Do you need a detox? Is it time for a metabolic and lifestyle reset to get back on the path of health? Are you confused on what a detox is, how to pick the right one, and how to do it? In this newsletter we hope to help you understand when and how to detox the body in your first step towards regaining control of your health and returning back to a healthier you.
When to detox?
There are two periods of time when you should detox:
- Recovery- when you have returned from vacation, a wedding weekend, a major stressful event is behind you, or you just realized that you lost your way for a time. Often, there are no signs yet of major toxicity and just a gentle detox is needed to recover.
- Signs of toxicity- when you have signs of toxicity, a more serious, longer, and focused detox is needed. Signs of toxicity include: fatigue, lethargy, skin rashes, insomnia, brain fog, weight loss resistance, hair loss, constipation, or you have a co-infection such as Lymes Disease or Epstein Barr.
Which detox to do?
There are many opinions on what detox you should perform. At a minimum, abstaining from all processed foods, liquid sugary drinks, and high carbohydrate foods should be the beginning. (Although, I would suggest you never have eating those foods).
Next, I would suggest some simple detoxification foods. Some of the best detoxification foods fall into the cruciferous vegetable category such as brussel sprouts and broccoli. Kale, celery, and arugula are also fantastic additions to any detox diet. Ginger and curcumin are wonderful additions when you are detoxing as they help to fight inflammation and help to eliminate toxicity from the body.
Although there is no single food that is the best detoxifier, there are many foods that work synergistically to reduce inflammation, create natural and sustainable energy while eliminating toxins from the body. These foods are often referred to as the ‘Detox Ingredient List’ and they really can live up to their name! Look for these foods in our recipes listed below.
The Ideal 24 Hour Detox and Flush Day
What follows below is an ideal detox meal plan for one full day. This plan can be repeated many days or weeks in a row. You can also substitute different recipes that contain the ingredients from the Detox Ingredient List above, but be careful not to incorporate any junk or high carbohydrate ingredients.
5am-7:30am
The Sunrise Fat Burner—Drink this power shot immediately after waking up in the morning to start up your metabolism for a full day of fat burning.
- 3 oz. Warm water
- 1 tbsp of local honey
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1 inch of grated fresh ginger root
- 1 pinch of turmeric
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- Combine all of the ingredients and drink immediately
30-45 min after waking
Breakfast: Green Power Smoothie—This is a delicious smoothie that will keep your metabolism rolling. Try consuming this smoothie 30-45 minutes after your Sunrise Fat Burner.
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cup of spinach
- 1 cup of berries (you can mix and match this to your taste with cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, pomegranates, or peaches) frozen or fresh
- ½ banana (tip- chop and freeze your bananas for easy additions to your daily smoothies)
- 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- ½ tbsp chia seeds
- ½-1 full scoop of vanilla whey protein powder (18-25g of protein).
- Blend this and enjoy through the morning hours.
11am-1pm
Lunch: Tropical Salad—It is important to stay on an eating schedule when you’re doing a detox. Even if this means eating when you’re not hungry. We will often resort back to bad habits of high carbohydrate snacks and meals when we have gone too long without eating and need to find something quickly. Be intentional with your foods and the times you are eating them.
- 1 cup of kale and/or arugula
- ¼ mango chopped
- ½ cup garbanzo beans
- ½ cup romaine lettuce
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- ¼ cup chopped radishes
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- ¼ cup chopped cucumber or tomato
- 1 chopped whole hard boiled egg
- ½ chopped avocado
- ¼ cup lentils
- ¼ cup raisins or pomegranates
- Mix ingredients and place into a bowl
- Dressing-
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar (try a flavored one for some fun!)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp. Mustard (ground dry mustard here, not bottled prepared)
- 1 tsp. Garlic salt
2-3pm
The Chocolate Fix—When you’re detoxing, the need to have some fun without blowing the intentional eating plan is key. The brain needs some time to switch from the stimulation of high sugar and high carbohydrate foods to more sensible high nutrient foods. This mid-day snack will help to keep you motivated and on track so don’t miss it.
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup almonds
- 1 oz. Dark chocolate (Lilly’s brand is great!) with 70% or higher cacao not cocoa.
- You can eat these as just a trail mix or make a fun cluster cookie.
- Cluster cookie
- Melt the cacao and add 1 tbsp of vanilla or chocolate protein powder
- Mix and pour over the blueberries and almonds
- Let cool to harden and enjoy
5-6:30pm (not any later!)
