MIND CLEARERS
Detox and Cleanses
Your world is toxic. Every second, you breathe chemicals—or eat them, drink them, rub them, absorb them. Mercury, lead, pesticides, food additives, plastics…they’re there from day one: Studies have shown that even babies carry thousands of toxic chemicals in their tissues and blood. Fortunately, our bodies—primarily our livers—are designed to eliminate toxins regularly. But today’s overload from the toxic soup we live in is too much for them to handle, and the waste accumulates faster than they can be eliminated. Throw in the junk we ingest voluntarily—alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, prescription and less-legal highs—and our bodies don’t stand a chance.
Linked to all this: decreased immunity, autoimmune diseases, reproductive and hormonal malfunctions, mood disorders, allergies and skin conditions. Even cancer.
The interest in detox diets has recently exploded, especially among those interested in alternative medicine, with at least 25 books on Amazon’s best seller list alone. And cold-pressed juice shops and delivery services such as Organic Alley, Blueprint and ReJuice are popping up all over towns despite costing upwards of $9 a bottle. Detoxification therapy—detoxing, cleansing, fasting—done in a safe, well-planned manner, can help the body eliminate toxins and waste products efficiently and help restore vitality and energy. Some believe it can cure diseases, even cancer.
Essential Concepts
Champions of the detox believe that by doing cleanses on a regular basis—some people follow three- or five-day juice fasts and cleanses, some undergo 21-day cleanses—our bodies can devote more energy to elimination than to digestion and battling inflammation; our liver’s workload is lightened, and our bodies can more efficiently push toxins out. What’s required is a cleaning up of the diet and a kind of emptying, paired with the fiber needed to allow our bodies to gather, process and eliminate toxins. During the first three to four days of a cleanse, participants may experience headache (especially if one is going through caffeine withdrawal) and fuzziness, possibly irritability. But as the weeks go by, skin and eyes become clearer and digestion markedly more efficient, and energy levels may soar.
Try It Out
There are many different types of detox, including juice cleanses, fasting, mono diets and vitamin C therapy; all have proved useful. Acupuncturist Christopher Hobbs espouses a periodic liver flush during which citrus, ginger and olive oil concoctions are used. The most sustainable, we find, is the type that Elson Hass, M.D., and others support, in which acidic, inflammatory foods and drink are eliminated from your diet, and as many toxins as possible from your surroundings. Haas calls it The Detox Diet, and many experts, including medical doctors Mark Hyman, Frank Lippman and Neal Barnard, and author Kris Carr, have based their programs on it. We call it The Doable Detox, and what follows is the guide to a 21-day program.
* BEST FOR: Anyone experiencing fatigue who feels in need of a reboot. Cleansing can help jump-start a weight-loss program (although one should have additional motivation to detox). The healthier eating habits often stick, leading to reduced inflammation and the benefits associated with that: reduced blood pressure and risk of heart disease; improved immunity; and reduction in allergies and asthma. Some practitioners have even found improved results in fights against cancer.
Precautions
See “Are You a Candidate for Detox?” on the previous page.
Make sure you tell your medical doctor that you are doing a cleanse, especially if you are being treated for a disease such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease.
THE DOABLE DETOX
Think you need a yoga retreat to cleanse the toxins from your body? Think again. Follow this simple, step-by-step plan to feel happier and healthier—this week, right now.
Detox. One little word with a lot of appeal. Sure, it’s not the easiest of endeavors (good-bye coffee, hello, uhh, herbal tea!), but the promise is huge: Just a week into a detox and you’re likely to experience a boost in energy, clearer skin, less gas and bloating, fewer aches and pain and even less congestion.
What’s behind this seemingly miraculous transformation? Elimination. Since humans are at the top of the food chain, we’re most likely to be exposed to an accumulation of toxic substances in the food supply and beyond. Even if you take good care of your body, you’re still bombarded with toxins—constantly. They’re in the food you eat, the water you drink and the air you breathe. Eating fewer animal products during a detox, for instance, means consuming fewer toxins, additives and saturated fats from the get-go. Your body naturally produces toxins, too. It’s up to your digestive system—especially the hardworking liver, the body’s main detoxifier—to send those toxins packing.
In an ideal world, our bodies would eliminate these toxins with ease. However, as our exposure to toxins increases, our ability to deal with them decreases, experts say. The solution? Give your weary detoxifying organs a rest (read: Go on a cleanse) so they become more efficient.
