Hopefully many 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
The GUT also plays an essential role and is the first organ to encounter the toxin(s).
Bowel movements are of great importance in the world of “cleansing / detox”. Supported by dietary fibre and a balanced microbiome, stool is an essential route of elimination for toxins.
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.
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.
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 probiotic. You can find high quality products at your natural grocery store. Just make sure it’s gluten, dairy, egg and soy free!
- Drink more water. One of the most common reasons for constipation is dehydration. Aim to drink at least half your body weight in ounces per day. 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).
- Add 1-2 tbsp of ground flaxseeds to your smoothie. This trick works like a charm! Flaxseeds add more fibre to your diet, which help to bulk up your stool so that you can eliminate easily.
- Chew your food. It’s easy to snarf down a quick lunch, but chewing is part of the digestive process. Take the time to slow down and enjoy your meal!
- Consider that you might have a food intolerance/sensitivity. Foods like gluten, dairy, and soy commonly cause digestive problems and constipation.
- Drink a green juice. Fresh vegetable juice is filled with live enzymes, vitamins and minerals that help aid in digestion and elimination. Add some ginger or turmeric to your juice for an extra digestive kick!
- Stop eating. Give your digestive system a rest so that it can process the food already in your body. If you’re hungry have a green veggie juice or have a large cup of hot water with lemon, which has a natural laxative effect.
- Move your body. Walk, run, dance or do some yoga/pilates. Exercise stimulates the natural contraction of intestinal muscles.
- 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 yourelax, as well as keep our digestive systems running
Célinne Karlsson is offering lymphatic massage at €60 instead of €80 until early may for those on this programme either in in Grasse or Cannes. It will be possible to book a session before/after the get-together on Monday 27th March.
Tlf: 06 17 33 24 13
