So putting your body through a comprehensive detox program can be a good way to give your body a break and allow it some catch-up time to improve its efficiency. However please note the word COMPREHENSIVE in the previous sentence. This is extremely important because to full detoxify there are so many things that need to be considered. Basically, the aim is to turn fat-soluble toxins into stable water-soluble substances that are easier to transport and can be excreted via urine and bile. There are many chemical reactions involved in this process that require the right balance of macronutrients, fluid intake, fibre intake, amino acid supply, antioxidants, inflammation precautions, enzyme co-factors, vitamin and mineral abundance and the list goes on.

Another important point to take note of is that this process is not only complicated but it takes time. Detoxification happens in two phases. Phase I is about chemical reactions that metabolise toxins into less harmful substances. Phase II is about packaging and transporting these substances to be eliminated from the body. My concern about many detoxes out there is that they don’t allow both phases to be completed. Take a 3-day juice fast for example. Besides the fact that one of the most important aspects of a detox is lacking (fibre), three days is only enough to begin phase I of the process. This means that toxins might be metabolised into a less harmful substance but if these substances aren’t excreted from the body then they can build up and circulate back into the blood system, causing more toxicity to the body.

So hopefully now you understand how complex a full detox can be and this is why my 21 Day Detox Program is about an abundance of food rather than abstinence. With so much support and many nutrients required for detoxification, my eating plan is designed to include as many of these nutrients and co-factors as possible. This means jam-packing the recipes with wholefoods including, and mainly, vegetables accompanied by small amounts of nuts, seeds, fruit, grains, legumes, fish, meat, and dairy. So although we also cut out sugar, gluten, and all processed food, this is actually not a hard task because there are so many wholefoods to be consumed throughout the program (and yep I’m talking full meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!). It’s not uncommon for my detoxers to tell me they are losing weight while eating more food than they usually do.

So if you have been considering a detox, come and do it with me – a qualified practitioner who actually does the detox with you and provides support and guidance every day of the program to make sure we not only draw out the toxins but also eliminate them from our bodies!