By Coach Kat, January 13, 2020, copyright Bronwyn Katdaré 2020
We live in a toxic world where we are bombarded with pollutants on a daily basis: pesticides in food, water, and soil; traffic fumes and other air pollution; toxic materials in computers and phones; toxic ingredients and xenoestrogens in personal care products; excess hormones from animal products or a build-up of our own hormones; bacteria; mercury and other heavy metals; and many more.
Detoxification is about resting, cleansing, and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing toxins and eliminating exposure to toxins, then fueling the body with healthy nutrients, detoxing can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health.
Don’t our bodies know how to get clean and rid itself of toxins all on its own? Yes, our bodies do know HOW to do this but we humans get in the way of the body doing it effectively. Detoxification is a biochemical process by which toxins are changed into less toxic or more readily excretable substances. Basically, detoxification cleanses the cells, tissues, organs, and blood. This is done by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, the lymphatic system, and skin. However, when these systems are compromised, impurities cannot properly be filtered and the body is adversely affected.
When I’m talking about a detox (or a “cleanse”), I am NOT talking about juicing, fasting, using enemas, or ingesting a bunch of pills or powders. What I am talking about is what I advocate: eating a whole-food plant-based diet (or for many of you, a mostly plant-based diet). I am talking about resetting your eating habits by focusing on eating healthy REAL foods, acting on self-care routines, and learning how to feed your body what it really needs in order to function at an optimal level. I also believe in EATING! The idea is to detoxify the body systems and cleanse your palate, not to deprive yourself or to go hungry. Fruits and veggies contain fewer calories than most other foods, so you sometimes need to eat more (and more often) to stabilize your energy and avoid fatigue, especially at the beginning.
Many people who transition into a plant-based diet (or mostly plant-based) go through a detox period. I hear this all of the time: “I’m eating all of this healthy food, but I still feel like s***.” The explanation lies in the way the body rids itself of toxins from animal products, processed foods, and chemicals and other pollutants. When you adopt a whole-food plant-based way of eating, these wastes are discharged from cells, tissues, and organs for release out of the body or they end up circulating in the bloodstream until they can be successfully moved out of the body. When there is not a clear detox pathway, toxins can produce a war-cry that we feel as symptoms of illness. Detoxing is much like housecleaning. The toxins being cleared out are saving you from dis-ease or disease down the road: hepatitis, kidney and liver disorders, blood disorders, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, memory disorders, nerve degenerations, and cancer.
Symptoms vary based on what toxins are being eliminated but common ones can include: increased flatulence, acne, increased thirst, cravings, runny nose, headaches, irritability, constipation, insomnia, nervousness, coated tongue, fatigue, aches and pains, fever (under 103 degrees F), weakness, diarrhea, edema, nausea, bad breath, dizziness, frequent urination, loss of appetite, and/or nightmares.
The severity depends on how clean (or unclean) your diet was to begin with and if you avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, sugar, and salt. The length of the detoxification period by the body lasts a few days to a few weeks with symptoms becoming milder as time goes on. Be patient! You did not become toxic overnight and it takes time to clean the system. Symptoms can persist with very mild symptoms for years if you are totally changing your diet and lifestyle habits. If you are doing a complete overhaul, your body will completely regenerate in 7 years. The incredible news that I cannot emphasize enough is: you can get better!
When you participate in the GLOW Seasonal Detox, you will be eating a very clean diet by omitting processed foods and avoiding what is added during processing - salt, sugar, fat, flavorings, colorings, and preservatives - and gluten. (There are vegan options available!). When you temporarily remove ingredients from your diet, you can reset the palate and curb junk-food cravings in the process. By eating a clean diet and drinking half of your body weight in water, the detox pathways will begin to open, allowing the toxins to be eliminated from the body. The cleaner the food you give to your body, the better the body can use food to detox and supply you with nutrients for fuel.
The GLOW Seasonal Detox also emphasizes what we need to add into our lives: adequate sleep of no less than 8 hours per night; maintaining a regular, gentle exercise routine such as Tai Chi and/or walking; detoxifying activities like yoga and hot baths; and self-care activities like spending time in nature, talking and laughing with friends, and learning how to have fun in the kitchen with the provided recipes. All of these things keep the body healthy even though we often seem to forget to do them.
You will excel with the GLOW Seasonal Detox and you will never feel like you are alone in the process. This program is all about making detoxing EASY and FUN, so you will receive:
· A done-for-you detox guide that tells you exactly what to do and when.
· A recipe guide to help you get the maximum detoxification possible while still eating really tasty foods. Snacks, too! VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS AVAILABLE!
· Direct support from me via online virtual support webinar and in our private Facebook group.
· A shopping list to take all the stress out of figuring out how much to buy.
· Bonus: A post-detox strategy webinar - what to do next and how you can avoid old habits.
· More Bonuses: Tips for how to deepen the detox and what to do when dining out.
If you are curious about the GLOW Seasonal Detox or would like to find out how to detox while eating whole-foods, learn more on my website: https://www.coachkathealth.com/services-page/glow-whole-food-seasonal-detox
GLOW Seasonal Detoxes run quarterly at the change of each season.
(Bronwyn Katdaré is a certified Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Functional Medicine Health Coach who focuses on the prevention and reversal of chronic disease through the integrated lens of whole-food plant-based nutrition, physical activity, proper sleep, stress management, a sense of community, and the feeling of joy. She specializes in chronic conditions created by inflammation, sugar cravings and weight issues, toxic relationships, confidence creation and de-bunking limiting beliefs, and healing practices designed to compassionately balance the entire being).