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To detox or not to detox. That is the question...

Rebecca D'Alton Goode

After doing the RRAW 3 day free detox, I have had a lot of great feedback and continuing success from clients who took part and also a lot of questions about how a detox actually works. So, I thought in light of that and that I have been working on recipes and playing with ideas for a client who will be taking some steps to eat live raw fresh food in an effort to re-establish a balanced and healthy attitude to food and cravings, that I would tackle some of those questions and try to help explain how it can be helpful and what is going on.



THE DEBATE: to detox or not to detox, that is the question...



Now, I have read many conflicting views on this over the decade years I have been working in the health and fitness industry and there is one thing that is a pretty recurring theme... the human body is an AMAZING thing. It has capability way beyond most people's own personal goals and can put up with A LOT of crap. Just think for a second about the amount of rubbish we ask it to deal with in a lifetime:


- smoking

- alcohol

- car fumes

- chemical after chemical after chemical in body creams, lotions, shower gels, cleaning products, air fresheners, the stuff that gets sprayed all over our food (try reading the back of a bottle of shampoo and tell me how many ingredients you recognise!!!???)

- constant stresses from TV, work, laptops, mobiles

- bad sleep

- dehydration, drinking too many stimulants and energy drinks

- forcing it to run on empty

- forcing it to digest food which it just can't deal with (have you ever put a piece of cucumber of a piece of white bread and seen how sludgey and grimey it goes... have you ever contemplated that your body has to digest that mess and then supposedly use it for fuel!?)


I could go on, but I'll get back to the point...


The body is an amazing thing, but there comes a time when it just can't deal with anymore. It reaches saturation point if you like and then it can't function properly. You then might start getting some of the following:


- acne

- IBS

- poor sleep

- weight gain/loss

- hair loss

- loss of libido

- sugar cravings

- aging

- fertility problems


Again, I could go on, but I think I have made my point.


Sometimes the body needs a bit of help, but the question is how to go about it. And more to the point, what does this word 'detox' actually mean.


WHAT IS A DETOX?


In real terms, your body is detoxing all the time. Everything you ingest, is soaked through your skin, medication, alcohol, pesticides on food etc etc all go through the bodies very well set up detox pathways, which happens in two stages in the liver. Stage one - the sorting and packaging. Stage two - elimination. So to say you are going to 'go on a detox' is slightly misleading because you are already doing it. However, when people use this term in the health and nutrition world, what they actually mean is giving your digestive system a break, giving your liver chance to catch up with itself and to reset the equilibrium to help you function at full capacity again.



This is where the big debate and kick up about detoxing comes from because arguably, the body is very well set up to deal with unwanted gumf that finds its way into liver, but you just have to look at the way we live and a few of things from the list above to realise that actually, sometimes, it needs a little extra help.


SO, HOW DO YOU DETOX??


Well, in my opinion, this is not a one size fits all answer, and the reason for this is who you are, what your current lifestyle is and what you can deal with. There is no point going on a 7 day juice detox (which although can be made highly nutritious and can be very beneficial for some people) if at the end of 7 days or even 2 days in, you are going to go on a massive binge because you just aren't ready for it and then you'll be in an even worse physical and psychological state then when you started.


So for some people it might be juicing, for some it might be smoothies, for some it might be a raw detox, for some it may just be cutting wheat and dairy, and for some it may just be laying off the red wine for a week, but you choose your battles.


And who am I to tell you what does or doesn't constitute a 'detox' for you. A detox is exactly that - 'detoxification' - it should be a time of giving your body a bit of a break from the hell you relentlessly put it through and for me that means, allowing it to be the best it can be.


And to be honest, no matter how you choose to approach it, the most important time really is what you choose to do after and I will look at this as I get further into this journey so for now it is...


YOUR CHOICE


Now, I've used that word a lot, as I often find myself doing, and that's because that's what all of this comes down to - YOUR CHOICE! How one person chooses to live their life, won't necessarily be how you choose to live yours and neither should it be, but I will leave you with this....


You have one life, you have one body, and you have one chance to make your life everything you want it to be so why oh why would you not choose to be AWESOME!!!





If you would like help with a detox or think this is something that could benefit you, and would like to join the many clients I have helped to get back on the health and happiness train, then drop me an email at rrawcoaching@hotmail.com or visit that facebook page, RRAW, and send me a message.

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