Don’t Do a Detox Without Understanding These 10 Rules

Familiar story: “I started doing a detox and now I am more tired and anxious than ever.”

I used to write articles about why people shouldn’t do detoxes. I was misguided in believing that the body can detox efficiently on its own, even after facing significant burdens. That’s in simply not true. Detoxes are beneficial but they have to be done correctly and in the right order of operations.

1. Before you do a detox, address your deficiencies. Don’t guess, get tested.
2. Do not do a heavy metal detox before cleansing the liver and the kidneys first, and do it sensibly with foods and herbs.
3. Cleanse the GI tract before you embark on your liver and kidney journey.
4. Pay attention to your stressors. The body cannot heal while you are in fight-or-flight. Engage in active relaxation and exercise.
5. Things like charcoal and zeolite can leave you more fatigued than ever as they bond with metals indiscriminately. They have the potential to make you lose iron, chromium, zinc, and magnesium — all things you need for proper cellular function and energy. They may also pull mercury from your dental amalgams.
6. Use professional guidance. Get tested and understand not only your deficiencies but also your general health, hormone levels, toxic load, possible infections, etc. Address root causes.
7. Work with a licensed allopathic professional as well. Not just a traditional naturopath. If you have brain fog, anxiety/depression, insomnia, high blood pressure or fatigue there may be serious issues such as heart disease, diabetes, thyroiditis, blood clots, etc. These will need to be ruled out.
8. Use supplements and your diet as healing mechanisms — eat real foods, nothing from a box, mostly plants, raw or prepared with the help of water.
9. Plants containing sulforaphane, astaxanthin, lignin, pectin, bromelain, and mucilage are particularly beneficial.
10. Herbal supplements such as chlorella, moringa, nettle, barley grass, and a number of mushrooms also pull toxins without harm, although researching side effects and contraindications is always a must.

I hope you find these tips helpful. As always, stay mindful and be safe.

Related: The Forgotten Mineral That May Unlock Your Anxiety and Depression