Let’s NOT detox
About 3 years ago, I did a 7-day juice cleanse. I was smack dab in the middle of my health crisis where I was trying desperately to heal my body in every and any way possible (I honestly have ZERO idea how I juiced for 7 days). A few weeks ago, I wanted to do a little juicing experiment as I dove deeper into this idea of detoxing, juicing, and all the things we may have convinced ourselves are good to do, but the big question is, are they REALLY good for us and the best way to move forward our health?
This time, I embarked on a 5-day juice cleanse through one of my fave Cincy clean eateries, Rooted. I entered into the program knowing that I would eat whole foods as my body felt it needed, but what I quickly uncovered, is that this program sparked up some ancient, unexpected disordered eating thought patterns that did NOT feel bueno. On day 3, I found myself negotiating in my mind as to whether or not I should eat egg whites (like, WTF). I very quickly realized that I needed to do some detoxing of my thoughts, so I took a lot of time to return to curiosity throughout the process of why I felt like I shouldn’t nourish my body, and what bubbled up felt very positive (although also yucky), to process through. I reminded myself of that first step of Self-love at any Size that Mary Allard shared on our FB Live together (check it out here) which helped, but I also realized that I still have work to do in this realm and that is OK, because I’m not sweeping the challenge under the rug like I have in times past (anyone else do that? Only deal with problems when they rear their head versus working through them even in calm times?).
I called it out, ate the damn egg whites (plus more) and just stayed focused on eating more whole foods versus processed days 3-5, and just listening to what my body needed - it felt REALLY great to just have my fill of all the good, nourishing stuff and found it easier to do so in the structure of listening and responding proactively to my body’s needs versus deny, deny, deny. Coincidentally (or not so), my Advanced Gut Health certification module for the week happened to be ALL ABOUT detoxing and the grand and subtle effects it has on our bodies. You all, the perspective and science was SO INTRIGUING.
In short, our body interacts with toxins throughout the day (environmental, consumable, stress, etc) and there is only so much that our bodies can process at a time, so any extra toxic burdens get stored in our fat cells. When we engage in a process that promotes rapid fat loss (cleanses of any type, restricting ourselves, over-exercising, etc), we release ALL THOSE toxins into our body in one fell swoop which can DEFINITELY overwhelm our detoxifying systems and cause more harm than good. Think of it as the difference between slowly turning the faucet on to let the water drip down the drain or turning on Niagara Falls and expecting the same drain to handle the flow the same way as the slow drips.
DON’T FRET, while toxins are something that we can never fully rid ourselves of, we CAN totally set ourselves up to handle the day-to-day toxins we encounter that don’t involve overwhelming our body and mind.
It really all comes back to being curious about your thoughts, crowding out and…
Eating more whole, fresh foods than processed, drinking water, moving a bit, regulating stress, and resting.
Our old thought patterns and deep desire for quick change that has been reinforced subconsciously by the marketing we’re exposed to over the years IS NOT the best, most effective way to bring vibrant health into our lives. That is the STRAIGHT UP TRUTH.
So, what is the best way to move forward our health?
Be curious, crowd out and take one moment at a time to truly discover what works best for YOU, knowing that restriction, over-exercising, or really anything in “Niagara Falls” form is scientifically proven to not be the best approach (I give you permission to just lay those old habits down, babe. It’s time). Every time you choose yourself, every time you choose to have a glass of water versus a glass of pop, every time you reach out to a trusted person for support, every little thing you do to take care of yourself, makes a difference in your health and the world around you.
I have TONS of fun-size resources around supporting our body’s natural detoxing process that doesn’t involve restriction! You can book a complimentary Get-to-know-you call here or shoot me an email with all your thoughts and questions here, I’d love to hear from you 🌱
Lindsey is an encourager, optimist, health + life coach, and yoga teacher who helps caregivers live fuller, healthier, vibrant lives through exploring all aspects of their life and health while helping to cultivate simple, sustainable fun-size habits, so that they can continue to make a meaningful impact in themselves, their loved ones, and the world, for generations to come.
