Why All Detoxes Are NOT Created Equally

There are SO many cleanses out now, how is a person to know what is safe, what is healthy, and what really works?  
I’ve seen ads for the 3-day “this”, or the 10-day “that”, and I just have to shake my head.

Sometimes, I’ll open a friend’s refrigerator and find it stocked full of juices that claim quick weight loss, but on further inspection, they are really just full of sugar.  Sure, subjecting yourself to a low-calorie starvation type diet will drop some weight quickly, but unfortunately it doesn’t target fat loss or help your metabolism.

In fact, it usually does the opposite to your metabolism.  It brings your metabolism to a halt.  Putting the body into starvation mode is the worst thing you can do if you want to target fat and lasting weight loss. When your body goes into starvation mode, it holds onto fat cells even tighter.  In addition, you’ll be hungry the entire time and that’s NO fun!

Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting quick results and wanting to look great, but I can guess that you didn’t develop your “problem” in 3 or 10 days.  Cleansing your body of toxins is an important part of revitalizing your organs.  Just as you would brush your teeth daily, there are ways to detox daily as well as safe ways to detox deeply.

The other problem with most of these quick weight loss juice cleanses, besides all of the sugar, is that they lack nutrients.  Let’s first talk about the sugar.  Fruit sugar, or fructose, can be sneaky.  It may not spike your blood sugar as much as the donuts or bagels, but instead it signals the liver to directly store fat. Hmmm…not what you wanted huh?
Next, let’s talk about protein.  Proteins supply the amino acids that are necessary for the body to build muscle, make your “feel good” hormones, and helps the liver to excrete toxins.  Well, you need those in ANY cleanse.

So, what is the solution for a daily cleanse?  First, nix the sugary juices.  You are better off blending your own fresh green juice.  If you have a blendtec or similar blender, all you need to do is blend a handful of greens (kale and spinach), the juice of 1 lemon, ginger, parsley, 1 whole apple, and water to have a really detoxifying blend.  

Add in TONS of water.  Our bodies are mostly water and we need it for cellular cleansing.  Imagine the difference between a juicy plum and a shriveled prune.  You want your cells to look and function like the juicy plums.  Aim for 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily.  For example, if you weight 140 pounds, then you need a minimum of 70 ounces of fresh, filtered water daily.

Next, add in protein.  Most people I talk to don’t get enough protein or greens during a given day.  It’s really easy and great for the body to start the day off with protein.  It helps to stabilize your blood sugar and fuels your brain.  I always start my day with either a protein shake or a warm protein cocoa.  Yep..I said warm cocoa.  It’s a warming, yummy blend that also helps my body to repair and heal. Interested?  Check out the recipe HERE.
Adding in a little healthy fat like avocado or coconut oil helps to stave off cravings and keep you full for longer too.  

Next are the cruciferous vegetables.  Veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower contain substances that boost detoxification.  Have some lightly steamed every single day for a daily detox boost.

Then we add fiber to help regularity.  Elimination of toxins and undigested material optimized detoxification.  You can boost your fiber with vegetables, legumes, and low glycemic fruits like apples.  You can also add a fiber powder to your shakes if you aren’t getting enough in a given day.
 
 Next, add in a little sweating!  Sweating is another way the body releases toxins.  You can go to a steam or sauna or better yet, work up a sweat with some body movement.  Make it fun, make it daily.  

Lastly, relax a little.  Yes, you can detox even while calming your nervous system.  Take a nice warm bath and sprinkle in some epsom salts.  Light a nice lavender candle, close the door and luxuriate in a detoxifying bath.  You can even add some essential oils like lavender, rosemary or lemon to amp up the detox properties. Check out my relaxing detox salt recipe HERE.

For deep cleansing, I suggest getting support and participating in a medically researched program that works.  I got you covered there!  You can check out Total Body Reset below, the detox program where I take you step by step through a FULL Cellular cleanse.  This is the same cleanse I use for my patients to cure diabetes, heal the thyroid, menstrual irregularities, autoimmune disease and MUCH more.  

Happy and Safe Detoxing!!