But before you drastically alter your diet, listen up: To detox safely and effectively, you’ll need to prep your body for elimination, eat lots of fresh, whole foods (detoxing doesn’t mean you have to fast!) and learn how to transition back into the “real world” when your detox is finished. “Just going back to your same old habits after you detox is more violent on your body than not detoxing at all,” says Mary Saunders, L.Ac., the founder and director of Boulder Community Acupuncture in Colorado. For a safe, do-it-yourself detox plan, read on.
One Week Before You Detox …
Many practitioners will tell you not to go cold turkey on sugar, caffeine and all of the other foods you’ll be forgoing during your cleanse. “If you jump right into a detox, you’re more likely to have unpleasant symptoms early on,” says integrated medicine physician Elson M. Haas, M.D., Natural Health advisory board member; founder and director of Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, Calif.; and the author of The New Detox Diet. Instead, take a week to gear up for your detox, slowly eliminating off-limits foods and drinks. This not only prepares your body physically, but also emotionally and practically. “People have strong attachments to food, and it’s less emotional if you slowly let those things go,” says Saunders. Here’s how to prepare for a successful detox:
CHOOSE A D-DAY: During the first couple of detox days, it’s common to feel fatigued or experience an increase in the exact same symptoms that led you to want to detox in the first place. So, it can be helpful to start on the weekend, or another day when your schedule is a little lighter. Also, don’t start at a time when you have a lot of social commitments coming up, such as weddings or birthday parties.
WEAN YOURSELF OFF YOUR VICES: Spend the week transitioning off what Haas calls the Big Five: caffeine, alcohol, sugar, wheat and dairy. Caffeine tends to be the most difficult for people, as quitting outright can result in the notorious caffeine withdrawal headache. If you’re a coffee drinker, wean yourself off by drinking part caffeinated/part decaf one day, then decaf the next, then black tea, green tea and finally herbal teas.
LEARN LABEL LINGO: You’ll want to start reading ingredient lists—not just the Nutrition Fact labels—if you don’t already. Sugar is often a surprise, because it’s in everything: bread, soup, salad dressing, sauces. Also beware of sugar by another name. Aliases include high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, dextrose, maltose, as well as molasses, honey and maple syrup. Look for labels that specify foods are gluten-free and not processed in plants that also process products that are not gluten free.
EAT MORE GREENS: Organic vegetables will be the mainstay of your diet during a detox, so get a head start by incorporating them into your meals now. No. 1 on the list? Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, collard greens, brussels sprouts, bok choy, Chinese cabbage and artichokes. “They have powerful sulphur compounds that enhance the detoxifying enzymes and boost the liver’s ability to detoxify,” says Beth Reardon, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., an integrative nutritionist at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, N.C. Cook them very lightly with garlic and onions, which help boost the body’s production of glutathione, a protein that serves as a powerful antioxidant. “Over 60% of the toxins that go to the liver are detoxified by glutathione,” says Cathy Wong, N.D., C.N.S., a Boston-based naturopath and the author of The Inside-Out Diet: 4 Weeks to Natural Weight Loss, Total Body Health, and Radiance. For a quick list of detoxifying foods, see “7 Great Detox Foods”.
FILL UP ON FIBER: Your bowel is a major route of elimination, and if it isn’t working well, you will feel terrible when you detox. Ideally, before your detox you want to be having at least one well-formed bowel movement a day (and these smooth moves will become quite a focus). If you need help getting things moving, add one to two tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your diet daily.
DRINK MORE WATER: During a detox you’ll need to consume at least eight glasses of filtered water (tap water and even bottled water may contain chemicals and toxins) or herbal tea each day to keep your body hydrated and help speed elimination. “If you increase fiber and you aren’t drinking enough water, you’ll end up with constipation,” says Wong.
PUT ON YOUR APRON: Few, if any, convenience or processed-prepared foods are going to fit the bill for foods allowed on a detox diet, so break out the pots, pans and cookbooks, and check out the end of the chapter for what to eat.
START TAKING A HIGH-QUALITY MULTIVITAMIN, IF YOU’RE NOT ALREADY: “A daily multivitamin ensures that you are getting the nutritional support your liver needs to do its job,” says Wong. She recommends taking a multi that offers at least 100% of the daily value of these liver-friendly nutrients: vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (no more than 100 milligrams per day), B12, D, C and E (no more than 200 IU per day), along with chromium, zinc and selenium. But too much vitamin A in the form of retinol (which may be listed as “retinol,” “retinyl palmitate” or “retinyl acetate”) can be toxic to the liver, Wong cautions, so don’t exceed 5,000 IUs a day. And, there should be no artificial colors or flavors. Vitamins we like: Rainbow Light’s Just Once Naturals Women’s One Multivitamin and New Chapter’s Every Woman’s One Daily.
