Is Detox For You?

The Detox Healing Crisis

By Dr. Andra Campitelli, ND

After years of filling your body with cheese, bread, sugar, chemicals, additives, alcohol and well, junk, you’ve finally decided to turn over a new leaf. It’s about time you get on the detox bandwagon! Everyone says you’ll feel amazing and lose a ton of weight so you decide to jump right in with both feet first. And, after one day you feel like garbage! You smell different, you have headaches, you’re exhausted, weak, tired, irritable, bloated and all of a sudden you’re back to your teenage years and have ridiculous breakouts! You feel congested, your nose runs, old problems flare up and you’re starting to wonder, what on earth is the point of all this because it certainly doesn’t feel like you’re getting better and “good for you” doesn’t quite sum up how you’re feeling. So, if a detox is supposed to be good for you, why does it feel SO bad?

I was 21 when I did my first detox to try to solve my food allergy concerns. After one week, I threw in the towel because I felt beyond TERRIBLE! I couldn’t eat anything, I was congested, I was nauseous all the time and had ridiculous headaches, so I figured a detox was NOT for me.  Two years later, still feeling unwell, I tried a detox again (the right way), stuck with it and achieved the results I was looking for.

My advice? Persevere because this too, shall pass.

So, what IS going on with all these unpleasant detox symptoms? When people ask me why they should detox and why they feel so poorly while on a detox, I get a bit mechanical. Let’s compare it to a car. You take your car in for regular maintenance and oil changes to get rid of all that gunk that has built over the past few months. Now, imagine owning a car for 10 years and NEVER having an oil change or tune up. Your mechanic would be furious and your car may very well keep running (certainly not well, though), but dirt would accumulate, the oil would get thick and not lubricate properly, filters would clog, your brakes would have worn down, your shocks would be shot, just lots of problems that will cost you a ton of money down the road as well as take a long time to fix. It’s inconvenient, painful (once you get the bill) and someone’s got to go in there and flush it all out and fix all that accumulated damage.

Same goes for your body. You spend YEARS filling it with junk and NEVER giving it a break, flush or a tune up. So, don’t expect the cleaning process to go smoothly or quickly. It’s going to take a while and more than likely, it’s going to be most unpleasant. There’s a lot of work to be done, but the final outcome is absolutely worth it. When it comes to our bodies, cleaning doesn’t happen overnight. When you hear the expression “You are what you eat”, it is absolutely true! If you have filled your body with unhealthy chemicals, additives, cleaners, fumes, etc., then what do you think makes up the majority of your body and cells? And, getting this stuff out won’t be an easy or pleasant task, but it is 100% essential.

Toxins are generally stored in the fatty tissues. This means that when they accumulate, they go straight in your fat cells. This is another reason why toxin accumulation contributes to weight gain and why most people lose weight while detoxing. During a detox, your body starts dumping all this accumulated “stuff” from the fat cells back into circulation causing tons of toxins to circulate in your blood, lymph, gut, everywhere and you start to feel like rubbish. All of your energy is diverted to getting rid of this huge toxic overload that needs be out of your system.

You need to ensure you’re doing two things:

1)  Stop giving your body the foods and chemicals that contribute to this state, so it has energy to deal with and eliminate the toxins without the added stress of new ones coming in. Your body needs a rest. Give it one. It also best to avoid environmental and chemical toxins at this point as well. Try to avoid the use of plastic water bottles and Tupperware (glass is always better), use organic and natural cleansers, body washes and face products. (See the online Detox Meal Plan in the Nutrition Section at Truestar.com for detox diet strategies).

2)  Supplement! You need to not only help pull those toxins out of the cells, but you need to support the organs of elimination so that the body can effectively get rid of those unwanted circulating chemicals. Gastrointestinal health is one of the most important factors here as this is the primary organ of elimination. Reestablishing that gut health is key.

As the toxins slowly begin to move out of the body, you WILL start to feel better, I promise!  This detox crisis usually lasts about three days for most people, although it may be longer, depending on how tough you’ve been on your body over the years.  Once this passes, you will move from good to better than you’ve felt in years.  Often people don’t realize how unwell they really are until they feel truly well.

So, persist! It will get better after it gets worse and the health benefits are definitely worth it.

Signs & Symptoms that may benefit from a detox: -  digestive complaints -  skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, acne) -  mood changes -  sleep problems -  food cravings -  unexplained weight gain -  headaches/migraines -  constant colds & infections

Below is my preferred detox protocol and can be found at GlimpseMedical:
TrueBASICS with Lean Extreme (if weight loss is your goal): 1 pack twice daily with meals. Often I will mix this in with a pack of the TrueBASICS A/O.
Otherwise, TrueBASICS for Men or Women

TrueDETOX & Cleanse: If you feel that you have a large toxic burden, you may want to start small with 1 pack daily, 30 minutes before meals for your first week. You can then increase this to 1 pack, twice daily, 30 minutes before meals. Don’t forget to drink lots of water!

Additional Supporting Supplements:
TrueB Complex: For additional energy, nutrient support and stress support.

TrueSTRENGTH: Protein shakes are a great way to get clean nutrients into the body without stressing the digestive system, so try incorporating a shake for breakfast every day.

TrueD: For overall health benefit and antioxidant support at 2000 IU daily.

TrueOMEGA: Healthy fats are essential and can assist with weight and inflammation management.
Good luck!

This article has been reposted from http://truestar.com/article.aspx?article_url=the-detox-healing-crisis