What is a Functional Medicine Detox? And Why Do One?
It’s detox week over here in the Deal household! My husband and I started our quarterly functional medicine detox on Monday morning and we'll be doing it all week. Aside from removing the toxic chemicals from our environment that we are able to, we also work from the inside out. We focus on helping our bodies release health disrupting baddies by working on liver health and clean eating. We like to do this quarterly, if we can, to help reset our bodies each season. I actually look forward to it, once I stop feeling sorry for myself and resisting giving up certain foods for a time. When I do a detox, I usually end up feeling lighter, less inflamed, a better mood, mindset, and more energy. And most of the time, I lose a few pounds. However, the goal of doing a liver detox is not about weight loss, it’s just a happy side effect for those who may already need to lose some weight.
So, you might be wondering, why would I need to do a liver detox? Isn’t my liver and the rest of my body designed to be able to handle whatever toxins (or toxicants) I come into contact with? Well, yes and no. We are designed to be able to process and release a lot of yucky stuff that might be harmful to our bodies, but the world we live in is significantly different than the world our grandparents and great grandparents lived in. Just 60 or 70 years ago, there were far less toxic chemicals in our environment, people were eating mostly whole food diets, they were spending a lot more time outdoors and moving their bodies than we are now. Our body was never designed to process the junk food, cleaning supplies, body products, alcohol, and polluted air and water that we have in our everyday lives now. The more overwhelmed the liver becomes, the more problems we begin to see in the body and brain. Imagine if you never cleaned your home’s air filter. It would become clogged and very little air would get through at all and it wouldn’t really be getting filtered anymore. In your body, this can start as small annoyances at first…more headaches, worsening allergies, inflammation, poor sleep, irritability, weight gain, and catching more colds. But, if left unchecked it can lead to more serious health problems. We have to take care of our liver, so it can take care of us!
Why it Might Be a Good Idea to Commit to Doing a Functional Medicine Detox:
You’ve been feeling sluggish, bloated, tired, and in need of a full body reset
You are struggling with weight gain or have plateaued in you weigh loss journey
You’re skin is looking dull or you are dealing with acne
You want a starting place for addressing some bigger health issues
You want to adjust your relationship with food and stop the constant snacking and cravings
Some people hear “detox” and they think it sounds scary, overwhelming, unsafe, too hard, or that it’s only for those weird, “crunchy” people who have nothing better to do with their time and money. Believe me, I’ve heard it all! And while there are some people that should not do a detox, for most of us, if done properly it can be a huge game changer.
Who Should NOT do a Detox?
Children under the age of 18
Pregnant and lactating women
People who have liver or kidney disease
People with gallbladder conditions, appendicitis, or type 1 diabetes
People with eating disorders
People who are taking a medication that is contraindicated with any of the ingredients in a detox
Possibly people who have a sensitive nervous system, anxiety, etc may need to modify and go slow with any detoxing
While it does take some work and planning to do, it’s not terribly hard. The main challenge is often more mental than physical. Rerouting our way of thinking about food and our habits is usually a lot harder for most of us than the physical part of enduring some hunger, fatigue, and headaches.
So, what do you want to look for in a good, reputable liver detox? Because, let me tell you, I’ve had my experiences with poor quality or super strong detoxes before and that is not a position you want to find yourself in, if you can help it! You don’t want to end up in the ER, talking to a skeptical doctor about some crazy detox you did.
What to Look for in a Detox
Science-backed products (Is there research saying that the ingredients have been studied and found to aid in liver detoxification?)
Non-GMO, no artificial colors, flavors, gluten, or other additives (these are a big part of the reason why you are detoxing in the first place!)
3rd party tested for purity
Certifications (such as cGMP)
Focuses on phase 1 & 2 of liver detoxification, plus mobilization for getting that junk out of your body
Functional Medicine Detox meaning it’s been designed to work along with your body systems and not forcing the body to do anything too extreme
Used in clinical practice (has this detox been used on real people and had consistently good results?)
The detox kit that I recommend is from Equilife
The detox that my husband and I use and that I recommend to clients is the Dr. Cabral Detox. It was a major step in my healing journey about 6 years ago and the first big step in a series of protocols and lifestyle adjustments that enabled me to lose weight, regain my vitality, and eventually end up pregnant after nearly 20 years of infertility. This particular detox was created by a functional medicine doctor and naturopath, it has clean ingredients, the shake isn’t gross (like a lot of health and protein shakes out there!), and this detox comes with an eating plan and tips for success.
Disclaimer: I do make a commission on some of the products I recommend. But, regardless of commission, I never recommend products I don’t stand by. And if there is ever a time where I feel that I can no longer, in good conscience suggest a certain product…I won’t. Also, I will be honest about whether or not I think a particular individual client is a good fit for a specific product or supplement. That’s what health coaching is all about. If you would like personalized assistance from me as your health coach, click here to schedule a free discovery call.
So, what does a typical day on this kind of detox look like?
Everything is provided, including a food list.
Well, the first two days are fasting days, for those who can tolerate it. And resistance to this is often much more of a mental thing than a physical inability. The research on periodic fasting it fascinating and extensive. However, this detox is easy to modify for individual needs. Days three through seven consist of a breakfast of the Daily Nutritional Support Shake and 2 supplements. The shake is like a multivitamin, protein shake, and gentle detoxifier in one, it also helps get the body to start flushing those toxins out. The first supplement utilizes vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs to help with detoxification of the liver. The second supplement uses Ayurvedic herbs that have been used for centuries to gently detoxify the body. Lunch consists of a vegan protein, veggies, and a bit of high quality, unsaturated fat. Snack is another shake. Dinner is a paleo style meal with an easy to digest protein, veggies, and unsaturated fat. Then you take your 2 supplements with dinner. Not too bad right? The point is to nourish your body with high quality, easy to digest meals while taking the pressure off of your system by removing grains, dairy, sweets, alcohol, anything artificial, and difficult to digest foods.
If you are ready to take control of your health and take actionable steps to help yourself feel your best, reach out and let me know! Stay tuned for my continuing series on toxins and how to clean your up your environment one step at a time.
