When Detox Goes Wrong
I remember the first time I attempted to do a "detox." Not good. The problem with the word detoxification is that it has so many meanings, depending on who you ask. If you ever wondered how to detox or what to buy to detox, I'll clarify it all right here. Now, there is SO much more to detoxification than I can cover in this blog post, but I'll get you going. Let's tackle this tricky topic one question at a time:
How do I detox? - Figure out your purpose first - what is your reason for doing it? Is it to lose weight, reduce cravings, win a crazy challenge at work, or simply to feel better? Let's choose the first option of losing weight as an example. While weight loss is certainly multifaceted and more complex than just detoxing, you can set yourself up for success by starting here. First, the bowels must be open and moving regularly, at least 3 times daily, as this is your main route of elimination. This means complete bowel movements without straining or pain. Anything less during a period of detoxification (or any time, really) and it's like sitting in the middle of rush hour traffic - and NOBODY likes rush hour traffic! There's no sense in letting your hard work be ruined by ending up with constipation when your goal is to get the yucky stuff out! Second, there is definitely an order to detoxing. A gradual full-body detox usually goes something like this: bowels/colon => liver => pancreas => kidneys => bloodstream. This means that if your goal is to cleanse your kidneys, you need to address the bowels and liver (and sometimes the pancreas) first. Jumping right to cleaning the kidneys could throw off more toxins than your body can handle at one time, causing a major healing crisis. A healing crisis, which is where I went wrong in my early days of detoxing, is when your body is not able to keep up with the rate at which the toxins are being released, and healing "symptoms" occur. These may include headaches, skin rashes or cold and flu symptoms. Basically, you can feel horrible if you move too quickly during the detoxification process. If this happens, reduce your dosages but KEEP GOING. Many people stop at this point and think they have an allergic reaction to the products they are using, without realizing it is their body responding to the process. Allow your body to respond, take it slowly and know you are doing your body good. After all, it is finally talking to you, so listen to it. While you may feel worse before feeling better, happiness is just around the corner! Stopping detoxification at this point can cause more harm than good and your efforts will go down the drain - an nobody likes losing anything down the drain!
What do I buy? - Find a qualified, trusted practitioner or health coach and listen to them! There are officially a bajillion products in health stores and online, so save yourself the stress and trust your practitioner. I highly suggest paying for guidance as you go through the detox process, but at the very least, it is well worth your money to get product recommendations straight from the source. My organic and wildcrafted herbal and nutrient-based formulas are gentle, yet effective at purifying the body one organ at a time. Aim for a full body detox a couple times a year if possible. Trust me, you wont' regret it!
