Before, during and after effects of cleansing supplements on your body

If you are healthy, your body’s natural detoxification systems run smoothly. But if you are ingesting or absorbing a lot of toxins, then the mechanism for detoxification in the liver gets sluggish. 

 

As a result, certain toxins can stick around and create havoc, making you feel sick, tired, and fat. In an ideal world, we would all be toxin-free, but in reality, with our modern lifestyles, everyone has some level of toxicity. 

 

From the food we eat, to the air we breathe, to the chemicals we expose ourselves to, it’s pretty easy to have toxins build up. This is why it’s important to actively detoxify your body regularly.

 

What is Detox?

 

Detoxification or detox implies following a specific diet or using special products that claim to rid your body of toxins, thereby improving health and promoting weight loss. 

 

Detoxification programs may involve a single process or a variety of approaches. These include:

 

  • Fasting
  • Drinking only juices or similar beverages
  • Eating only certain foods
  • Using dietary supplements or other commercial products
  • Using herbs
  • Cleansing the colon (lower intestinal tract) with enemas, laxatives, or colon hydrotherapy (also called “colonic irrigation” or “colonics”)
  • Reducing environmental exposures
  • Using a sauna

 

Benefits of Detox

 

There are a lot of individuals that believe in detox and cleanse to get rid of toxins in their bodies. In fact, detox and cleansing experts from nutritionalcleanse.co.uk help explain the benefits of detox such as weight loss, higher energy and performance, and healthy ageing through a variety of products. Their shakes, snacks, and supplements help aid in the detoxification process which is an integral component of optimal health. 

 

The benefits you may notice from supporting your detox pathways might include: 

 

Boost Energy Levels

  The sluggish feeling we get during the day can be the result of excess toxins in the body. Removing excess toxins can help to increase energy levels and keep you going strong throughout the day. 

 

Support Digestion and Weight Management

It’s important to ensure that your body gets enough vitamins and minerals. Detoxification can also help with long-term weight management by removing the toxins that are currently interfering with proper metabolic function and helping to set you up with healthy habits.

 

Reduce Inflammation

Diet is an important aspect of detox.  By supporting your digestive system through eating a diet of whole foods packed full of the nutrients your body needs, you will help to reduce inflammation that contributes to a host of problems.

 

Promote Healthy Skin

Diet and environmental toxins undeniably affect skin. By supporting the body in the removal of free radicals, heavy metals and other toxins, you will help to improve the appearance of your skin.

 

Strengthen Your Immune System

After your detoxification, your body will have better digestive and lymphatic function.  Both of these are key to a strong and balanced immune system.

 

Improved Mood

Toxins and free radicals that accumulate in the body can also affect brain function. By removing the accumulations interfering with your mental and emotional state, you will open yourself up to better sleep, clear thought and positive energy.

 

Before, during and after effects of cleansing supplements on your body

 

What to do Before a Detox

Preparing your body for a detox is just as important as doing a cleanse itself.  If you already eat clean and healthy, then preparing for a cleanse is fairly easy. A few days before the cleanse, eat simple, light foods such as steamed veggies, soups or salads with lots of leafy greens and raw vegetables. If you are not such a clean eater, give your body time to prepare for a cleanse. Take small steps towards cutting down on processed foods by gradually increasing the amount of whole grains, pseudo-grains and fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet.

 

  1. Start your day with a big glass of lukewarm water with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime. This boosts your metabolism and jump-starts your digestion.  Lemon and lime juice alkalize your body, help cleanse the liver and are rich in vitamin C, which is important for detoxification.
  2. Drink more water during the day and add cleansing teas like nettle tea, dandelion root tea, and burdock tea.
  3. Eat very simple, light foods such as steamed veggies or salads, adding fresh herbs and raw vegetables. Include lots of dark leafy greens and fresh herbs in your diet, rich in chlorophyll, they aid detoxification.
  4. Use a light cold-pressed oil, like olive, flax or hemp seed oil and lemon or lime juice or apple cider vinegar to make your salad dressings.
  5. Increase your intake of whole grains, like brown rice or whole spelt, and increase the amount of gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa, millet and buckwheat in your diet. Cut down on heavily refined foods like bread and pasta, even whole-grain pasta or bread. Avoid wheat wherever you can.

 

Your Body during Detox

 

There are three (3) phases of the body during a detox, these are:

 

Phase I: Reaction

 

In the first phase of metabolic detoxification, your body reacts to toxins by using enzymes (known as P450 enzymes) that act to turn the toxins into free radicals. This is a good thing: Free radicals are a natural occurrence that, when balanced, should not be an issue; it is when free radicals become imbalanced that they are considered an issue. Through this conversion process, toxins become water-soluble molecules that are easier for your body to get rid of via the kidneys (and eventually through the urine).

 

Phase II: Neutralization

 

Welcome to the activation phase of detox! After Phase I, some toxins are rendered as more reactive than before. In Phase II, these products are attached to other water-soluble substances to increase their solubility and make them easier to eliminate through urine or bile. This process is called a conjugation reaction, and requires cofactors (metal ions or coenzymes) to make it happen.

 

Phase III: Transportation

 

Phase III helps ensure the water-soluble compounds created in Phases I and II are excreted from your cells. Before this occurs, Phase III neutralizes the compounds and binds them with dietary fiber. From here, it’s literally a flush when the toxins are excreted.

 

While it is true that detox is an often painful and arduous experience for most, it is important to continually cleanse our bodies of the toxins that we intake from our day-to-say activities. Check out the items enumerated above if detox is something you would want to do. Most importantly, check with your local doctor to avoid any complications.