Dinner: Sweet Potato and Beef Taco—Eating later than 6:30pm can not only lead to fat gain, it can also disrupt your sleep patterns. Sleeping is essential for detoxing and increasing your metabolism. Avoid eating after 6:30 at all costs. You may even want to skip dinner if you cannot eat before the cutoff time.
- 1 Sweet Potato
- ½ cup of ground beef
- ½ chopped bell pepper (red and yellow are great!)
- ¼ chopped onion or shallot
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- ¼ shredded lettuce, kale, or arugula
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Directions:
- Bake your sweet potato-Conventional oven- 400 degrees for 40-60 minutes. InstaPot- 22 minutes on high pressure. Don’t forget to poke your potato with a fork prior to cooking with either method. This can be done in advance and simply microwave for a minute or two to warm before serving.
- Prepare the taco mixture by adding the oil to a skillet on med/high heat. Add and cook the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the veggies, ground beef, and spices and cook until the meat is fully cooked (about 7 minutes).
- Cut your cooled sweet potato in half lengthwise. Spoon out a trough and add your taco mix to the potato. Top with the shredded lettuce, kale, or arugula.
- Add hot sauce or salsa if you desire!
9pm-Midnight
Emergency Late Night Boost:
Cravings in the late night hours can be brutal. Although this hunger is more of a habit than a lack of calories, the need to satisfy this need can derail the detox. The best emergency protocol would be to repeat the Sunrise Fat Burner. This little drink of warm water and strong flavored ingredients will go a long way in stopping the food cravings and continue the fat burning well into the overnight hours.
What about fasting and detox?
Although a detox diet is often associated with particular foods that help to rid the body of toxins, fasting can also be a successful tool for this. For years, Autophagy Fasting has been studied as an effective tool for erasing the damage that a poor diet creates. Autophagy helps to heal the mitochondria, your body’s energy power plant, that were damaged as a result of the toxins that were ingested during a time of unhealthy eating.
Autophagy fasting has been shown to begin at around 17 hours of fasting and peak at 72 hours. If you are doing a gentle detox, try an Autophagy fast to begin the release of the stored toxins in the body. Other benefits of an Autophagy fast include boosting your immune system, balancing your sex hormones, and improving brain function.
What about detoxing with a sauna?
Whether you prefer a traditional sauna or an infrared sauna, some time spent in a sauna can be helpful for your detox. Sweating is one of the more important ways that our body gets rid of toxins. Exercise can also be beneficial in this but a sauna may be a more efficient tool in excreting toxins. As the body heats up, the capillaries dilate, flooding the interstitial areas with fluid. The sweat glands in turn open to allow sweat to form on the surface of the skin in order to cool down. This process helps to mobilize the stored toxins in the body and effectively removes them from within. Try using a sauna during your next detox as an enjoyable secret weapon to speed up your recovery.
Supplement Your Detox:
Occasionally, you may need to add a boost to your detox with a couple of safe supplements. These supplements go well with the recipes above to flush your toxins and increase your metabolic engine.
L-Tyrosine- L-tyrosine supplements can support the production of thyroid hormones to speed up your metabolism. Evidence suggests that when taken in combination with other fat-burning substances, such as caffeine and capsaicin, L-Tyrosine is even more effective for achieving weight loss. L-Tyrosine is a conditionally indispensable amino acid required for the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, as well as for the skin pigment, melanin. L-tyrosine can help to support a positive mood and mental alertness.
L-glutamine- One major tool in detoxing can be L-glutamine. Known for its ability to help with sugar cravings, L-glutamine can give you an advantage in changing your eating habits. This semi-essential amino acid is also used to reduce muscle soreness and repair a healthy gut. If you are trying to break old eating habits, work out more, and are looking to improve your gut health, L-glutamine is the best tool.
Conclusion:
It is our goal at [Core] Chiropractic and Wellness to see our patients thrive in all areas of their health. It is our desire to use the tools of chiropractic, exercise, and nutrition to guide our patients to live their best life ever.
If you would like more education in the area of detox and nutrition, look for our upcoming [LivFit] seminar October 17th and 24th. This class is designed for those striving to improve their health by incorporating cleaner habits while living in a dirty world. Ask Laura, our front desk assistant, for more details on how you and your family can join us. Space is limited so do not delay!
Daryl C. Rich, D.C., C.S.C.S.
