Fairy dust, fancy powders, pricey supplements, and complicated cleanses.
The modalities of detoxification can seem like complex, witch-doctor-like quackery at times as people struggle to find salvation from their overindulgences, fatigue, irritability, brain-fogged, achy, tired, somewhat depressed state of being.
But don’t let that stop you from stepping outside the box to understand the simplicity of what detox has to offer — as it may just be exactly what you need this spring.
Dr. Woodson Merrell, medical professor at Columbia’s University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and author of the Detox Prescription keeps it simple with a focus not just on whole, natural, predominantly plant-based foods, but other “outside-the-box” approaches including breath work, yoga, meditation, massage, and other holistic modalities.
In his thirty-five years of practice he has discovered that treating his patients well required him to “treat them as souls rather than symptoms” using food as well as lifestyle changes to enhance their wellbeing.
Our bodies, as resilient as they have been designed have taken on a load of excess foods, pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, additives, fillers, free radicals, sugars, chemicals and highly processed foods that are being shown to lead to inflammation in the body, extensive symptoms, and ultimately illness and disease.
Ridding your body of this toxic overload is the first step to renewed energy and vitality.
Detox can be as simple as starting with a simple 3 day juice cleanse. Juice cleansing has been shown to improve digestion and bring on renewed vitality by giving the digestive system a break and allowing the immune system to kick in and clean house.
Dr. Merrell has found it to reduce systemic inflammation in his patients and “unwind damage from past behavior.”
The key to juicing is to avoid the sweeter juices and stick to refreshing green varieties that include cucumber and celery as a base and add kale, ginger, lime and a small amount of apple or pear.
Once you have completed the juicing it’s important to stay on path with healthful foods.
What most people find is how well their body’s cravings adjust back to whole natural foods.
Shredded cabbage with carrots, cucumber, and avocado on a bed of quinoa with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt becomes highly satisfying.
The body resets in so many ways.
Juice cleansing can seem daunting at first and is important to have the right guidance leading into and out of your juice cleanse but that is all available to you.
For more guidance through a juice cleanse from 1 up to 3 days including full recipe package, nutritional coaching, full meal plans and shopping lists to follow go to “Get Your Glow” to register for the next Get Your Glow Challenge at www.innerglownutrition.com
Basic Green Juice (Approximately 4 Juices – one day’s worth for cleanse)
6 Large English Cucumbers
2 Bunches of kale/collards
6 Apples (if you can tolerate less apples – add two more cucumbers to replace)
1 Head Celery
ginger to taste (approx. 2” chunk)
Juice in juicer.
Kristin Fraser, BSc, is a holistic nutritionist and local freelance writer. Her column appears every second Thursday. She can be reached at kristin@somethingtochewon.ca.