Safe Nutritional Cleansing and Detoxification
By: Dr. Peggy Malone
This topic is very relevant in my world this week as I am currently on day 3 of a 9 day nutritional cleanse and detox.
As I have been talking to my family, friends and my patients this week, many of them have questions. Maybe you do too.
Why are you doing a cleanse/detox? Is that healthy? What happens to your body when you cleanse and detox? Are you sitting on the toilet all day? Should everyone be cleansing and detoxing?
I’ll answer those questions for you today but first, let me ask you a question:
Are you toxic?
If you are, how do you know?
Are you feeling sluggish, tired, overweight, rundown?
Do you have trouble sleeping?
Are you sick often and can’t shake it?
Do you have a mental brain fog that doesn’t seem to go away?
Do you feel like you are lacking the energy to perform your everyday activities?
All of these are clues that your body is struggling to manage toxic overload.
Well that sounds a bit scary. What does it mean?
Think of it this way: We are exposed to more toxins in one day than our grandparents were exposed to in their entire lifetimes! How is this possible?
Here are some common things that all of us are exposed to every single day to give you an idea of the amount of toxicity all of us face.
-Our air, water and soil have all been poisoned with many pollutants.
-80 percent of cosmetics contain parabens and phthalates, chemicals proven to increase the risk of cancer.
-The household cleaners that most people use are full of chemicals. Things like laundry detergent, dryer sheets, cleansers for kitchen and bathroom.
-When you heat non-stick cookware or cook popcorn in a bag in the microwave, toxic chemicals are released into the food you eat.
-The food we eat is covered with pesticides and herbicides.
-Plastic water bottles that we drink soda out of and cans that we eat vegetables out of are made of or lined with Bisphenol A (BPA).
-Our carpets and furniture have flame-retardants and formaldehyde in them.
When your body is constantly exposed to all of these toxins and impurities day in and day out, it can wreak havoc on your physical and mental health.
Your body is designed to get rid of bad stuff that it is exposed to. Your liver works 24 hours a day performing many functions including filtering and clearing your blood of waste products, drugs, and other poisonous substances. The kidneys also remove waste products from the body by filtering them from the blood.
Everything works as it should until we enter the nasty realm that I referred to earlier, of toxic overload.
Your liver and kidneys can only handle so much workload. When the impurities are too much for your organs to clear out on their own, your body begins to store the toxins…hiding them in fat cells.
So we are exposed to tons of environmental pollutants and we are putting all sorts of garbage into our bodies with bad nutritional choices and then our bodies are accumulating fat in order to protect us.
This reveals the interesting fact that obesity is not just about an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Toxic overload also plays a role in why modern humans are getting fatter.
All of these stored toxins and wastes not only contribute to weight gain but they make your body less efficient, which includes slowing down your metabolism. You may also feel sluggish, have trouble concentrating and could become more susceptible to illness.
Ok, so clearly we have covered the bad news.
The good news is that you can give your liver and kidneys a bit of a holiday and support and improve your health through nutritional cleansing and detoxification.
Cleansing gives your body a break from the overload of toxins and impurities that you are increasingly exposed to and it also provides nutrients to help your body get rid of all the stored crap.
It will help to normalize the body’s functions, increase mental focus, reduce stress and increase energy.
Cleansing is also accompanied by the (in most cases) lovely side effect of weight loss as your body releases the stored toxins from fat cells.
Last spring I did a 30-day cleanse. My goal at the time was to take control of my health by eating leaner and cleaner while flooding my body with good nutrition. I wanted to feel healthier, have more energy and create better health habits for myself.
Well I achieved that goal and more! As an excellent bonus, I also lost 25 inches and 12 pounds and felt great!
The first few days I had a headache as my body went through caffeine and sugar withdrawal. After that, I noticed more energy and focus as well as better sleep!
Many people think that when you cleanse you end up sitting on the toilet all day. Clearing out your intestines is not the same thing as nutritional cleansing. True nutritional cleansing floods your body with good nutrition and because you are putting less into your body, your gastrointestinal system actually slows down instead of speeding up as many people think.
Since that 30 day cleanse, I have chosen to go back to the cleanse a couple of times a year to give my body a break and to release more of the built up impurities and toxins that I know I have been exposed to as everyone who isn’t living in a bubble is.
As I stated at the beginning of this post, I am currently 3 days into another 9 day cleanse. Based on how my body feels after I go through the detox process each time, I would highly recommend everyone give it a try.
You will have more energy, better focus a better functioning immune system and you’ll likely lose some weight. Your body will function better overall and you’ll be happier and healthier as a result!
If you are interested in learning more about nutritional cleansing and detoxification check out:
Dr. Peggy Malone is a Chiropractor and an Athlete who helps other athletes to overcome injury and get back to their sport. She also inspires patients from all walks of life to take control of their health to be as happy and as healthy as they can be.
A former varsity Basketball and Rugby player, she has since entered the world of endurance athletics where she has completed 2 Ironman Triathlons, 3 Marathons, several Half Marathons and many other Triathlons, Road Races and Off-Road Adventure races of varying distances.
Her own athletic endeavors and injuries have given her valuable insight into working with athletes in her practice for both the care of injuries as well as for the improvement of athletic performance.
Her eBook Shin Splint Solutions has helped hundreds of athletes get past the pain of Shin Splints and get back to doing what they love.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I've never actually done a detox, but I can see from your article Peggy that there are many reasons for this to be something to add into the calendar. So many things in our life that are toxic – it's really incredible – or should I say scary!
I am going to check it out and do it too Dr. Peggy!
You are completely right, whenever I hear the word 'cleanse' I assume the person is spending the next 3 days in the bathroom! LOL I see now that I've been thinking about it all wrong. I can't wait to get started!! Thanks so much for helping us all become healthier — in a SAFE way. You're the best!
Absolutely agree with you! Great article, well explained.
Love it! (-_-)
Thanks for your comment Norma! I’m glad there was a tidbit here that was helpful
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