TO DETOX OR NOT TO DETOX, THAT IS THE QUESTION?
Well here it is – my first blog. And the most difficult thing has been deciding how to start and what to write about.
One of the things I’m often asked about is detoxing. It’s a minefield out there with many different methods being marketed so how do you decide whether it’s for you, and if so how do you go about choosing a detox programme?
I often hear people say – “I don’t believe in detoxing. I eat a healthy diet so I receive all the nutrients I need from my food”.
The fact is that our bodies are under constant assault from toxins as a direct result of our environment, our lifestyle choices (however healthily we think we eat) and stress. Normally our body is quite capable of helping itself and eliminating all the waste products through our liver, kidneys, intestines, circulatory and respiratory systems. But sometimes if we have accumulated too many toxins, our bodies can struggle to get rid of them quickly enough. The result is, amongst other things, to make us feel bloated, gain weight, lack energy. It can compromise our immunity, affect our mental clarity and impact on our skin. This is because when our main detoxification organs are unable to cope, the skin takes over which can result in skin problems as the toxins are flushed out.
There is a tendency when tackling skin problems to apply topical products onto the skin in the hope it will sooth the problem. My approach is always to work from the inside out because in the case of many skin problems, the cause lies in the toxicity within.
Which is where the detox, or cleanse, comes in. And this is where it gets tricky because there are many methods you can choose. Essentially the aim of a cleanse is to give your body a chance to eliminate toxins and recover, resetting your digestive system and leaving you feeling rejuvenated. And the actual cleanse should be a pleasant experience – so if it involves taking unpleasant tasting products, making you feel like you can’t go out of the house because you need to stay within 2 metres of a toilet, leaving you feeling hungry, or worse, making you feel ill, then you should not even consider it.
Any product based cleanse should also involve eating nutritious food alongside it, not starving yourself or living on reduced calorie intake for the duration. This is even more important if you are using the cleanse as a kick start to a weight management programme. My clients tell me they can’t believe how much food they need to eat on my cleanse programme and yet still get to the end lighter than when they started.
Bear in mind that the purpose of a good cleanse programme is to support your body’s own detoxification system so that it can do its job naturally without the stress of having to process toxins as well – this is where the term “clean eating” comes from. So as long as you adopt a clean eating regime, you’ll be eating plenty of delicious, healthy foods with a wide variety of nutrients and you won’t feel like you’re on a restricted diet.
And there’s no better time to detox than in the spring when the body feels a renewal of energy. What are you waiting for?
Till next time.
Vicky Farmer
Feelgood Factor – The Holistic Approach to a Healthier Lifestyle
Vicky is a nutrition adviser with a mission to help the nation achieve elite health. We are all living longer so it’s really important to ensure we live as long and healthy a life as we can. Healthy eating, a natural approach to skincare and a reduction in the amount of harmful chemicals in the home all play a part in ensuring we are as healthy as we can be rather than simply not ill. For more information visit www.vickyfarmer.com
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