If you’ve read my two latest posts (Does Everyone Really Need to Detox? and How You Can Tell If Your Body is Overburdened with Toxins), you are probably convinced that we should all take steps to remove sources of toxins from our environment and food as well as to develop daily habits to help support our body’s natural routes of elimination. This is the sort of “detox” we should all be doing all of the time. But are there other seasons in life that a more aggressive or targeted approach should be taken? Yes!
Preconception
Many of the patients I am privileged to work with in my practice are young women in their 20s and 30s, which means that many of them are considering starting a family. Helping them to be as healthy as possible BEFORE getting pregnant is a passion of mine. This includes both eating super nutrient-dense foods and making sure her body is as toxin-free as possible. You might remember from the first post in this series that the umbilical cords of newborn babies have been found to contain over 200 toxins. It is no wonder many children these days are so prone to diabetes, autoimmune disease, and other “adult” diseases. Let’s give them as clean and healthy a start as possible! The first 2 weeks of May will be full of helpful hints, but do consider working with a professional to design a cleanse and diet specifically for you.
And don’t forget about the father! In cases of infertility, one-third of the time it is the man that has fertility issues. Even if you are not worried about infertility, the health of the DNA in the sperm is extremely important.
In an ideal world, you would start thinking about nutrition and maximizing your health one year before conceiving. It is not an ideal world though, so if your plan is to conceive next month, start improving your lifestyle habits now. Eating well and having a clean environment (including not smoking!) while pregnant is very important but you don’t want to do any intense detoxing while actually pregnant.
Chronic disease or evidence of the body resorting to secondary emunctories
As a practitioner of both naturopathic medicine and biotherapeutic drainage, supporting the body’s primary emunctories is an integral component of the short- and long-term plan for patients with chronic disease. Some of the chronic disease I regularly work with that benefit from this support include hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, Graves’, scleroderma, arthritis, MS, acne, psoriasis, eczema, chronic sinus congestion, vaginitis, obesity, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia.
Spring and Fall
These seasonal transitions are great times to do a little extra detox. This could be as simple as taking stock of your diet and committing to a couple of weeks with no processed foods, restaurant foods, sugar, flour, or caffeine. Even those of us with great diets in general sometimes let our food choices go astray and a two-week reset twice a year is an excellent way to get back on track.
If you are interested in a more complete elimination diet, there are lots of options out there. I am not a big fan of juice fasting for most people but rather clean eating and removing common food sensitivities. Whole Life Nutrition offers three good cookbooks centered on an elimination diet. You can even get a free e-cookbook with some of their delicious recipes if you sign up for their newsletter.
A Spring cleanse could also include herbal supplements to help promote better liver function (you’ll learn about a few during these first 2 weeks of May!). And a Fall cleanse might include immune-boosting herbs and supplements to help prepare for winter.
If you’re interested in the support of a professional health care provider to guide you through the best detox steps for you, schedule a free 15-minute session to talk with me in-person or on the phone/Skype.
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