- RE:Detoxing and Cleansing your body
- April 09, 2010 03:29 AM
- Quote
- Reply
this is such a controversial topic, and a very complex one, so this post might be kinda long, sorry…
first off, i don’t think much of detoxing/cleansing programs, but that is a product of a combination between my belief that people need to eat better in the first place, and a lot of mistrust for morons in the nutrition and fitness industry who are marketing bad things to a lot of desperate people, including cleanses. it’s true that we are exposed to a ridiculous amount of toxins, and not just from food and water but also from the environment around us, including the appliances and furnishings in our homes air pollution outside.
with that out of the way, detoxes and cleanses are first and foremost dangerous, but that is because most programs are badly designed, and people don’t understand their bodies before they start them. any nutrition expert that is worth their salt will tell you that this is one case where consulting a doctor trained in functional medicine is the right thing to do before starting one of these.
the idea of detoxing/cleansing has become a sexy thing in the fitness industry, kinda like low-carb diets and harping on trans fats. the problem is that the entire concept is extremely misunderstood. your body has its own built in detoxification system, which starts in the digestive tract, continues in the liver and ends with the kidneys and waste disposal systems. your liver’s main function is detoxification, and anything that it can’t excrete out as waste gets stored in the body in the liver itself or in fat cells. your body is very good at keeping your blood and organs healthy enough to function, but with as many pollutants and toxins as we have running around your liver needs help from time to time. most people think that liquid diets (mostly bad), fasting (all bad), colonics/enemas (atrociously bad) or various fiber programs (some bad) are the answer. in most cases they are wrong and end up doing more damage than good. since toxins are stored in fat cells, in many cases doing a bad detox/cleanse program will leave you so nutrient dificient that when your body starts burning the fat for energy, the toxins are released into your bloodstream and you end up with more bad stuff in your body than good. this is how many people get sick from these programs and some even die. here is a quick rundown of the various programs you’ll see:
colonics don’t really do anything but clean out your poop shoot, which will fill back up with crap within a short time anyways. your body cleans your bowels and they aren’t dirty in the first place, so this is really unnecessary. on top of that, they leave you dehydrated, can damage organs like your rectum, are messy and uncomfortable, and can cause serious problems like electrolyte imbalances. no research has ever proved that there are any benefits to these, and they should never be used, ever. period.
fasting, in extremely small doses (think skipping one meal) can be helpful for longevity, but is a terrible idea for cleansing because of the lack of nutrient supply. your body needs nutrients to run properly and not providing it with those is one of the worst ideas ever.
liquid diets, especially real fruit juice based, can be helpful, but they too can leave you extremely nutrient dificient if they go on too long. if you are going to do a liquid cleanse, use real fruit juice, not just water.
the fiber cleanses are the closest thing you can find to an effective cleanse strategy, but mostly because of the increased fiber intake and less because of the special herbs or other crap they have in them.
your thinking should be about doing a cleanse daily, or keeping your body clean in the first place. if you want cleanse tips, follow these:
- get a lot of fiber! the average american gets 8 grams per day. doctors recommend 24-32, depending on if you are male/female. our scavenging ancestors used to get somewhere between 60-100 per day depending on who you ask. you figure out how much is right but more generally means better.
- get your probiotics! good bacteria in your gut help transform toxins and prevent absorption in the first place.
- eat good protein sources like whey! there are certain amino acids that help make toxins more solluble and help to excrete them in bile. whey contains a lot, but any good protein sources with all essential amino acids will do the trick.
- get your antioxidants! the detoxification process in the liver sends off a lot of free radicals, so you need the extra antioxidants to protect your cells. eat your fruits and veggies of all colors.
- and lastly avoid crap food. you should be eating as cleanly as possible. don’t eat the majority of your meals at fast food restaurants where they use low quality ingredients and all sorts of additives. buy organic versions of the dirty dozen (we have an article on that!).
hope this helps answer your question
