Detox Guide

four glass bottles filled with four different colored smoothies. Green, yellow, orange, and red, with fruits and vegetables on the table behind them in similar color pallet

How to Support a Natural Detox

Your body is continuously detoxing toxic substances, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so the best way to support the work already being done is to take a break from metabolic offenders with toxic byproducts, common food intolerances and irritants, like histamines and nightshades while providing the body with nutrients that support detoxification. Detoxing is best done slowly and over an extended period of time (14-30 days) when hydration, sleep and gentle movement can be prioritized.

Celebrity Holistic Health Coach and NOW Wellness Expert Kelly LeVeque put together the following guide to help you gently detox the body and support its natural processes.

two green smoothies with spinach and basil around them with green stripped straws in them

Download Printable Guide Here

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Remove Metabolic Offenders from the Diet:

glass of red wine in foreground with light skinned female presenting person in the background putting up her hand in refusal of the wine

Alcohol

Alcohol is metabolized in the liver to the chemical toxin acetaldehyde, and then further converted to a harmless substance called acetate. Uric acid is an inflammatory byproduct of the metabolism of alcohol that increases our risk of metabolic conditions including type-2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Remove from the diet: alcoholic beverages

Sugar

Sugar is digested into glucose and fructose. While glucose raises blood sugar, fructose is metabolized by the liver into fat, a process called lipogenesis. Too much fructose can result in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition in which too much fat is stored in the liver cells impairing normal detoxification. Like alcohol, a waste product of fructose metabolism is uric acid. Too much glucose glycates our hemoglobin, increases inflammation and leads to chronic lifestyle diseases.

Remove from the diet: added sugar (candy, baked goods, processed foods, maple syrup, honey), liquid sugar (soda, juice, sports drinks, sweet condiments/sauces) concentrated natural fructose (all dried fruits, raisins, dates and goji berries, high sugar tropical fruits plantains, banana, mango, pineapple)

image of common allergen foods such as peanuts, eggs, shell fish, strawberries, milk, chocolate, and kiwi

Allergens and Irritants

Allergens and Irritants underlying food intolerances can range from the most common egg and dairy to irritants like nightshades, histamines, and industrial seeds oils that can cause inflammation. Inflammation interferes without bodies' natural signaling and detoxification processes. Taking a break for even a limited time can allow the body to do more work to lower inflammation and improve intestinal permeability. Individual reintroduction of these food groups will enable us to deeply understand how we respond to each food.

Remove from the diet: common food allergens (gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut, corn) and irritants like nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and all peppers, including spices like chili pepper) industrial seed oils (canola, corn, cottonseed, soy, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, and rice bran) and processed meat (sausage, deli and canned meats, hot dogs and smoked meats)

Six Steps to Support Healthy Detoxification

Detoxing is supported with proper hydration, fiber-rich cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, and phytochemicals like polyphenols, so what we do eat makes a difference.

light skinned female presenting person pouring a green blended drink into a glass. Apple, avocado, and lettuce sitting on the table next to her.

One

Daily, enjoy one blended meal, like a soup puree or #fab4smoothie

medium skinned female presenting person drinking a glass of water

Two

Drink 8-10 glasses of room temperature filtered water, and sip on herbal teas.

dark skinned female presenting person sleeping

Three

Sleep 7-8 hours a night, getting in bed before 10 pm.

two glass containers filled with food. one with chicken and broccoli the other with salmon and asparagus.

Four

Enjoy two meals a day of lightly cooked, steamed, blanched, or slow-roasted protein and vegetables with nourishing oils like extra virgin olive oil in a 10-hour feeding window. Fuel until satisfied, do not under-eat.

light skinned female presenting person doing yoga in downward dog position in her livingroom. little black dog doing position next to her

Five

Light exercise like walking, jogging, yoga, or Pilates for 20 - 30 minutes a day is encouraged to move lymph fluid, improve breathing and energy and decrease glucose levels.

group of now products Chlorella, Easy Cleanse, and Krill Oil

Six

Supplement with nutrients that promote a balanced immune system response, support the liver’s detoxification pathways, support healthy digestion, maintain normal glucose and uric acid levels, and help to normalize the consistency and quantity of bowel movements.* My favorites are Omega-3s (like Krill) and Chlorella

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.