When spring arrives, a detox cure is to the body what spring cleaning is to the home. With the arrival of sunny days, we feel like lightening up and starting afresh on healthier foundations.
How to detox intelligently without succumbing to the often absurd advice?
Detox Cure: Fact or Fiction?
While detox is nothing new - the principle dates back to traditional Chinese or Indian medicines and has evolved over centuries to today's naturopathy - the term itself is now more than just a trend, and we see an increasing number of "miracle" diets claiming to rid the body of all its toxins. A certain number of these are rather fanciful, riding the wave of fashion, and offer nothing more than laxative or depurative products with harmful effects on the body.
However, it is true that we are exposed to numerous toxins, both external (chemical products, toxins: alcohol, tobacco, drugs, etc., heavy metals...) that enter our bodies through water, food, air, or skin, and internal (our metabolism continually produces waste: ammonia, urea, acids...).
An excessive accumulation of these wastes can have deleterious effects on our organism.
Fortunately, our body is well-designed and equipped with organs whose function is precisely to cleanse it.
Our Body, the Best Detox Ally
When our body functions normally, and our lifestyle is healthy, it naturally knows how to eliminate the toxins that burden it thanks to four major organs that are programmed for this purpose:
The liver. It is the ultimate purifying organ. Its role is to capture, transform, and render harmless the toxins to which we may be exposed through food, drink, or air. It synthesizes urea to eliminate nitrogenous waste. It is capable of producing protective and anti-toxic substances.
The kidneys. Their main function is to eliminate toxic waste products produced by the body and transported by the blood: urea, resulting from protein digestion, creatinine, which comes from the normal breakdown of muscle cells, and uric acid.
The lungs. They eliminate gaseous waste in exhaled CO².
The colon (or large intestine). At the end of the digestion chain, it collects all non-nutritive waste, toxins, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, inhaled pollutants, and evacuates them through stools. It also contains intestinal flora, essential for the proper functioning of our organism.
The skin also eliminates toxins through sweating.
When our lifestyle excessively solicits these different organs, they may sometimes struggle to fully perform their role. It is at this moment that a detox cure becomes useful to give them a little boost.
When to do a detox cure?
Generally, one "feels" when a detox cure is needed. Overall, one feels heavy and not at one's best. But there are particularly evocative symptoms, even before the imbalance becomes pathological.
General Symptoms
One generally notices a certain chronic fatigue, headaches, as well as weight gain and swelling of the limbs (edema) due to water retention. Joint or muscle pains that seem unexplained may also be felt.
These are related to an inflammatory condition and are a sign that the organism's functioning is slowed down.
Hepatic Symptoms
Symptoms related to liver dysfunction are recurrent. We will note in particular:
- Yellowish, greasy, and sticky stools, signs that bile does not flow well along the digestive system (hemorrhoid crises may occur).
- A yellowish complexion and eye whites.
- Nausea in cars or transportation.
- Difficulties in tolerating strong odors.
- A feeling of discomfort at the slightest consumption of alcohol.
- A strong reaction to the side effects of medications or anesthesia.
Digestive Symptoms
Due to a malfunction of the colon, the following symptoms may appear:
- Diarrhea,
- Constipation,
- Bloating,
- Excessive gas,
- Spasms,
- Difficulty digesting dairy products and gluten-containing products,
- Early awakenings.
This bundle of symptoms is particularly indicative of an overloaded organism that needs to give itself a break through a more suitable diet and to be supported by dietary supplements and healthier habits. It is much more about helping the organs responsible for the body's natural detoxification than damaging them with overly aggressive "remedies."
30 days to start from scratch
It takes at least 30 days to start a healthy diet that will facilitate the proper functioning of the organs and to get rid of the symptoms related to a saturated body. And, to do this, there is no miracle food or product, but a comprehensive program made up of a series of hygienic-dietary measures.
Detox Diet
To start this spring detox cure, it will be necessary to adopt a diet that limits inflammation and supports the digestive system.
Reducing pro-inflammatory foods
Be sure to limit, if not eliminate, foods that strongly solicit the body's "purifying" organs and create inflammation:
- Red meat and processed meats associated with overload pathologies, metabolic or degenerative (1),
- Dairy products (2),
- Gluten-containing grains (3),
- Saturated and trans fats that overload the liver; they fuel inflammation and tend to store pollutants (4),
- Fast sugars which, in excess, tend to provoke immune responses and thus contribute to inflammation, especially digestive (5),
- Coffee, limit yourself to one cup of filtered coffee per day (6),
- Alcohol, which is toxic to the liver (7),
- Aggressive spices (pepper, chili, harissa, nuoc man...),
- Additives and especially glutamate which tends to increase oxidative stress (8).
