Slow Elimination detox
“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food”
Hippocrates
Welcome to your slow elimination detox program. It is the first step because a slow elimination program helps to decrease our toxic load with less risk and reduced symptoms of a healing crisis. Therefore, whether you are looking at an overall wellness plan, seasonal eating plan, or fasting plan, we need to eliminate the unhealthy foods and replace them with nutrient-dense whole foods and fresh, juices. But it's important to make sure the juices are freshly squeezed, and full of as many veggies as they are fruits!
We want to flood your body with all the vitamins and minerals it needs to perform its function well and to also speed up the detoxification process. How exciting is it to begin your journey with your very first STEP!
Before you begin though, take the health and wellness quizzes so you know exactly what areas in your life would benefit from our detox programs, and then you can impliment those after the slow elimination detox.
Have a Plan
When beginning it pays to be well prepared. Having a plan is a must. I recommend the following tips to help you along your way.
Gather a Support Team
Find a great doctor who understands the importance of preventative programs and get a blood test. This way you can have a base line to compare your results in just a few short months. Make sure you get the clearance from your doctor that following the plan will be safe for you. Find allied health practitioners such as Chinese medicine practitioners, and naturopaths. These people can help you with supplements and herbs, and acupuncture is a great way to deal with toxic symptoms without needing to ingest anything. Other modalities you can try include, reflexology, ear candling, and lymphatic drainage. These all help with unpleasant detox symptoms.
Do it during a slow time
Begin your detox during a slow time where you can be or do as you please. You may suffer low energy, and have headaches, and perhaps not feel like socializing or going out.
When you are detoxing, particularly in the first few days, you may experience unpleasant symptoms such as headache, nausea, and fatigue. It helps to be home, or close to home where you can just rest up whenever you need. You sometimes are also vulberable to loud noises and bright lights. It is almost like the detox makes you more sensative. Also, being around people who are drinking, eating foods you are eliminating, or participating in activities that will ruin your detox is not a great idea. No matter how much will power you have, it makes for an unpleasant experience that will leave you feeling deprived. Therfore plan to do your detox during a quiet time, especially if you are not experienced in the process.
Make your home your haven.
Turn your home into a beautiful sanctuary. Gentle lighting, soothing music, with essential oils releasing their aroma into the surrounding space. Have access to inspirational books, magazines, and programs for when you need an extra boost. Making your space feel special, and comfortable will support you thgough the process.
Find a detox buddy,
Or even better convince your partner to join you.
If you have a family then they most porbably share the same lifestyle patterns and eating habits as you. They could probably do with a detox too!
Health and Vitality can be achieved
through understanding which foods work best for your body.
It’s not about calorie-counting, it is about
getting the body in balance from the inside out.
What are toxins?
Toxins are anything that has a detrimental effect on cell function and structure, in other words, it prevents the body from working well. Toxins come from a variety of sources, yet the common factor between all of them is that they are man-made synthetic chemicals which are foreign to our bodies. The body itself can produce toxins; they are a natural by product of its day to day functioning. When the body is overloaded with toxins it is unable to get rid of them effectively and a build up appears, often with the onset of an irritating health problem that won’t go away. Antibiotics and a poor diet, for example, can upset the internal gut bacteria balance, which can then become toxic over time causing symptoms such as yeast infections.
Once your body’s own detoxification system becomes overloaded toxins that have accumulated over a period of time wreak havoc on normal metabolic processes such as weight control and the immune system. Most toxins do not have a dramatic, immediate and noticeable effect, and therefore their effects remain untreated. Toxins accumulate and damage the body in hidden ways, day in and day out, and the level to which your body is burdened by them is called your toxic load. You've probably gathered by now, that everyone is toxic and can do with a detox.
Supporting you liver
The main organ of detoxification and breaking down fat in the body is the liver. What this means is that a toxic or overloaded liver can actually cause weight gain. However, the liver is not able to work effectively if it lacks certain nutrients from the food you eat or if it is congested with man made chemicals. Eating a poor diet means that not only are you not getting enough of the vitamins, minerals and essential fats your body needs to work well, but also that the toxins in the food you eat can drain your body of essential nutrients – a toxic vicious cycle. We need to support the liver we need to support liver phase one and two detox. What we eat and how we excrete toxins. Two supplements I recommend are, METAGENICS and BIOCEUTICALS.
