A new year, new energy and resolutions, making this the perfect time to support the cleansing process of your body, and give yourself an extra boost for the coming months.
The following recommendations by nourish me owner and nutritionist Claudette Lucien can be used as part of a detox-program or incorporated into your lifestyle long-term:
To support your detox, we have put together two supplements packages in our Shop.
The gut:
- First point of accumulation of toxins from food
- >80% of your immune cells are in the gut
- Everything you consume (incl. medication and contraceptive pill) impacts
The liver:
- Detoxification system of the body
- Good liver function supports the immune system
- Everything you consume (incl. medication and pesticides as food) impacts
Hydration: drink plenty of water, green and/or white tea, rooibos tea, ginger tea or lemon water. A minimum of 35ml per 1 kg of bodyweight (i.e. 70kg = 2.5 Liter per day)
Bathing & Sauna: bath with dead sea salts. Soak for at least 20 minutes. Saunas support the body in detoxifying. Shower immediately after (bath/sauna).
Skin brushing with a dry back-scrubbing brush, start at the soles of your feet and brush upwards towards the heart. Likewise, start at palms of hand and brush towards heart to stimulate the lymph glands. Avoid the delicate skin on the chest.
Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic remedy for both oral health and detoxification involving the use of pure oils as agents for pulling harmful bacteria and toxins from the body. Place approximately 1-tablespoon of cold pressed organic sesame/coconut/olive oil into the mouth and gently swish around for up to 15 minutes. Spit the oil into the rubbish bin, do not swallow or spit into the drain! Initially, start with a few minutes and lengthen over time.
Dental hygiene: floss your teeth every night; studies show a link between poor gum health and cardiovascular disease; additionally, as we age our gums naturally recede, so there is no need to speed up this process! When brushing your teeth, also brush your tongue, as this can become a breeding ground for bacteria.
Enemas/colonic hydrotherapy can be helpful for reducing the toxic load in the body, relieving constipation and removing faecal compaction.
Exercise supports the removal of toxins from the body; exercising outdoors in nature also supports the mind. Intensive exercise without the right nutrients for recovery will increase oxidative stress and destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Nutrition: food sources supporting gut and liver health include probitotic foods such as sauerkraut, yoghurt (live), miso soup, kefir, tempeh, natto, olives and pickels. Prebiotics act as food for probiotics, and can be found in whole grains, bananas onions, garlic and artichokes. Additional food sources supporting the liver include vegetables (beetroot, brassicas, fennel), fruit (apples, pears, grapefruit, orange, apricots, bananas, avocado, berries, grapes, watermelon, lemon), essential fatty acids (oily fish, nuts & seeds), herbs & spices (dandelion, parsley, tumeric, milk thistle) and high fibre foods (linseed, brown rice, oats). Avoid alcohol, caffeine, drugs, smoking, processed foods, pesticides (ideally choose bio/organic), excess salt, fried foods, hydrogenated/trans/saturated fats.
Supplementation supporting your detox:
Cleanses the colon by gently brushing the intestines, ‘exfoliating’ compacted faecal matter on the intestinal walls for elimination via the stool. Note: psyllium husk is not a laxative, as it does not liquify the stool; absorption of nutrients is not impacted, as it is with laxatives – it is in fact improving absorption once old waste is removed. Ensure sufficient water is taken with psyllium husk.
Frequently recommended in combination with psyllium husk and probiotics in the context of detox-programmes. Provides a broad range of benefits relating detoxification.
Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage. It contains many nutrients, most importantly chlorophyll, but also B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid).