Increasing anti-inflammatory foods
Conversely, increase the proportion of anti-inflammatory foods due to their content of antioxidants, polyphenols, magnesium, omega-3s, and active ingredients such as chlorophyll, curcumin, luteolin, or eugenol:
Fruits and vegetables (especially think of cruciferous vegetables) (9). Choose organic ones to avoid increasing your exposure to pesticides,
Teas, especially matcha green tea,
Dark chocolate, rich in polyphenols (10),
THIS TOO: Fatty fish, which are an excellent source of omega-3. However, avoid tuna, shark, or swordfish overloaded with heavy metals,
Rapeseed oil, rich in omega-3,
Olive oil, with antioxidant properties,
Spices and herbs, especially: cinnamon (which contains eugenol), turmeric (rich in curcumin), ginger, saffron, thyme, mint, lavender, rosemary, sage, basil, shiso, onion, and garlic.
Combat inflammation of the digestive tract and restore intestinal flora
Detoxification should also allow the intestine to function efficiently and contribute to the restoration of intestinal microbiota.
To do this:
- Eliminate coffee, alcohol, and aggressive spices.
- Do not exceed 2-3 servings of meat per week.
- Do not consume supplements containing iron or copper.
- Fight constipation by consuming more fiber - through fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and mineral water.
- Increase the intake of plants rich in inulin: artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke, chicory.
- Increase the frequency of foods rich in probiotics: enriched soy yogurts, lacto-fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, kimchi...), miso.
- Emphasize foods containing magnesium and omega-3s - especially nuts.
- A detox day on the plate
- Here is a suggested menu for a day:
- Breakfast: a portion of oat flakes, almond milk, a kiwi, green tea or chicory.
- Lunch: a plate of raw vegetables seasoned with rapeseed oil, a trout fillet, sauerkraut, a square of dark chocolate.
- Snack: a handful of almonds and a banana.
- Dinner: Artichoke hearts in salad, a plate of assorted vegetables sautéed in olive oil, a portion of quinoa, a soy yogurt, an apple rhubarb compote, herbal tea.
- Non-restrictive, this "cure" can be extended and helps establish good dietary habits to be maintained throughout the year.
- Dietary supplements and detoxification
- While diet is a valuable aid to detoxification, dietary supplements support the body and significantly enhance the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet.
Restart the digestive system
First and foremost, it is essential to restore the intestinal mucosa, re-establish its permeability, and strengthen the intestinal microbiota.
Indeed, toxic overload contributes to the phenomenon of "leaky gut syndrome" or intestinal hyperpermeability, which fuels inflammation and allows toxic waste to enter the bloodstream, resulting in a general imbalance and affecting other detoxifying organs of the body, notably the kidneys and the liver. Furthermore, it is only on the basis of a healthy digestive system that other supplements can act efficiently.
To cleanse and rebalance the mucosa, it is recommended to combine L-Glutamine for at least one month, an amino acid that helps strengthen the integrity of the intestinal mucosa, with probiotics that help strengthen the intestinal barrier function and increase the immune system's response capabilities.
Combat free radicals
At the beginning of the detox cure, certain enzymes must be activated to transform toxic substances through chemical reactions: oxidation that generates free radicals, reduction, and hydrolysis of their molecules. This induces generalized overoxidation that creates inflammation.
Dietary supplements rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, and quercetin, in particular, will help combat free radicals and thus reduce inflammation. Indeed, a decrease in CRP (C-reactive protein), which is a marker of inflammation, has been observed when antioxidant intake is sufficiently high.
Support the liver
Once intestinal balance is restored and inflammation reduced, it may be interesting to support liver activity. For this purpose, you can use supplements rich in luteolin. This is particularly the case with artichoke, whose extracts are known to strengthen hepatobiliary functions.
Drain the body
Meadowsweet, which contains flavonoids, will facilitate diuresis, i.e., the evacuation of urine. In this sense, it will support kidney activity and improve body drainage. It will help combat water retention and thus reduce localized swelling.
Good detox habits
To get the most out of your detox cure:
Quit smoking,
Maintain regular physical activity (walking, cycling, swimming...),
Go out, take walks in the forest, garden,
Take time to relax,
Massage yourself.
This detox "cure" should be considered as a springboard for adopting new healthy habits, learning to eat healthily, being active, and taking care of oneself to stay fit all year round. A real fresh start!
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