Good morning all. Is anyone struggling with sleepiness, mild headaches? If so, remember this is a normal reaction to the body ridding itself of toxins. This is why I include a preparation week to prepare the body as best as possible and reduce symptoms.
Take time to sleep/meditate, move (walk), have a hot bath (if possible so that the body sweats. Best with Epsom salts), and drink infusions/herbal teas.
Most of you understand that the liver is the main factory for dealing with toxins, but it works with other body organs in the body.
Here is an overview of supportive organs and a reminder of elimination.
A quick reminder of the routes helping the liver to eliminate toxins
- Bile – the liver produces up to 1L of bile per day; made mostly of water, bile salts, bilirubin, cholesterol, fatty acids and lecithin
- Kidneys – they filter approximately 200 litres of blood per day, excreting water-soluble toxins, metabolic waste products and excess water
- Skin – eliminates urea and uric acid from the body, plus many other toxins have been found in the sweat (inc. heavy metals, phthalates)
- Lungs – normally just eliminate toxins as carbonic gas. In some cases, however, the alveoli can become porous and act as an additional route of removal for compounds in the blood that were not sufficiently cleared by the liver, kidney and GI tract
- Lymphatics – helps remove used immune cells and toxic chemicals, derived from pathogenic microorganisms
However, bowel movements are of great importance in the world of “cleansing / detox”. Supported by dietary fibre and a balanced microbiome, pooping is an essential route of elimination for toxins. If the bowel material is able to sit in our intestines, it becomes a breeding ground for bad bacteria, yeast and parasites. This leads to a fermentation and putrefaction process that allows for enormous amounts of endotoxins (internal toxins) to be released throughout the bloodstream. This massive release of toxic compounds can overwhelm the liver and slow down all the body’s ability to detoxify all together.
We should be moving our bowels at least once a day and ideally after every meal and our food waste should be getting out of our system within a 24 hour period.
This means that if we consume a meal at 12pm on Wednesday, then we should have eliminated all the waste from that meal by 12pm on Thursday at the latest.
Sluggish bowels can be related to low stomach acid and poor bile flow so consider bitter foods before eating your main meal, apple cider vinegar in water and ensuring you have enough veggies in your eating plan!
If the apple cider vinegar is too much for you, try mixing it with 1 tbsp olive oil and lemon juice as a dressing on a bitter salad: arugula (rocket leaves), coriander, radishes, dandelion leaves, MICROGREENS, a little avocado and cucumber.
Be aware that bowel movements may change during the programme. If you feel they are sluggish, go through this check list:
TOP 10 TIPS TO GET THINGS MOVING
- Take a high quality probioticor include fermented veggies such as sauerkraut, kefir water, pickles, olives, fermented beetroot every day.
- Drink more water.One of the most common reasons for constipation is dehydration. Try drinking your water in the beginning of the day so that you’re not trying to play catch up in the evening (which will just have you to peeing all night). I find that warm water with lemon helps bowl movement or a small amount of powdered matcha tea.
- Chew your food.It’s easy to eat too fast, but chewing is part of the digestive process. Take the time to slow down and enjoy your meal!
- Consider that you might have afood intolerance/sensitivity. Foods like gluten, dairy, and soy commonly cause digestive problems and constipation.
- Add some ginger or turmeric to yourwater for an extra digestive kick!
- Stop eating.Give your digestive system a rest so that it can process the food already in your body.
- Move your body. Walk, run, dance or do some yoga/pilates. Exercise stimulates the natural contraction of intestinal musclesand the lymphatic system
- Take a warm Epsom salt bath. This is a great ritual to add to your daily routine. The warm water relaxes your body as the Epsom salt aids in a gentle detoxification. Soak for 20 minutes for best results.
- Add magnesium citrate into your daily routine, at night to help you relax, as well as keep our digestive systems running
Célinne Karlsson is offering lymphatic massage at an introductory price of €75 instead of €150 for those on this programme. To book a session contact Celinne on Tlf: 06 17 33 24 13
