Back to School Detox
Do you remember a commercial showing a delighted father gleefully riding a shopping cart down the aisle of a major office supply store, while his children look like they’re attending a funeral march? The misplaced Christmas song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is playing in the background while the father gathers school supplies for the upcoming school year. It is a funny take on the end of summer and the return of our family to the routine of the months ahead.
The end of summer is definitely bittersweet. Summer is a time for us to vacation near or far, spend time with our families and get back in touch with our kids through family activities. It is also a time to move away from routines and welcome some spontaneity into our lives.
For many, that spontaneity is also a time to overindulge ourselves in things that we would usually limit when our lives are more regimented. If this has been the case for you, a great way to welcome the end of summer is to indulge yourself in a good detox program. With the kids back in school and life returning to a more predictable pattern, now is a good time to take this important step to improve your health.
A comprehensive detox program supports the detoxification pathways of the bowel, liver, kidneys, lungs and skin. In a detox program, I always focus first on bowel cleansing, since many people have issues with bowel elimination. Optimizing this pathway of detoxification is a key component of any good program. Getting the bowels to move regularly (1-2 times per day) and using products to bind and carry out toxins is the goal. Many combination products are available in your local health food store.
The liver is one of the hardest working organs in our bodies. It is the major detoxifier of medications and chemicals that we encounter, both in our homes and in the environment. There are two phases of detoxification in the liver. Phase I detoxification requires a good reserve of thiamine, antioxidants and minerals to make the enzymes necessary for the oxidation/reduction reactions that occur.
Phase II detoxification requires a variety of B-vitamins, trace minerals and sulfur containing compounds to makes the products of Phase I more soluble, so that they can be excreted by the kidneys or through the bile produced in the liver, which exits the body in the stool. There are many good liver detox products that specifically support Phase I and II detoxification pathways. Flushing out the liver and gallbladder with a good liver flush drink can also promote liver detox.
Our kidneys are the filtration system that constantly filters toxins and waste from the blood. Dehydration is one of the main stressors of the kidneys and the easiest to prevent by drinking an adequate amount of water everyday, equivalent to half our body weight in ounces. Foods that stress the kidneys include salty, sugary and fried foods. Caffeine containing beverages, soda and alcohol, adversely affect the kidney’s filtering ability. A diet high in dairy products and excess protein also challenges the kidneys.
Unsweetened cranberry and lemon juice can be very cleansing to the kidneys. Herbs that support kidney function include juniper berry, parsley, marshmallow root, uva ursi leaf and ginger. Many of these herbs can be found in the herb section of your local health food store and combined to make a tea.
To support detoxification through the lungs, exercise can be very effective. Increased respiratory rate and deepened breathing allows for the lungs to work to full capacity and rid the body of a buildup of toxic CO2. We are constantly exposed to airborne toxins, especially living in Southern California, so it is very important to try to keep our homes as free from this particulate matter as possible by using a good air filter. Dairy products and gluten-containing grains are mucus-producing foods and best avoided when detoxifying the lungs. Foods and nutrients that enhance lung function are green juices, chlorophyll, antioxidants, vitamin A and CoQ 10.
Detoxifying through the skin is one of the most effective and efficient ways to rid the body of toxins without using up all of our precious antioxidants and enzymes. Many toxins reside in our subcutaneous fat. This is the best place for the body to store toxins so that they cannot harm major organ systems. When you detoxify through sweating, you push these toxins to the surface and they come out on the surface of your skin. If you have access to an infra-red sauna, this is one of the best ways to detoxify. Also, dry brush massage and salt scrubs help to enhance circulation, thereby moving toxins closer to the surface of the skin for easy elimination.
I do hope that I have inspired you to make a fresh start. Detoxifying our bodies is one of the best ways to promote health and longevity. Beauty is on the inside!
Tracy Tranchitella, ND is a Naturopathic Physician at Stillpoint Center for Integrative Medicine in Murrieta. If you would like more information about Dr. Tranchitella and Stillpoint Center, please call 951-461-4800 or visit our website at www.mystillpoint.com