna heat increases your blood circulation and stimulates the sweat glands, releasing built up toxins in the body 7x more than traditional sweating. If you are new to this, start slow with a lower temperature and sitting time.
9. Rest and Restore
- While cleansing you may feel tired, moody, fatigued or weak.
- Take the time to rest longer, take naps, perform breathe work, or attend restorative yoga classes
- Legs up the wall is a lovely pose to do at home for circulation and stimulation of the lymphatic system.
10. Nourishing warm Meals
- During winter we can lean towards oily nourishing foods that are high in protein and fat that are brought to life with warming spices and served hot.
- Starting the day with cooked grains like oatmeal, tapioca, cream of rice or buckwheat, and adding stewed apples and pears sautéed in cinnamon, cardamom, and ghee.
- Lunch and dinner can include steamed vegetables, hearty grains, soups, and stews that are grounding and moisturizing.
- Be mindful of minimizing light, cooling, and drying foods like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, leafy greens, white potatoes, crackers, millet, popcorn, beans, and dried fruit. You can eat these foods but eat them in moderation and make sure they are soaked, well cooked, and served with hydrating oil like ghee.
- Drinking room temperature/ warm water or liquids is suggested. Avoid ice or chilled liquids.
How to approach your cleanse or detox in phases
Phase I: Get rid of all the Crap!
-Ditch any processed foods, fake sugar, packaged or frozen meals, alcohol, white bread, pastas.
-Enjoy gluten free grains like quinoa, brown rice, and buckwheat
- Use Honey and Pure Maple Syrup as a sugar alternative
-Rotate poor quality dairy out of the diet and use Organic whole milk or Raw dairy
-Try this for 1-2 weeks and see how you feel
Phase II: A little more detail
- After your first phase of detoxing and cleansing you can now start to refine and make more changes to your diet.
- Start eliminating gluten free grains
- Ditch honey and pure maple
- Eliminate dairy
- Continue to keep out alcohol
- Try this for a week at least and see how you feel with this added portion of the detox and if your body feels any different
Phase III: Reintroduction
This phase is all about finding out what feels good and what doesn’t in the body. Start with re-introducing the things you eliminated in Phase II, one at a time, back into the diet. Truly see if you can handle dairy, brown rice, honey etc. Phase III is all about learning what your body likes and what is doesn’t like. From there you can make decisions on what to consume on a daily basis, what to avoid, and possibly what to limit.
In good health,
Megan Kelly
Megan Kelly is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and holds a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. She currently treats out of the ESO studio in Newport Beach where she treats patients and clients with manual physical therapy, Pilates, Yoga, holistic nutrition, and lifestyle changes to sustain a happy and healthy life.
*** Please consult your treating physician before changing your diet, especially if you are pregnant or nursing. These are recommendations not prescribed by a doctor.