Last Updated on 8 March 2024 by Brisbane Livewell Clinic
Spring is the perfect time to overhaul our daily routine and a Spring Detox can help to kickstart change for the better. From basic beauty techniques to a healthier diet or stepping it up with supplements, let’s take a look at the forecast for a Spring Detox.
Why Detox?
The belief that body toxicity is the cause of disease has been promoted for thousands of years. (1) This ancient wisdom can be put to good use in the modern day, as studies show that persistent toxicants have long half-lives and are retained within the body long after the primary exposure, meaning that many individuals now carry heavy body burdens of these toxins. (2)
There can be many motivating factors to pursue detoxification including:
- As part of a preconception care plan – many persistent pollutants accumulate in developing children through transfer from mother to child in utero and via breast milk. (2) For couples looking to conceive in the near future, there is never a better time to consider a cleanse
- For better skin – persistent toxicants can appear in the personal care products we apply to our skin, (2) making natural skincare a much better choice
- For better gut health – it makes sense that since the most common areas of focus for detoxification are the intestines and liver, (1) these organs can respond well to a much-needed change
- To break habits – giving up sugar in the short term may help to break a long-term reliance on the sweet stuff, with detoxification thought to be helpful in preventing the incidence of metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes (3)
Beauty Basics
There are many ways to facilitate a cleanse. Easy practices like dry skin brushing, taking contrast showers and giving the deodorant a miss are simple and cost-effective. An overhaul of your personal care products is always a good idea too. And of course, having a good excuse to get a relaxing lymphatic massage makes a detox seem much more appealing.
Detoxing with Diet
A simple strategy is to focus on the diet first and foremost. For patients who are taking multiple pharmaceutical medicines, a diet-only approach may be best, so that side effects are minimised or avoided. (4)
Including whole foods like cruciferous vegetables, berries, fermented soy, garlic and spices like turmeric are commonly prescribed as part of a naturopathic-oriented spring detox diet. (4) Since persistent pollutants tend to biomagnify up the food chain in both water and food sources, (2) filtered water is a must while consuming organic, plant-based foods during detox is often recommended.
Naturally what we avoid during detox is equally important. Refined oils, sugar and flour can induce pro-inflammatory changes within intestinal microbiota that lead to systemic, low-grade endotoxemia. (1) Chronic exposure to these circulating endotoxins has been associated with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. (5) As always, good health starts in the gut and the best way to good gut health is through diet.
Spring Cleaning Your Liver
Liver support is part of any professionally guided detox program. Simple, short-term intervention, using natural detoxification strategies, has been found to improve liver detoxification capacity by 23% increase (measured via caffeine clearance). (6) For patients interested in knowing their own liver detoxification capacity we offer testing which also measures caffeine clearance, known as the Liver Detoxification Profile Test.
Several practitioner-prescribed supplements are specifically designed to support a detox since the removal of toxins from the body is an integral part of Naturopathic medicine. (6) There is a long list of herbs and nutrients which target and enhance liver function. Supplements that offer superior, unadulterated ingredients and genuine therapeutic doses can provide lasting effects when selected for the individual.
Spring into Action
Get the guidance and support you need to get started on a cleanse. We offer meal plans, assess your general health and ensure you feel safe, confident and well prepared to get into the swing of things, with a spring detox style that suits you best. There’s nothing like feeling a spring in your step!
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