Although the temperature is not yet warm, but lately the sunny sky has been visible for longer and the chirping of birds suggests that spring is here!
Spring is one of my favorite seasons. Not only does it bring the energy of growth, renewal and change, but it's also a very important season for our health! In the spring comes the natural stage of cleansing the body. At this time, it is useful to balance hormones, cleanse toxins and speed up metabolism.
Winter is a time of preservation and maintenance, while spring is a time of cleansing and renewal. As the snow melts and new life sprouts in the earth, growth and transformation are happening all around us!
People often wonder if detoxification programs and body cleansing are really necessary. After all, is our body ready to independently cope with daily detoxification without additional powders and supplements? Isn't that right?
The answer is yes… our bodies are ready to deal with daily detox! But the condition is that we must eat as our ancestors did;
- foraging for berries, leafy greens, and eating wild caught meat and fish;
- sweat every day while exercising,
- sleep 8 hours every night,
- drink plenty of filtered water
- avoid exposure to synthetic chemicals and heavy metals.
An abundance of chemicals
However, in our modern environment, this is not always easy! Chemicals are used as food preservatives, pesticides and herbicides in our products, stabilizers and dyes in cosmetics, flame retardants in furniture and pollutants in our water. These synthetics are also found in most common cleaning products and can even end up in medications.
Worryingly, some of these chemicals are classified as "hormone disruptors," meaning they interfere with our natural hormone function and often cause health problems. This is especially true of plastic compounds that mimic estrogen in the body and can cause estrogen-dominant diseases.
How our body deals with chemicals
Many of the chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis are fat-soluble, meaning they dissolve in fat and accumulate in our adipose tissue. Fat-soluble toxins are more difficult for our bodies to process and eliminate than water-soluble toxins because they hide and accumulate in our fat cells and tissues.
Fat-soluble toxins are most easily eliminated through sweating or cleansing by the liver and then through the intestines. Water-soluble toxins are more easily eliminated through the kidneys. It is important to support each of these body cleansing methods to facilitate the elimination of water-soluble and fat-soluble toxins.
Since many toxins are stored in our fat cells, it is very important to promote liver function and detoxification. This is very important when you have established a weight loss routine. If you don't help your body digest the chemicals produced by burning stored fat, you may experience:
- headache
- constipation
- water retention in the bladder (swelling)
- acne or skin rashes.
Because these toxins can interfere with hormone function, it may be difficult for you to lose weight if you don't help your liver cleanse at the same time.
Physical symptoms indicating that it is time to cleanse the body:
Here are just a few of the many symptoms you may experience if your body needs extra help detoxing:
- Headaches
- Flatulence
- Acne, eczema or skin rashes
- Gallstones or difficulty digesting fats
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Odor sensitivity, also known as multiple chemical sensitivity
- Fatigue
- Low libido
- Hair loss
- Poor concentration or memory
- Slow metabolism and weight gain
- In women: breast tenderness and/or irregular or heavy periods
Just don't think you have to wait for these symptoms to appear first! Spring is the best time to start "annual maintenance". Below are some safe and effective ways to detox for spring!
Formula for safe and effective cleansing of the body
To complete a safe and effective spring cleanse, we simply need to help our bodies metabolize toxins and also reduce exposure to chemicals and inflammatory foods. More and more health professionals are noticing the positive of curcumin from turmeric detoxifying effects on internal organs such as the liver or female reproductive organs.
The most important guidelines to follow are:
Eat a diet rich in it vitamins, minerals and nutrients. They support detoxification.
Your spring cleaning diet should be rich in color and nutrients that support and replenish your body at the cellular level. Recommended:
- Supplement nutrition superfood, which consists of vegetables, fruits, berries, sea vegetables and silt.
- A meal plan should include plenty of brightly colored vegetables, nutrient-dense leafy greens, cancer-fighting cruciferous vegetables, juicy berries, nutritious seeds, lean meats, and wild-caught fish.
Avoid inflammatory foods, including:
- Sugar and artificial sweeteners.
- Trans fats (margarine, fried foods, packaged foods)
- Genetically modified foods.
- Possible sensitivities such as for gluten, dairy products, corn, soy.
Choose foods rich in fiber, which will combine with the toxins in the digestive tract and help them to be effectively removed from the body.
Drink at least 2-3 liters of filtered water per day enriched minerals and electrolytes. In this way, it is easier for you to clear water-soluble toxins through the kidneys. Herbal teas are also a great option!
Avoid when cleansing the body alcohol and caffeine, as they both put extra stress on your liver.
Make sure that you sweat every day exercising, actively working. A hot bath or sauna also helps. In this way, you would eliminate fat-soluble toxins through the skin.
Enjoy at least 8 hours of sleep overnight to give your body enough time to regenerate and repair cells.
