Healthy Self
pring cleaning no longer applies to just the household! These days, many gyms, health food stores, physician’s offices and websites recommend spring as a natural time to clean your body with a detoxification program. With an ever-growing awareness of the toxin burden our environment and lifestyles place on our bodies, detoxification is more than a buzz word; it’s become an industry. So many products, including supplements, diet books and kitchen devices, claim to help with detox programs. The hype and pro- motion can leave consumers overwhelmed and confused. Let’s explore some myths of detox from the medical and natural community and dispel them.
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Myth #1: There is little science behind detoxification. Detoxing is based on pseudo- science. There is a tremendous amount of
research about how our bodies cope with toxic substances, since the same mecha- nisms that clear medications, hormones and natural supplements also clear toxins. Physi- cians and researchers understand how drugs and herbs interact by how they are cleared from the body. Therefore, how we clear pesticides and other unwanted chemicals is well understood. Chemical pathways and our biology mechanisms in the liver, colon and kidneys have decades of science behind them and more is being learned everyday.
Myth #2: The only reason to detox is if you are sick or had exposure to toxins. Detoxing is not necessary for everyone. Though an intensive detoxification meal plan with supplementation may not always be necessary, supporting healthy detoxifica- tion is important for everyone. Diet plans to promote detoxification may be beneficial for certain medical conditions or symptoms. However, nurturing the body’s natural detox pathways with a whole foods diet should be a daily goal. Headaches, fatigue, infertility, difficulty with weight loss, hormone imbalance and mood disturbances all have been linked to excessive toxins in the body. Oftentimes, after a detoxification, disease symptoms as well as plateaus in weight loss resolve.
DR. LAUREN GOUIN, ND Five Major Myths of Detoxification
Myth #3: Detoxification requires little to no calories or protein. Detoxing is starving. The liver is the major organ for detoxifi- cation. If toxins cannot get through the two main phases of detoxification in the liver, they cannot leave the body. Research tells us that certain things increase or decrease these two phases. Adequate calories and enough protein are both necessary to keep these liver pathways functioning well, along with B vitamins and other nutrients. Fasting, juice fasting and other diets that restrict calories and protein do not support these pathways adequately, which means toxins cannot escape. Healthy detox diets are the opposite of starving the body; they nourish pathways with adequate calories, especially from veg- etables and protein.
Myth #4: Detoxification means eating a bland diet. Detoxing is suffering. Do you have to mentally prepare for a
detox diet? Absolutely. A healthy detox diet takes sugar, alcohol, caffeine and often other offending foods out of the diet. For many Americans, these substances have become habits in our daily lives. However, refrain- ing from them does not mean that you can not enjoy delicious food. Many people take detox diets as an opportunity to learn how to cook new vegetables, further their smoothie repertoire or otherwise enjoy making nour- ishing meals a focus.
Myth #5: Your body cannot get rid of toxins without help. Detoxing is purging. One of the principles of naturopathic medicine is the concept of the healing power of nature or vis medicatrix naturae. A basic assumption in natural medicine is that the body can heal itself given the proper tools. This concept is frequently reinforced by research and science. The body has a wonderful way of taking care of itself if sup- ported. Often the concept of detox includes laxatives, diuretics or some other means of purging the body of waste. Nurturing the body is a much more effective way to sup- port it. Consuming nutrient-dense foods, along with adequate amounts of water and fiber, is a far more effective way of pulling unwanted chemicals out of the body than harsh supplements or over the counter laxa- tives.
The concept of detoxification diets and toxins in our body can be overwhelming. This feeling is only compounded with the conflicting information. When considering a detox diet plan, ask yourself, “What is the author’s core belief about the body, health and healing?” A detox should not feel like a penance for sinning, but rather like a way to embrace health.
Dr. Lauren Gouin is a board certified natur- opathic physician with a family practice in Manchester, CT. Her office is now accepting new patients and the physicians are in- network with most insurance companies. To make an appointment, call (860) 533-0179. See ad on page 35.
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