How to Detoxify your Body and Mind
How to Detox your Body and Mind
June 16, 2021 by Allie Buxton and Lesley Seto
Looking for a refresh or to get your health back on track? This detox plan may be just what you need - but it’s probably nothing like detoxes you’re familiar with. Keep reading to learn how to support detoxifying your body and your mind.
The Spring Detox
Usually, when you read about a spring detox or any form of detox for that matter, it follows the idea of getting yourself “beach ready”. That’s not what we’re talking about here. The suggestions you’ll read about later in this article can be put into practice all year round.
So why spring? Spring is nature’s birthing season, which is why you might find yourself full of energy, motivation, and power, ready to come into something new. Spring is the time for planting after the rain or snow of winter. Seeds start to sprout and flourish. This is attuned to new growth and flourishing in your health, relationships, work, and all other aspects of your life, which makes this the perfect time to identify what you want to clear out internally and externally.
This can be your new start!
What would you like to see for yourself this year?
Take some time to create a health or life plan for yourself. As you attune yourself with the season, you’ll find that you begin to live more in alignment with the natural rhythms of the universe and have innate desires to take time to nourish your body.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the liver and gallbladder are the organs of spring. The liver supports a variety of functions, including digestion, metabolism, balancing blood sugars, hormones, essentially filtering the blood of toxins for elimination. The gallbladder stores bile produced from the liver and releases it to help with digestion. These 2 organs support each other and work as a team. In TCM, the liver also governs aspects of our mind and emotions, specifically giving us inspiration and desire for life. The liver allows us to set out to create an internal plan for our energy while the gallbladder is the decision-maker, allowing us to make appropriate judgments and resolutions to problems we encounter.
When in balance, we can express and experience our emotions and foster patience. When energetically out of balance, outbursts of anger and frustration are directed at others or directed inward as feelings of worthlessness. Take a moment to have an honest check-in or self-reflection, have you been more responsive or reactive lately?
Honestly, we’re all a little off balance. It’s the beauty of being human! So how do we support the liver to better align ourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically?
What is detoxification?
First of all, when we refer to detoxification, we don't mean restrictive diets or expensive therapies. We mean refocusing our lifestyle to include practices that support elimination in our physical and emotional health.
From a physiological perspective, detoxification is the body’s process for breaking down and eliminating toxins. The liver is the star of the detoxification show. Blood from the digestive organs flows to the liver, carrying nutrients, alcohol, medications, and other environmental toxins with it. The liver processes and breaks down these substances, releasing them back into the body for use or elimination. The kidneys, skin, digestive tract, and lungs play a supporting role in getting rid of toxins through processes like breathing, sweating, and urine production.
What do you mean by 'toxins'?
Environmental & Physiological Toxins
Toxins are substances originating from the environment and our own bodies, that if we didn't have a way to eliminate them naturally would be harmful 😬
Environmental toxins include household or industrial chemicals, airborne pollutants, heavy metals like mercury, alcohol, drugs, and bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics. Our bodies also make waste products that would become toxic if we couldn't eliminate them. Carbon dioxide, water, salts, urea, and uric acid are by-products of digestion and respiration that our body eliminates to keep us in balance.
Environmental toxins are important to be mindful of, especially if you have symptoms of hormonal imbalances like worsening PMS, mood swings, bloating, anxiousness, unexplained weight gain, hot flashes, memory problems, fertility issues, PCOS, etc.
There are ways to minimize exposure and reduce the toxic burden on the liver, these can be as simple as using glass containers instead of plastic for storing and reheating food, buying pesticide-free produce when possible, using natural skincare and makeup products, and trying homemade or natural cleaning products.
Emotional Toxins
We can also think about toxins in the psychological sense. From the wisdom of TCM, emotions are associated with organs. When the liver is in disharmony, it manifests as anger and frustration.
Anger and frustration can be directed externally, presenting as irritability, mood swings, and angry outbursts or internally as hatred and frustration towards oneself, resulting in feelings of worthlessness and a lack of motivation. These emotions create an energy imbalance in the body, manifesting as physical concerns and emotional and mental stress. We can support the liver to release some of these emotions by developing practices that help us learn how to express and experience emotion.
Why should I do a detox?
Incorporating foods and lifestyle practices that support our natural detoxing process helps to balance hormones, blood sugar, support fat metabolism, and enhance mood. When considering a detox, we can look at changes to our behaviors to support the physiological functioning of our liver, the emotional manifestation of an imbalance, or both!
Physiological Detox
The liver detoxes in two phases. Phase I prepares toxins for elimination, converting substances like caffeine and alcohol into by-products. Phase II neutralizes the by-products from Phase I and other remaining toxins. While both phases are essential to detoxification, the by-products of phase I are toxic themselves. Proper liver functioning is essential to ensure detoxification can proceed through both Phases I and II.
Our liver is busy! Not only is it involved in detoxification, but it also plays a role in regulating other metabolic processes that are essential to our health. These include:
Hormone Regulation. The liver regulates sex hormones, thyroid hormones, cortisol, and other adrenal hormones in the body.
