The Truth About Detoxing and How to do it Safely

Confession: I'm not a huge fan of the term "detox". I feel like so many people use “detox” as a catch-all term for everything from starvation to colon cleansing. Yes, detoxification is extremely important, but it needs to be done responsibly or you can wreak more havoc than good.

Detoxification also happens to be something your body does on a 24/7 basis. Eliminating all the toxins we eat, drink, breathe, and absorb on a daily basis really is a full-time job, and our body’s natural detoxing abilities play a major role in how generally well or sick we feel.

With all that said, as someone who practises intuitive eating (and is constantly working at understanding the language of my body), sometimes I just feel like a so-called “detox” is exactly what I need! Especially, with all the collective stress and anxiety lately, and the comfort food consumption that inevitably goes with that. For me, it’s muffins. Lot’s of banana chocolate chip muffins. (No regrets, though.)

But as the days get longer, and the choir of birds crescendo, and the tiniest buds are finally starting to appear on the trees, I’m starting to feel like my body is telling me it’s also time for me to embrace the quintessence of Spring and do my own little version of spring cleaning: nutritionist style.

So that’s right, the topic of today’s post (and the next few blog posts) is going to be all about spring detoxing protocols. I’m going to cover how to properly detoxify your liver in two phases, foods to eat to support both liver detoxification phases safely, and other non-dietary things you can do to help facilitate the process. I’ll also include a meal plan for supporting both detoxification phases, since I’m personally going to be following my own version of a spring detox as I write this series, so I might as well share what I’ll be eating!

Let’s get into it!

The Two Phases of Liver Detox (and why It’s important to know this)

Your liver eliminates toxins through two separate (but equally important) phases: oxidation and conjugation. These phases occur naturally in your day-to-day detoxification, but there are ways to help promote them if you feel you have a sluggish liver. Poor liver function can lead to many imbalances in other body systems: immune function can be compromised, hormones can become imbalanced, even the nervous system can be impacted leading to symptoms like depression, headaches, brain fog, and irritability.

During the oxidation phase, toxins are broken down with oxygen and enzymes to make them more water-soluble- a crucial step to make the elimination of the toxins much easier for the body. The next phase, conjugation, is an extremely important follow-up to oxidation because this is when the toxins are bound to sulfur and a few specific amino acids to be excreted through bile.

Why is it important for you to know this? Well, because a lot of the typical detox methods people use (like detox teas, supplements, certain lifestyle changes, etc.) promote phase 1 only. This means that toxins are “liberated” via oxidation, but not conjugated and eliminated. In other words, your body becomes more toxic if only phase 1 is activated by an unsafe detoxification method.

Though you may have the best of intentions starting a detox kit you bought at the health food store, you may end up doing much more harm than good to your body. The bottom line is that you don’t want phase 1 detoxification to exceed your liver’s natural phase 2 capabilities. This can be dangerous.

Promoting Detoxification The Responsible Way

Luckily, there’s a right way to do this! By focusing on specific whole foods for your detox, you can gently support phase 1 detoxification while also priming your body for phase 2.

Foods that balance the two phases safely include cruciferous veggies like cabbage, brussels sprouts, and broccoli, citrus fruits like oranges and tangerines (but not grapefruit, funnily enough), and certain aromatic seeds like caraway and dill. Zinc is also crucial for healthy oxidation function, so foods high in zinc like pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and tahini, and cooked grass-finished beef, bison, veal, and lamb are also important.

If you read that list and immediately thought “red meat on a cleanse?!”, I get the confusion. When a lot of us think of cleanses, we think of rather low-carb diets of smoothies, juices, and salads chock-full of veggies with very little animal protein. Sadly, this is another unhealthy misconception of the “detox diet”. Adequate protein is absolutely essential for your body to perform conjugation, due to the requirement of specific amino acids like cysteine and methionine.

Something else to consider is that certain dietary and lifestyle factors can ramp up phase 1 detox to a dangerous level. Things like smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, consuming processed foods that contain a lot of refined vegetable oils, and even eating a lot of charred or barbequed meats can do the trick. Unfortunately, some medications also speed up phase 1 detox. The takeaway here is to eliminate what you can (like processed foods, alcohol, and cooking meats at high temperatures) and not worry too much about what you can’t change (like taking medication). Supporting your detox with the right foods will make a huge difference in the health and function of your liver, even if you are on meds!

So, from here on out, I want you to reframe the way you think about detoxes and instead think of it as a way of eating that is high in colourful and fibrous veggies (emphasizing cruciferous veggie intake), colourful fruits like oranges, lemons, green apples, and berries, good-quality fats like olive oil, avocado, coconut, and soaked nuts and seeds, and good-quality animal or plant-based protein. And of course, lots and lots of filtered water!

There you have it. You’re now an expert in safe and healthy detox! In next week’s blog, I’ll get into some specific liver-supporting foods and a detox meal plan you can follow if you want to get started on your own spring detox like me! I’ll also write about some non-dietary ways that you can support healthy detoxification and elimination of toxins, so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, I want to know if you learned anything new from today’s blog! If you found anything above to be surprising, let me know in the comments below! And if you know of anyone that would benefit from reading this blog, be a good pal and forward it their way 😊