By Megan Crockart
I’ve had clients uncertain as to whether they should do a detox or not. Some clients want to lose some weight and don’t know where to start first. In most cases I feel a detox is a great way to start weight loss A detox program is also beneficial if you are not feeling as healthy and as vibrant as you usually do.
What is a toxin?
“A toxin is basically any substance that creates irritating and/or harmful effects in the body, undermining its health or stressing the biochemical or organ functions or actually damaging the tissues and organs.” (Haas, E 2006) A toxin can come from internal and external factors including drugs (recreational and prescribed), poor digestion (“leaky gut syndrome”) thought patterns and negative emotions/stress, environmental exposure to pollutants, dietary choices and even water. Generally our bodies deal with exposure to toxins on a daily basis but it is beneficial to help your body “detoxify” or eliminate more effectively these toxins.
What is detoxification?
It is the process of clearing toxins from our body either by neutralising or transforming toxins and eliminating them properly. Detoxification therapy is one of the oldest known medical treatments and even better, it’s a completely natural process. Simply reducing the exposure to toxins by changing what you eat is a form of detoxification.
Most people are familiar with the term “liver detox” as this is because all levels of detoxification involve the liver. It is the main organ that neutralises toxins and does so in two phases known as Phase I and Phase II pathways. Phase I is activation of the liver cells to produce enzymes to help break down fat soluble substances (most chemicals and toxins are fat soluble rather than water soluble and can’t be as easily eliminated). Phase II is the combination or conjugation step which occurs once the fat soluble substances have been activated in Phase I are then attached to other molecules which render them water soluble and easier to transport out of the body. The liver is not the only organ involved, also importantly involved is the digestive tract and colon, which are responsible in proper elimination. The skin and kidneys also play a role in helping in the elimination process.
There are so many benefits from doing a detox/cleanse including:
- Gives your organs a rest
- Rejuvenation
- Clear Skin
- Slows aging
- Provides more energy
- Helps with relaxation
- Can help you be more organised, creative and motivated
There are many levels and extremes of undertaking detoxification and can range from simply cutting out sugar, caffeine and alcohol to only consuming juices or even water fasting (although generally not recommended). Time frames can range from a couple of days to a month or 2 going through all the stages of detoxification.
Almost anyone can do a detox and there are many options to suit each individual in what level of detoxification they need. Simply increasing water intake, eating more vegetables and fruit, eliminating sugar, caffeine and alcohol, dairy and deep fried/processed foods can be all that some people need. Of course ensuring organic products are eaten and reducing stress means less exposure to toxins for the body to process.
We mostly associate doing a detox with summer, but you can do a detox at any time of the year. Obviously salads play a big role in a summer detox, but nourishing vegetable soups can play the same role in winter.
Client testimonials:
Mother of 2 small children, 33 – “I have to say I was so pleased with the detox plan you devised for me. I’m really pleased with the end results also. I have to say what I liked most about it was that it wasn’t extreme in any way and it is definitely easy for anyone to follow and stick to, whilst also providing fantastic results! I also like that I have been able to adopt some of the eating habits learned from the detox plan into my everyday life (such as warm lemon water upon waking and remaining dairy/gluten free). I’ll definitely be recommending your detox plan to my friends and family.”
Female, 59 –“I am so pleased that I signed up for Megan’s Detox Programme earlier this year. The results far exceeded my expectations, and seeing the difference in my body composition after just 4 weeks has really motivated me to maintain the changes to my diet and lifestyle. The benefits have amazed me.”
Working mum, 33 – “This was the first detox I had ever done as many I had read about in the past seemed a little extreme. I have a big appetite and the last thing I wanted was to feel hungry all the time! Thankfully I learnt that detox doesn’t necessarily equal deprivation. Megan’s detox plan is common sense, healthy eating, with changes you can comfortably adopt as life long habits. Megan’s program isn’t run as a one size fits all method. She takes into account your individual health requirements and lifestyle situation. I have a number of food allergies that had to be considered and being a busy working mother I didn’t have time to prepare any complicated meals. I am so happy to say that the commitment to Megan’s Detox Plan was totally worth it! In just 4 weeks my body is now less acidic, I have lost 3kg of body fat and more importantly my energy levels are better than they have been in a long time! Thank you Megan for not only helping me achieve these results, but for giving me the knowledge and skills to maintain better health through nutrition for the long term.”
Male, corporate traveller, 50 – “Megan communicated the detox program well and the choice of foods has been perfect for me, taking in account all the travel I do for work. I enjoyed the regular catch ups and discussions and overall found the program to be flexible, yet gave me the results I was after.”
Megan runs an individualised 4 week detox program that can be commenced at any time. Interested in Megan Crockart’s 4 week detox program? Send her an email megan@balancingnutrition.com.au.
Or to find out more information about Megan, click here