Published:02/01/2010

Detox Action Plan

Fasting cleanses and all-juice-all-the-time detoxes may sound like quick-fix ways to lose weight and flush out toxins. But such extreme diet changes can deplete your body of essential nutrients, slow your metabolism, and, ironically, increase your toxins levels, says Gaetano Morello, ND, author of Whole Body Cleansing (Active Interest Media, 2009). That’s why it’s crucial to detox the right way. The following step-by-step plan is a safe, effective way to make sure your body continues to detox all day long. 

Breakfast

• Whip up a low-sugar protein shake by blending 1 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk, 1/2 cup frozen organic berries, 1 scoop plain whey protein powder, and 1 teaspoon fiber-rich flaxseeds.
• Or mix a powdered fiber supplement, as directed, with 8 to 12 ounces of water.

Tip: Bile, which is produced in the liver and stored in the gut, ushers toxins through your gastrointestinal tract. Without enough fiber to bind to the bile, excrete it, and scrub the intestinal lining, toxins get reabsorbed into the bloodstream. Your body needs both insoluble and soluble fiber—so make sure any fiber supplement has a balance.

Midmorning

• Munch on a piece of antioxidant-rich fruit, such as apple or orange.
• Drink a glass of filtered water with the juice of half a lemon.

Tip: Antioxidants in fruit boost your body’s ability to produce energy, and they act as fire extinguishers for free radicals, produced when the liver processes toxins.

Lunch

• Take a pancreatic enzyme supplement before eating to reduce bloating and help your body digest fat and carbohydrates.
• Eat a salad packed with fiber- and antioxidant-rich vegetables and a lean protein, such as tofu or organic chicken breast.
• Take a coenzyme-Q10 supplement for afternoon energy. Morello suggests Enzymatic Therapy’s Smart Q10 CoQ10 chewables. ($23, 30 tablets; www.enzymatictherapy.com)
• Drink a glass of filtered water with the juice of half a lemon.

Tip: To give your body plenty of time to digest before bedtime, make lunch your biggest meal of the day—aim for 500 calories. Focus on organic foods to minimize pesticide exposure and avoid increasing your body burden; and stay away from tuna, which can contain mercury, and red meat, which is difficult for your body to digest and can sap your strength for the rest of the day.

Midafternoon

• Drink 4 to 5 ounces of antioxidant-loaded pomegranate or açai juice.
• Nosh on a piece of fiber-rich fruit, such as a pear.
• Exercise or take a sauna.

Tip: To avoid midafternoon tiredness and reduce your liver’s workload by eat this snack between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Dinner

• Eat a light, well-rounded dinner that include a lean, organic protein, such as wild-caught salmon, tofu, or organic chicken breast; a sulfur-rich vegetable like broccoli, brussels sprouts, beets, or onions; and a cup of whole grains for fiber.
• Drink a glass of filtered water with the juice of half a lemon.
• Take a multivitamin.
• Ease digestion with a pancreatic-enzyme supplement.

Tip: Wild-caught salmon has been shown to have fewer contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, than farm caught. It is also generally considered to be more eco-friendly. Visit seafoodwatch.org to find out which types and sources of fish are the most sustainable.

30 Minutes Before Bed

• If desired, take a safe, gentle laxative, such as magnesium hydroxide.
• Replenish healthy gut flora by supplementing with probiotics.

Tip: Your body needs 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours to fully replenish and prepare for tomorrow.

Exercise:
·    Make sure you’re exercising for 30 minutes to 1 hour three times per week; on non-exercise days, sit in a sauna to help your body release chemicals housed in fat tissues.

5 Article comments