How to Re-tox

How do you mindfully Re-Tox after a detox protocol? It may seem silly to give you guidelines on how to re-toxify, but there is a way to do it properly if you’re wondering where to go next! While I don’t believe being on a strict detox forever is realistic, there are some simple detox concepts that are great to take with you in the long term! Below, I’ve provided my guidance on the “lesser evils” to choose instead of going back on all foods containing processed gluten, dairy and sugar. This will help keep your body cleansed and avoid any unraveling of the good work you did while detoxing!

Check out my tips below:

Keep up the easy wins

• Carry with you the changes that weren’t an overt challenge.  For example, maybe avoiding sugars in your dressings/condiments wasn’t very noticeable since these shouldn’t taste sweet anyways.  Identify your simple changes that can now be used for the long term.

DIY your sweets!

• Avoid the packaged/processed cookies, desserts, pastries etc and prioritize making your own! I love to bake and freeze treats so that I have some options on hand when a sweet treat craving strikes and I don’t eat the whole batch when it’s first made.  You can control the sugar added this way and avoid processed/refined white sugar by subbing local honey/maple syrup/coconut sugar or even trying out fresh fruit purees!

Stay picky and go slow

• Indulge mindfully on those “worth it” items that are truly your favorite treats.  If you love your mom’s famous chocolate cake – eat it and enjoy every bite! Keep your indulgences to once in a while, enjoy them, and experience them fully in that moment. The most important thing is to avoid making this a daily occurrence and make sure to go slow with reintroduction!  Your body will be far more sensitive to the effects of sugar and alcohol after eliminating them. Practice kindness towards your body by slashing portions of processed carbs, sweets and alcohol by at least half.

Color your plate

• Include plenty of detoxing veggies in your regular meal intake. When shopping for the week make sure you have veggies from each of the 4 food color categories in your shopping cart-red, orange/yellow, greens, purple/blues.  For example, a shopping cart with red peppers, winter squash, and sweet potato, arugula and eggplant would fit the bill!

More real food, less processed food

• For some of us, gluten and dairy can be part of a balanced lifestyle plan. What isn’t-processed gluten and dairy! What does this mean? Choose whole food forms of gluten like farro, wheat germ or bulgur or fermented forms like whole grain sourdough as these will be easier on digestion and inflammation risk.  Choose goat/sheep or buffalo milk dairy which are known to be less inflammatory and gut disrupting (1) and use dairy as a “condiment” to the meal vs. the star of the show.

Kick out the obvious toxins

• Carry with you the avoidance of highly toxic food additives-trans fats, artificial sweeteners/colors and flavors are a science experiment gone wrong that you don’t want to put into your body! Avoid foods that have laundry lists of ingredients or additives that you can’t easily pronounce or decipher.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27039383