If these hormones are out of balance, fertility issues, irregular periods, weight fluctuations, osteoporosis, mood swings, and high blood pressure may arise.
Blood Sugar Regulation. The liver stores excess glucose and releases it to supply the body with energy according to its needs. Blood sugar levels that are too high or too low can result in various health complications.
Persistent high blood sugar can desensitize your body to insulin, the hormone that allows cells to absorb glucose, leading to type II diabetes. Complications of diabetes include heart disease, nerve damage, kidney disease, skin conditions, and poor healing.
Liver damage, often due to excess alcohol consumption, can result in hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Immediate symptoms of low blood sugar include rapid heartbeat, anxiety, and dizziness. If left untreated, low blood sugar can lead to seizure, loss of consciousness, and death.
Fat Metabolism. The liver breaks down the fats from food, supports fat digestion in the gallbladder, and converts excess carbohydrates and proteins into fatty acids that are stored in the body for energy. If the liver is unable to perform these functions, excess fat begins to accumulate in the liver cells.
Accumulation of fat in the liver can lead to fatty liver disease. Over time, the liver becomes inflamed, and the tissues become damaged. Severe tissue damage blocks liver functioning and can lead to liver failure or liver cancer.
We can seek to include foods in our diets rich in nutrients that are relied on for detoxification and enhance metabolic liver functioning.
Emotional Detox
This past year had more stillness, more frustration, and more stress in it than usual.
Do you find yourself holding onto anger or frustration?
Maybe you’ve noticed yourself having angry outbursts or internal feelings of worthlessness. You might even just feel stagnant - like you’ve been stuck in one place for too long. If so, a spring detox may help you refresh, rebalance, and shake off those toxic emotions.
Your new ‘detox’ program
Whether the feelings above resonate with you, or you’re just ready to take more control over your health, the following practices can help you refocus your energy and support natural detoxification.
Eating for the Liver
Think light and fresh, think green.
Green vegetables. Kale, broccoli, bok choy, Napa cabbage, and Brussels sprouts contain compounds that support the activity of liver enzymes. Aim for 2 cups of cooked vegetables each day to support both the liver and overall digestion.
Antioxidant-rich foods. Pomegranates are a powerhouse of antioxidants! Try ¼ cup of pomegranate juice in 1 cup of water to support the liver and keep blood sugar and cholesterol balanced. Incorporating other foods like berries, cruciferous vegetables, ginger, onions, turmeric, garlic, nuts, and seeds daily will also support the liver in Phase II, neutralizing the by-products of Phase II detoxification.
Dark Chocolate. Yes, you read that right! >75% Dark chocolate contains supportive antioxidants and also improves mood, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Enjoy 1-2oz each day!
Fibre-rich foods. Fibre-containing whole grains like brown rice, barley, millet, quinoa, spelt, or wheat berries increase the activity of antioxidant and detox enzymes in the liver. Dietary fibre found in these foods also feeds the microbes in your gut, supporting proper elimination of toxic byproducts. Flaxseeds are great to include daily since they contain fibre and lignans that bind and eliminate toxic byproducts. Try including 1-2 tablespoons ground flax each day in smoothies, overnight oats, salads, or in energy bites!
Proteins. Phase II detoxification relies on amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, to function. Incorporate foods high in protein, like meat, eggs, dairy, nuts/seeds, beans, and legumes into daily meals.
Stay hydrated. Water is essential to excrete waste from the bloodstream. It also keeps everything in the digestive tract moving and eliminates wastes in a timely manner.
Movement for the Liver
Incorporating movement and exercise into our routine gets our blood flowing and stimulates our detox organs. Any movement that gets your oxygen and blood flowing freely will do. I love yoga poses that include twists and side bends to open up the torso and invigorate the liver. Here are some of my favourite yoga poses to support the liver.
Emotional Expression for the Liver
Many of us were taught from a young age to suppress our emotions. We hold back our anger or internalize our hurt to avoid confrontation. Give yourself permission to be aware of your emotions as they happen and to learn how to express them in a healthy and productive way. Doing so allows us to take back control of our minds from the stress, frustration, and anger that can overwhelm or limit us.
There are many modalities in which we can express ourselves and learn to release emotions. Find practitioners you trust and connect with. Some of the beautiful practices we love include art therapy, conventional therapy, acupuncture, massage, meditation, sound healing, yoga, and dance.
There’s no secret path to health and wellness through detoxes.
But we can support our detox organs and improve our overall sense of wellness through what we decide to put into our bodies and bring into our field - the people, perspectives, and information we take in.
With summer just around the corner, take a moment to reflect on how you're feeling.
How can you begin to rid yourself of toxic ideas, expectations, and opinions during your time of renewal and growth?
Remember that this process is truly a journey and to be gentle with yourself along the way.
Want to develop a personalized ‘detox’ plan to improve digestion, hormones, and physical or mental wellbeing? Give us a call! I’d love to chat with you.