Do you need a liver detox? That is a question my patients often ask me about. 

We need to first understand what is Detox and why you need it? 

Detox (is short for detoxification and drainage) is the removal of toxic or harmful substances from your body. In today’s world our bodies are exposed to a wide array of toxic substances in the air we breathe, the food we eat, industrial chemicals, pesticides and herbicides in our environment today that did not exist 30 years ago. These toxic substances can enter our body through our food, water and air supplies. These toxins can and often become trapped in our body’s organs and tissues. Our bodies are designed to naturally rid itself of harmful toxins however, more and more people’s, bodies are being overburdened with too many toxins which overload the natural detoxification pathways.  Overtime poor detoxification and the buildup of toxins in our bodies negatively impact our health. Today, in our office we are seeing more and more people with a greater toxic burden than ever before.    

Some symptoms people feel when have toxic bodies may be feelings such as the following:

• Have you been slugging through your day, extremely exhausted? 
• Are you struggling with your digestive and gut health? 
• What about extra sensitivity to perfumes and smells? 
• Do you experience poor bowel elimination, constipation or diarrhea?
• Do you have frequent headaches?
• Do you experience brain fog, poor memory, and/or mood swings?
• Are you suffering from skin rashes, eczema, hives or acne?
• Do you have resistance to healthy weight loss?
• Do you suffer from hormonal issues, PMS, PCO’s, infertility or night sweats?  
• Are you experiencing food or environmental allergies? 
• Are you experiencing muscle weakness, body aches, pain or fibromyalgia?

If you resonate with any of these questions, this could be a sign that your body is on overload. Your liver being your main detoxifying organ, is impacted by everything you come in contact with. It works hard to detoxify toxic chemicals and carcinogens naturally, but did you know common detox kits aren’t enough to maintain your liver’s productivity? Heading out to your local health food store and buying a 10-day detox kit may not help your body to truly detox. As much as those kits can be effective in “cleaning you out,” they really don’t address the biggest and most important issue.

Detoxification is about cleaning, and nourishing the body from the inside out. By eliminating toxins and nourishing your body, detoxification can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimal health. In other words, we’ve got to eliminate toxins and feed our bodies natural foods to help us feel at our best. The foods you choose to eat, supplementation and lifestyle all play a vital role in eliminating toxins from your body, as well as supporting different organ systems.

One of your main detoxifying organs, is your liver which has hundreds of functions in the body. Consequently, your liver is constantly ridding your body of waste, metabolizing hormones, and assisting in digestion. Combining important nutrients such as vitamins A, B, and C with minerals such as zinc, magnesium, calcium and selenium are all important for supporting detoxification and the liver. Several amino acids are also important for improving detoxification and eliminating chemicals from your body. Cysteine and methionine in particular help to prevent oxidation and bind to heavy metals such as mercury to help flush them from your system. An incredibly powerful and important antioxidant needed for detoxification is glutathione. This antioxidant works to decrease toxins accumulated from smoke, radiation, auto exhaust, chemicals, drugs, and many other carcinogens. Since your liver is your main detoxifying powerhouse, it is important to eat foods that optimize the health of the liver and supply you with many of the vitamins and minerals mentioned above. Other important detoxification organs include: your kidneys, digestive tract, your skin and lymphatic system.  

There are many ways to help cleanse and support your detoxification naturally! 

So, how do you cleanse and enhance your detoxification pathways? When it comes to detoxification, it’s all about the food, or more specifically, the nutrients needed to support detoxification. It’s true, we detoxify daily, which is why only 10 days won’t cut it. Toxins can be found in the food we eat, our environment, household cleaning products, cosmetic products we put on our skin and even our furniture! Our bodies are in a constant state of toxic overload. There are numerous ways to gently and safely detoxify our bodies. First, finding what detoxification pathways are overloaded is critical. This is an important step that we set to discover with our patients. Then the next step is to address how to fix the issues. For example, developing the right detox plan, choosing clean organic whole foods, eating fresh herbs, consuming the right supplements to support proper detoxification, hydrating the body with clean filtered water and are all things we incorporate to resolve better detoxification.  

Our approach to detoxification involves many aspects which include:

• Understanding which body systems are not detoxifying properly.
• We will determine this through an in-depth medical assessment and appropriate lab testing.
• Based on the findings we will address your bodies need for improved detoxification and support these pathways.

Dr. Fetell and our resident nutritionist, Angela T. Russo, MS develop the best program to help you achieve optimal detoxification. Some programs may include the following:

• A simple but comprehensive 14-Day, 21-Day or 30- Day detoxification program.
• Body impedance testing to access a baseline of your body’s cellular function. 
• Diet plans suited to your specific needs and lifestyle.
• Natural supplements and herbs to enhance the detoxification process.
• Specific foods and recipes to help you detoxify and cleanse your body.
• Behavior and lifestyle changes to help you maintain your detoxification efforts.    

There is no need to live in a toxic body when there are valuable and effective ways to clear your unwanted toxins. Everyone can benefit from a healthy detox program that clears the body of stored toxins to prevent toxic overload.