natural detox strategies

The term “detoxification” was first coined in the 1930s, when it was originally seen as a way to help alcoholics/drug addicts to cleanse the body. These days, we use the term to include nutritional changes, social influences (i.e., getting rid of "toxic" relationships), and treatments like body wrapping, saunas, and even energetic medicine like reiki and chakra clearing.

Spring is the traditional time for deep cleaning--not only our homes, but our bodies.  The ancient Egyptians (and later, the Greeks) were the first to write about detoxification, but many of the same principles and practices they identified have similarities and overlap with other traditional practices, including Unani in the Middle East, Ayurveda in India and Nepal, traditional Chinese medicine, and indigenous healing practices of Africa, the Caribbean, and South America.

If you're interested in detoxing this spring, there are many simple and gentle ways to go about it.  The ideas below are intended to gently strengthen the body's natural detoxification and elimination systems. (Most of us in Western and modern cultures are too nutritionally depleted for more drastic strategies to benefit us.)  

NUTRITIONAL CLEANSING

Eat your vegetables!  Vegetables are astringent, constricting mucus membranes and exposed tissue and making them less susceptible to being infiltrated by toxic substances.

Add lemon to your water.  Lemons are astringent, naturally antiseptic, high in vitamin C, and aid digestion, which in turn protects the liver from overwork and toxic buildup.  Try a glass of water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon (or more) in the morning and evening.

Bulk up! The fiber in vegetables, oats (and other whole grains), and flaxseed serve as a bulking agents which helps keep the colon clean via healthy elimination. 

Try dandelion greens.  Dandelion leaves are traditionally eaten in the spring in salads or as cooked greens in both Europe and North America as a spring cleansing food.  They are mineral-rich and are both diuretic (increasing urine flow for more effective detoxification) and bitter, which stimulates the liver to produce detoxifying bile.  Purchase in season at farmer’s markets and at natural grocery stores, or you might want to harvest them yourself.  If you do, be sure to only pick them in areas that you know for sure are pesticide-free.  If you find them too bitter on their own, add to salads or sauté with other greens.

Eat more garlic.  Garlic boosts overall antioxidant levels, is anti-inflammatory, and stimulates the lungs to clear the bronchial passages and lungs of toxins.

HERBAL REMEDIES

Green tea is a great detoxifier, activating mechanisms in the liver that can eliminate chemical toxins from the body more easily.

Milk thistle seed has an affinity for the liver and is great for detoxification, especially from alcohol.

Dandelion is also great for the liver, a gentle detoxifying agent with roots that act as a probiotic, so it’s also good for digestive health and elimination.

Turmeric—a primary ingredient in curry--protects the liver from toxic damage from chemicals (and other excesses, including alcohol and recreational drugs)

Licorice restores the integrity of the liver’s tissue, so that it is able to self-repair and work more efficiently.

LIFESTYLE STRATEGIES

Sweat more!  Exercise regularly, use the sauna or steam room at the gym, and be sure to drink adequate amounts of water to rehydrate.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!  Emollients protect the skin, which in turn protects the body against toxins.

Practice deep breathing (which helps us to efficiently process CO₂), meditation, silence, and/or prayer.  Extreme stress weakens the immune system and kills off healthy bacteria in the body that support natural detoxification.

Avoid antibiotics; if necessary, supplement with probiotics to restore gut flora balance.

Avoid harmful chemicals and reduce toxic exposure (including exposure to radiation and electromagnetic fields) whenever possible.                                                                               

A detoxified, healthy, and well-functioning body is everyone's birthright!  If you'd like more personalized guidance on detoxing or to structure a cleansing plan specific to your needs, contact me for a consultation at 301-357-4457 or herbalist@ayongozi.com.

spring cleaning! (a 40-day eating plan)

In cultures worldwide, fasting and cleansing have been ways to empower us to greater spirit-mind-body development and to manifest radiant health.  In the West, spring is a traditional time to clean out one's body and home, bringing in new vitality and energy for the year. My intention during this time is to gift myself with a restorative, eliminative, and healing period as I move into a new and powerful phase in my life (my 40^th year, and the beginning of my career as an herbalist). It is time to release old patterns, beliefs, people and situations which no longer serve me.  It is also time to bring in even more health-positive changes in my eating and being, and allow them to become my way of life. 

For this spring, I created a cleansing protocol for myself based on one designed by nutritionist and herbalist Rebecca Snow, and there are many other practitioners (like Queen Afua) who have excellent cleansing and fasting plans.  It shares an emphasis on easily-digestible, fresh, whole foods; lots of water; use of herbs as teas and cooking spices; and making lifestyle adjustments to support a holistic cleansing process.  It is especially important to keep in mind one’s personal constitution, the season, food availability, etc. when making food choices during a cleanse to be in the highest harmony with natural rhythms.  I am choosing Ayurveda as a holistic system to guide me in this area, but encourage you to use the wisdom of your own body to guide you to what foods will serve you best.  In addition, I am including a fair amount of probiotics in this cleanse, because as I clean out the waste, it will be important to replacing unhelpful microbes with “good” bacteria that will support my gut health—which has many positive impacts overall.

