Are detox plans worth doing?

Detox plans are all the rage at this time of year. A New Year - a new you! I get it. And especially after a period of overindulgence over the Christmas holidays, many people are ready to tone it back and get on track. Eat more healthily. exercise more, drink more water and so on… 

I’m not saying that doing detox plans is a bad thing. In fact eating a more healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as abstaining or at least reducing alcohol is something I would agree with. 

But, unless you’re generally in tip-top form to start with, this binge and purge way of life is not going to get you to your optimum health. Yes, you might feel a bit better, have a bit more energy, but do you feel your best? 

In fact, if you’re not feeling you’re best then a detox plan might be a good place to start. But, one that is tailored for you would be better. After all, we are all different, so why would a plan that suits someone else be the right one for you?  

Toxin build up

There are many factors that might influence your body’s ability to detoxify. For example, if you suffer from constipation you are less able to excrete toxins from the bowel. Scientists now realise that toxin build-up is related to many symptoms, especially fatigue. And, in fact in the longer term toxin accumulation may be related to a higher risk of developing chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.

Body burden 

Toxins may accumulate in the body because our normal detox processes are not up to scratch. The level of toxins in your body is often referred to as your body burden. And it is a burden. Your body just doesn’t function at it’s best with higher a higher body burden of toxins. Eating the right diet that contains the nutrients your body needs can make all the difference when it comes to detoxification. Helping your organs to reduce the level of toxins in your body and improving your health.  

If you are going to follow a detox plan its worth making sure that you choose one that is based on proper nutrition. More importantly, you should ensure your plan contains the nutrients that help your body to detoxify. Some detoxification processes just won’t take place if certain nutrients are insufficient or not available.  

Environmental toxins

But, in the longer term, it’s not just about eating the right foods to help your body transform and eliminate toxins. You also need to consider where these toxins came from in the first place. It’s an unfortunate fact, but in modern life, toxins are found everywhere. They are in the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. So, in fact, environmental toxins are impossible to avoid completely. Recent estimates suggest that the average adult is contaminated with at least 700 toxins, and even newborn babies likely contain around 200 toxins. 

On the other hand, there are many ways to reduce our exposure and I will be discussing these in a future post.