Behind the Fad: Why Detoxing is Good for your Body

Cleanses and detoxes seem to be everywhere these days and for a good reason. We often find ourselves running from point A to point Z in the course of a day without paying much attention to what we are eating, where it came from and how it affects our bodies. By definition, detox is shorthand for detoxification, which is the process of removing toxic substances or qualities. Unfortunately modern day food is just this – toxic. So much focus has gone into making food quick, easy, inexpensive and highly marketable that little attention is paid towards the actual nutritional properties. The result is a food supply that is full of crap – literally and figuratively.   

So it’s important to take time to detoxify your body from the waste the builds up. Think about what happens when your shower drain gets clogged. First, the water drains more slowly. Then the water starts to back up and finally, if left untreated, it simply stops draining and gets stuck. And let’s face it…it's kind of gross when this happens, right? So a plumber goes in and cleans out the gunk that has accumulated so everything works as it is meant to.  

 Well, the same thing can happen in the body. Toxins ingested from food, medications, alcohol, smog, personal care items, and cleaning products (to name just a few culprits) can all build up in the gut and, if left there, may cause toxicity that can be attributed to numerous diseases. 

So cleanses and detoxes are aimed to clean out the clutter and promote a healthier environment in the gut, which may help the rest of the bodily systems work properly.  Signs that you may need to detox include:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Irregularity
• Bloating
• Cravings
• Skin irritations including rashes, acne, dry skin, etc
• Dark and/or puffy under-eye circles
• Trouble losing weight
• Sinus challenges
• Weak immune system
• Muscle aches and joint pain

If you have been on several rounds of antibiotics in the last few months, consume a lot of overly processed food or soda, crave sweets or salty foods, drink a large amount of caffeine or alcohol or have recently stopped smoking, a detox may be a good choice for you as well.  

There are a lot of different theories on detoxes out there and it’s important to find one that is good for you and your life. I’m guessing you are a busy person, because let’s face it, who isn’t? You may also get nervous about the idea of surviving on mostly liquids for several days, which is the basis for many popular cleanses. 

A whole foods cleanse is designed to slowly wean you off many acid forming and overly consumed foods including processed sugar, coffee, and wheat over the course of a few days. After removing the culprits, you then incorporate healthy whole foods such as fresh leafy greens, gluten free grains, and low sugar fruits. These are foods that we should all be eating plenty of to begin with but, more often than not, we aren’t. This type of detox is also designed to bring any food allergies or sensitivities to light and determine if any health challenges may be improved with dietary changes. The use of healthy supplements including probiotics, milk thistle and senna root are used to gently clean out the gut and restore healthy bacteria to the intestinal track. 

I encourage anyone interested in detoxing their body to find a program that best suits your lifestyle. The results may surprise. Detoxing may become part of your new lifestyle toward a healthier body. 

Guest post written by Jen Morris, a certified health coach and Pravassa collaborator. Jen will be leading her first group Detox-in-a-Box program with Pravassa in the new year.