ADD AN OMEGA FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENT: “Not having enough omega-3s in your diet can lead to excess inflammation, which disrupts cell membranes and allows toxins to leak in,” says Wong. She recommends Nordic Naturals ProEFA because the fish oil is filtered to remove toxins and has the ideal ratio of omega-3 (EPA and DHA) to omega-6 (GLA) fatty acids, which is five-to-one. Take one capsule three times per day with meals for maximum absorption. (If you’re a vegetarian, try Spectrum Organics Vegetarian DHA, one capsule three times a day.)
DUST OFF YOUR YOGA MAT: Daily exercise is crucial to detoxification because it stimulates the circulation of the blood and lymph, boosting your body’s ability to eliminate, says naturopath Peter Bennett, N.D., R.Ac., the director of the Meditrine Naturopathic Medical Clinic in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, and the coauthor of the 7-Day Detox Miracle. Still, this is no time for boot camp. “You’re trying to rejuvenate your body; exercise should be moderate so you don’t wear it out,” Bennett says. “When detoxing, nothing beats a gentle yoga program.” Walking is another great option.
During Your Detox …
Now that you’ve prepped your body, you’re ready to detox. Most experts recommend that a detox diet last a minimum of one week, and—to get the most benefit—up to three weeks. “You need three weeks to eliminate all the toxins and reeducate yourself to have a healthy relationship with food,” says Saunders. Here, expert-approved guidelines:
THINK FRESH, WHOLE, ORGANIC FOODS: Eat plenty of vegetables (choose sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes), fresh fruits, nongluten grains, beans, legumes, small amounts of nuts, seeds, nut butters, lean, organic poultry and wild fish. Steam vegetables very lightly to keep nutrients and enzymes intact.
SIP WISELY: In addition to drinking lots of filtered, mineral or sparkling water, reach for fresh, organic vegetable juice and herbal teas. Good news for caffeine addicts: Small amounts of green and white tea are OK. “The catechins in green tea increase the production of enzymes that help the liver detoxify chemicals,” says Wong. Steer clear of caffeine, alcohol, soda, red meat, sugar, flour, processed and refined foods and anything artificial. Also, avoid wheat and anything with gluten, dairy, soy and eggs. These are common food allergens, and if you’re even slightly intolerant, it’ll make your system work harder to digest them—the opposite of what you want to do during a detox.
DAILY DOs
Try to do the following each day while you’re on the detox:
MOVE YOUR BODY: If you have the energy, exercise will increase circulation and get the lymph moving. Try to get at least a half-hour a day of gentle yoga or easy walking.
GIVE YOUR BODY THE BRUSH-OFF: In addition to getting your lymph moving, dry-brushing your skin daily (with a natural-bristle brush) stimulates the circulation of blood in the tiny blood vessels that are within body tissues, helping to flush them out. Brush dry skin—before a shower is ideal—and always brush toward your heart, experts say. Before a shower, brush from your feet up to your hips and from your hands toward your shoulders, from your abdomen toward your chest, and from your lower back to your shoulders.
TURN HOT AND COLD: Shower daily to remove toxins from your skin and open pores for further elimination, says Haas. To boost circulation and pep yourself up, get the water as hot as you can stand for three minutes, followed by as cold as you can stand for 30 seconds. Repeat this three times, then dry off quickly and get warm again to replenish your body heat.
SWEAT IT OUT: Like the bowels and the urinary tract, the skin is a route of elimination. Sweating in a sauna or steam room a few times a week during a detox can help promote the release of chemicals. But it’s critical to slowly increase the time you spend in a sauna, get out if you feel dizzy or nauseous and replace electrolytes right after you come out (coconut water is great for this).
CHILL OUT: Relaxation doesn’t just give you a break, it gives your liver one, too. Stress has a real physiological effect. Mindfulness meditation and journaling are not only relaxing, they can help you get in tune with the signals that your body gives you. A massage is well-earned, too.
SNAG EXTRA SHUT-EYE: “Getting adequate rest is especially important when you’re trying to rid your body of toxins,” says Saunders. Try to get at least eight hours a night to give your body time to heal and recharge.
AFTER YOU DETOX
Congratulations! You finished the detox. But don’t celebrate with a caramel macchiato. “The transition back into the right diet for you is the most important part of the whole process,” says Haas. “The No. 1 reason for doing a detox is to improve your health and create more healthful habits. So it’s important to figure out what your best diet is and not just jump right back into consuming coffee, sugar and wheat.” Ideally, you’ll think of this 21-day cleanse as a new way of eating and living. “If you do go back to your old ways, drinking coffee and eating processed foods, keep them to a minimum,” says Carr, “and stick to your daily juicing and smoothies; just remember you now have a home-base healthy diet to come back to.”
