Support Daily Detox

Spring is almost here, and now is the time to begin making big changes and additions to your routine. What do you want to acheive this year? As the weather warms and the sun shines longer we now have the energy to sustain bigger changes. Do you want to feel better in your body? Do you want to cultivate deeper relationships? Do you want to reach a goal at work? What are the steps that will get you there?

It is also the perfect time to weave in foods and practices every day that will support your body's natural detoxification process. We hear a lot about detoxes in the media and among wellness practitioners, and there are times when a targeted detox is warrented. I lead many clients through 7, 14, and 30 day detoxes. But for most of us it is what we do on a daily basis that will improve how our body functions and how we feel. You have probably read about all the ways we encounted toxins on a daily basis, some we have control over and others we do not. Here are some steps you can take every day to enusre your body is supported in eliminating the toxins you encounter.

Embrace Bitter Flavors

One of my favorite supplements to use is Digestive Bitters. When the bitter flavor hits your tongue it helps to stimulate bile flow. Bile is released from your liver into your gall bladder (if you still have one), then from your gallbladder into your intestines for elimination. You elimiante tons of waste products from the body through the bile, so optimizing bile flow is a key part of detoxification. You can use the digestive bitter supplements, or increase your consumption of bitter greens such as arugula, dandelion greens, mustard greens, radicchio and endive. Vinegars, pickles, and fermented vegetables are also a great way to get bitter flavor in and support bile flow.

Hydrate Well

Hydration is another key component of detoxification. Of course drinking half your body weight in ounces of fresh, filtered water is an important daily recommendation. Another drink that can aid in detoxification is dandelion root tea. Steep this tea for 10-15 minutes to extract the medicinal properties.

Include Milk Thistle

Milk thistle is a common ingredient in detoxification supplements, and you can get the benefits from it by including it in your food. This is safer to do as the dose will be smaller when you include milk thistle as a food, and you can consume it daily. I like to include milk thistle seeds when I make homemade granola to have over yogurt or on its own with milk. Milk thistle supports phase 2 detoxification in the liver, which is a phase that is often slower due to lack of necessary nutrients and medications.

Take a Bath

This is perhaps more of a weekly or bi-weekly recommendation: Add 1-2 cups epsom salts to your bath to encourage toxins that are closer to the surface of your skin to be drawn out. Be sure to wash off afterward to make sure what you sweated out isn't reabsorbed!

Eat Organic, Non-Processed Foods

As much as you can, reduce the amount of toxins entering your body by switching to organic produce, grass fed (and finished) meats, and wild caught fish. Studies continuously show that when people switch to an organic diet for 2 weeks they no longer have glyphosate and other herbicides in their urine, so the body does a pretty good job of getting rid of it.

Switch to Non-Toxic Body Care Products

In addition to not adding toxins through your food, you want to reduce the amount you add through your personal care prodcuts. This can feel like a huge undertaking, but you can start small. When you run out of a product you currently have, choose a non-toxic replacement. Think shampoo, lotion, body wash, make up, perfume, toothpase, and hair care products. A great app to help you find better products is the Healthy Living App from the Environmental Working Group. Not all products are on here, but many are. A good beginning step is to not buy any product that contains "fragrance" or "parfume" as these chemicals wreak havoc on your hormones.

Let me know what changes you are making this spring!