Do we really need to Detox?

To be honest with you, before I became a Naturopath, I thought that Detox’s were for people who drank a lot of alcohol and they had to be completed at health retreats.

So when I thought of Detox Programs, I thought of a man in his 50’s, overweight, big beer belly, who sat on the couch and drank lots of beer. His weekends consisted of more TV watching and beer with a BBQ or two thrown in. Or I thought of a woman who was out every night partying with her friends.

I’ve come a long way from those first thoughts of Detox Programs and now know that they are beneficial for many people for a number of reasons.

First, let’s get rid of some of the myths around detox:

Myth 1: Detox is only for heavy drinkers.

Wrong. Detox’s can be good for anyone. While drinkers would benefit, there are plenty of other people that can and do benefit:

– The 25 year female, who has a pretty healthy diet, exercises 3-4 times a week, has noticed that her digestion is not quite right and she feels tired all the time.

– Or the 30 year old male, who has a stressful job and has noticed that the past year, he got more coughs and colds than usual.

– The 20 year old female who has a history of allergies and has decided that she is sick of feeling horrible and wants to get it sorted this year.

– The 33 year old female who has been trying to lose weight and even though she is eating well and exercising the fat just doesn’t seem to want to budge.

– The couple who have recently gotten married who have decided that they want to start trying for a baby later in the year.

As you can see it’s not only the heavy drinker that would benefit.

Myth 2: Doing a Detox means I will have severe withdrawals.

I’m not going to lie about this one, some people experience headaches and feel a little off in the first few days of a detox as their body copes with the removal of sugar or alcohol etc. This doesn’t happen to everyone and a proper Detox Program helps the body through this phase to minimise the discomfort. This is also one of the reasons why you would benefit by having a naturopath guide you through the Detox to avoid or reduce these symptoms.

Myth 3: Doing a Detox means I will have to starve myself

With the popularity of such diets as the Lemon Detox Diet it can be assumed that in order to Detox, you have to drink some weird concoction and starve yourself for a month.

With a complete Detox, this is not so. You get to eat real, yummy nutritious foods and take supplements that help support the body through the detoxification process. In fact, you can eat lots of food, just the right types of food.

Myth 4: Whilst doing the Detox I will feel horrible therefore I have to put it off because I can’t go to work and Detox at the same time

This is also a myth. You can still go to work and carry about your everyday activities as normal. You might feel slightly tired and a little bit grumpy for the first few days. However, after that people have reported feeling that their digestion has improved, they are sleeping better, their skin has cleared up and best of all they have more energy.

Myth 5: My liver is designed for Detox so why do I need to do a Detox?

The body does have a comprehensive Detoxification system yet it can be put under strain with bad food choices, increased alcohol intake plus the daily contact of chemicals in our food, the air, the water we drink, the chemicals on our furniture and in our household products. Plus some of us also smoke, take pharmaceuticals and use chemical laden cosmetics and personal care products. The type of Detox Program that I guide you through, looks at nutrition and lifestyle first and ultimately helps the bodies natural Detoxification systems to function optimally.

Myth 6: I don’t need to lose weight so why would I do a Detox?

Doing a detox is not about losing weight. It sometimes can be a consequence because as the body functions better, weight loss can occur. However, the primary aim of a Detox is not to lose weight. It is to ensure that the body is functioning in its optimal state of digestion, immunity and energy production. Any number of the following symptoms or conditions can be helped with a Detox:

– Headaches

– Muscle Aches and Pains

– Recurrent infections or inflammatory conditions

– Infertility

– Inability to lose fat

– Menstrual disorders

– Adverse reactions or sensitivity to environmental chemicals, odours, and/or nutritional supplements

– Allergies

– Digestive Disorders

– Chronic Fatigue and lethargy

– Depression, anxiety and/or mood swings

– Skin disorders eg. acne, eczema, psoriasis