I also am committing to certain rituals and wellness obligations: twice-a-week yoga classes, walking five mornings a week, and continuing to make time for daily meditation in the mornings and evenings.  Journaling throughout the process will help me observe myself throughout the process, work through emotions that surface, and document the physical changes I experience.

I invite you to join me on the cleansing journey in any way you like—follow a full cleansing program (with the support of a qualified wellness practitioner if that is more comfortable or appropriate to your situation), or you may consider simply adapting some of the aspects of this cleanse into your everyday diet. 

PREPARING FOR THE CLEANSE

Begin and end this (and any) cleanse gradually.  For this process, you will allow 9 days before and 10 days after the 21-day cleanse to transition.

Day 1: Release chemicals and processed foods: alcohol, caffeine, food additives, soft drinks, drugs, smoking, refined sugar and flour, and anything in a package as applicable and possible.

Day 3: Release meat products, any live or once living animal or fish, including eggs

Day 5: Release dairy products, yogurt, cheese, milk, butter

Day 8: Release nuts and seeds

Day 9: Release wheat and corn.

DAILY CLEANSING PROTOCOL

From Day 10-30:

Eat greens.  Each day choose from one of the following:

1 cup steamed: collards, kale, beet greens, potato leaf, callaloo, turnip greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, spinach  OR

2 cups raw: arugula, spinach, watercress, dandelion greens, radicchio, chickweed, purslane

Eat 1 ½ cups of whole grain daily—brown rice, quinoa, amaranth or millet are best.

Eat a minimum of 1 cup whole fruit (raw or cooked, not dried) according to your personal constitution and nutritional needs.

Eat a minimum of 1 cup whole vegetable (raw or cooked) in addition to greens above, according to your personal constitution and nutritional needs.

Eat 1 cup cooked beans daily—mung, adzuki, lentils and blackeyed peas are best.  Soybeans, chickpeas, and black beans should be avoided during this part of the cleanse as they are less easily digested.

Drink Master Cleanser with breakfast and dinner: 8oz water, 1 tablespoon each lemon juice and maple syrup, and a pinch of cayenne.

Get your probiotics! Drink 8oz of kombucha or fermented coconut water or add a couple of tablespoons of fermented vegetables (like sauerkraut, kimchee or fermented pickles) to your daily diet.

Drink 16oz of fruit or vegetable juice with no added sugar.  It is great if you can juice your own, but you can also use natural prebottled juices like Naked or Odwalla brands.

Drink plenty of water as thirsty.  Herbal teas should also be taken as prescribed, or you can drink herbal teas like Yogi Tea’s “Detox Tea” or others.  Avoid “Dieter’s Tea,” which contains powerful herbs like senna that are powerful laxatives, but that you don’t need for this cleanse.

Include cold-water hydrotherapy—5-10 seconds of cold water daily at the end of shower stimulates your body’s elimination and detoxification process.

You may also take vegetable broths with miso paste.  A little olive oil—or a vegetarian omega EFA blend—may be added to your food, as well as any herbs and spices. 

ENDING THE CLEANSE

End the cleanse slowly and observe yourself closely as you add foods back into your diet.  If at any time you feel unwell while adding foods back into the diet, slow down the process.

Day 31: Add wheat and/or corn as desired

Day 33: Add nuts and seeds

Day 35: Add eggs

Day 37: Add dairy

Day 38: Add meat and poultry

Day 40: Add any processed foods and other substances eliminated on Day 1 if desired.

CLEANSING TIPS

The body can feel bad at the start of a cleanse.  Your bowels or skin may change, your tongue may be coated, you may feel tired or have headaches, emotions may come up. This is a natural part of the process. If extreme, contact a trusted health practitioner.

If you feel constipated, drink more fluids and be sure you’re getting plenty of fruits and vegetables.  You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of ground flax seed to your meals. Again--if extreme, contact a trusted health practitioner.

Take liquids warm or at room temperature.

Get plenty of rest—try to get at least 8 hours of sleep at night and a short nap during the day.

Stay warm.  You will be less active and your body temperature and blood pressure may decrease.

Be gentle with yourself, mindfully addressing emotions that arise.

Practice gentle exercise like stretching, yoga or tai chi daily.  It is good to sweat, but listen to your body and avoid overexerting yourself.

Drink water when you are thirsty, and eat when you are hungry.

Use organic, local, seasonal fruits and vegetables whenever possible.

For better digestion and nutrition, chew your food well.  Swish liquids around your mouth before swallowing.