Reduce synthetic chemicals and the impact of pesticides on the environment by choosing organic products and natural cosmetics and cleaning products.
A good way to help and strengthen the body: Superfood and supplements to further support liver function and eliminate toxins. Due to the possible imbalance of the liver reactions in phases 1 and 2 (see below), we suggest that you consult with a naturopathic doctor to develop a safe, individualized and targeted treatment plan.
Correct and incorrect cleansing of the body
When you think of detox programs, you probably conjure up images of juicing, water fasting, and laxative herbal teas. This is not what we recommend for cleansing the body!
Detoxification should be a gentle and gradual process that gives you energy. If you've gone through a detox program in the past and experienced diarrhea, headaches, fatigue, and irritability, chances are you've put too much pressure on your body and didn't give it the support it needed throughout the process.
Detoxification is a two-step process
Detoxification is a two-step metabolic process that takes place in your liver and consists of Phase 1 and Phase 2 reactions. chemicals, hormones and toxins in your body become more active during phase 1, during phase 2 they can mix with the nutritional components, making it easier for your body to eliminate toxins.
Balancing both phases of detoxification is essential to avoid toxic phase 1 metabolites that can make you sick and ruin your health.
Nutrition is also a safe and effective way to support phase 2 detoxification reactions and prevent the accumulation of toxic phase 1 metabolites.
It is very important to include foods in your diet that support phase 2 reactions, and we suggest eating 3-5 servings of the vegetables listed below per day during your detox.
A nutrient dense diet is essential and forms the foundation of any successful detox program!
If you decide to supplement with nutrients or herbs, it is very important that you emphasize supporting the second phase reactions. It is not enough to use popular over-the-counter detox "formulas" that primarily support phase 1 reactions. They can make you feel bad and have an unpleasant cleaning experience. Remember, spring detoxing shouldn't feel bad!
Below is a list of products that support phase 2 liver reactions and prevent the accumulation of reactive intermediate phase 1 toxins.
Foods that support phase two liver detoxification:
- Broccoli and broccoli sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Brussels sprouts
- Radishes
- Turnip
All of these vegetables belong to the cruciferous family and are rich in compounds called glucosinolates, which are among the most important nutrients for supporting phase 2 liver detoxification. If consuming more of these vegetables gives you gas or you have thyroid problems, it is best to consume these vegetables boiled or lightly steamed.
Garlic and onions are also wonderful foods to eat on a body cleanse because they are rich in sulfur, which your body needs to produce glutathione. Glutathione is considered the “master detoxifying” compound in your body and it is very important to maintain its production while cleansing your body! You can also improve the cleansing of the body by using targeted supplements.
Why we do not recommend using a juice program for cleansing the body
The main reason is that this diet creates shortness fibers. It can also cause problems blood sugar levels problems that often occur in people who experience adrenal fatigue or hypoglycemia.
Fiber is important because it allows toxins to bind and be removed from the digestive tract as they are processed by the liver. Without fiber to bind to the toxins being metabolized, your body will either reabsorb the toxins back into your bloodstream, or you may experience unpleasant diarrhea to flush them out. This is NOT what we want.
Find Vit's approach to spring cleaning always includes healthy, whole foods that are rich in fiber, antioxidants and nutrients. Specialists recommend a three-month course of intestinal cleansing, during which fiber, most conveniently in capsules, and live bacteria are taken. Seaweed is also recommended Spirulina and chlorella, which help the body cleanse itself of heavy metals and pollutants.
If you prefer to follow a liquid detox diet instead of a food-based diet, we suggest mixing fruits and vegetables to keep the fiber in the drink instead of removing the juice. You can also consider adding fiber to your diet to replenish the fiber you lost from juicing.
The best sources of fiber for spring cleansing
- Fruits and vegetables
- Chia seeds
- Ground flax seeds
- Legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and black beans
How long does the cleansing of the body take?
Gentle spring cleaning of the body can last from several days to several weeks. In fact, you could live like this every day and your body would thank you! We highly recommend incorporating many of these steps into your daily life to make it a gentle daily detox.
This is a period where you can make many beneficial changes to your health and notice a huge increase in energy levels, skin clarity, mood and digestive function. We all live at a fast pace, so let's support the body by providing it with the necessary nutrition. If you follow the instructions above, you should find that by day 7 you feel fantastic, happy, and want to keep it going for longer than you planned!
It is important to remember that everyone's health is individual and there is no one-size-fits-all recipe!
So, if you are looking for ways to strengthen your body, have energy and avoid mood swings and regain peace of mind, health professionals recommend Testa "Your Day".
*In time, pay attention to the signals sent by your well-being;
*Replenish the body with natural minerals or vitamins;
*Enjoy energy and good mood every day!