The reasons I like these companies are, they are heavily regulated by the TGA and therefore you really are getting what you paid for. Unfortunately some research has proven that no all vitamins and supplements are the same. Some are not what they say they are, and other are rancid. These two companies have come out on top, they are equally as good, the only difference is Metagenics is a practitioner only brand, and therefore your naturopath or Chinese medicine practitioner can order it for you. You can also find Bioceuticals in any good, quality health food shop.
Signs and Symptoms you need to detox
The Common Western Diet
If you consume high amounts of
- processed foods
- dairy products
- alcohol
- caffeine
- sugar
- soft drinks
- fast foods
- salt
- canned foods
The western diet is acid forming and so the majority of people who suffer from an unbalanced pH are too acidic. The following foods can put your body into a more acidic state
Why an acidic body is unhealthy?
An acidic body requires extra minerals to buffer the acid and safely remove it from the body. But because these minerals are deficient in the average diet they are often taken from stores held in vital organs and the bones. The strain of the pH imbalance takes its toll on the body and plays a part in the development
- cardiovascular problems
- weight gain, obesity, and diabetes
- have poor immunity
- bladder and kidney conditions
- hormonal problems
- premature aging
- osteoporosis
- low energy or chronic fatigue
- yeast or fungal overgrowth
What is a de-tox and what to expect?
Time to give your body a break
Detoxification itself is actually a natural body process, not something that needs to be medically induced. You body forces you to rest and eat lightly when fighting a virus or infection – it gives your system the chance to use more of its energy for dealing with the problem rather than coping with the demands of a heavy digestion or stress. When the body is healthy it is able to keep the balance right – the toxic input and output are the same. If your toxic load is light then you will have minimal to no side effects. That does not mean it is not worth detoxing. By undertaking a detox before illness takes hold you are taking a pro active approach – your body is your vehicle and it will work much better with some fine tuning.
Helping with Dietary Transition
There are ways to assist ourselves in making a smooth transition to a better diet. We will cover psychological insights, cover common patterns, as well as ways to reduce excess and clear up old toxic patterns.
We need to change diet, lifestyle and attitudes. These individual pathways depend upon your resolve and commitment, your inherent strengths and weaknesses, the speed of change, and the difference between the previous diet and the new one.
Diet is an aspect of our personality. And we need to tackle it with both our conscious and unconscious minds.
Ultimately, on a conscious level, you can alter food choices with your thoughts. It’s an ability that needs to be developed, but we can have ‘mind over matter’ when it comes to over eating or eating the wrong types of foods. Simply put, if it’s not good for you, don’t eat it!
Your body responds to your mind. Your mind has the power to change the size, feel, shape and look of your body, as well as its health and longativtey. Positive thoughts create positive feedback systems in your body. Your body wants to feel loved. However, negative thoughts also create a negative feedback system.
We need to connect with our unconscious mind, for it can perform many remarkable tasks. It runs and heals your body, stores your memories, generates your emotions and drives your behaviour.
'Wear only one hat’ – Chinese philosophy
In Chinese philosphy, the practice of avoing known evils is known as 'wearing only one hate'. A hat represents an action of causation. When regarding unhealthy lifestyles/food, the first hat/action can be the decision not to eat unhealthy foods.
Therefore we wear only one hat. However, if we choose to eat unhealthy foods, we wear the first hat. As a consequence of eating poor foods, now a sequence of hats will be worn. Whether it’s the good thoughts we have towards a destructive pattern.
“By following a path of correct action, we accelerate through cycles of awareness.”
If we are to progress we need to unravel those negative situations we have stored in our bodies and minds.
How do we do this exactly? By living in the moment and making appropriate actions, of living with awareness and connection with our environment, listening to our bodies and minds, and making healthy choices on every level.
The transition is often easier for those who are guided by ‘idealistic motives’ such as non-eating, not supporting multi-nationals whose products often oppress third world countries (ie Nestle).
To help reboot the mind, I suggest to meditate.
The health benefits are enormous and its something you can do anywhere you need.
Follow the link for more on MEDITATION
The Slow Elimination Detox
The List
Write a list of all the foods and drinks you will be eliminating. The aim is to eliminate one thing from your list each day. Replace the eliminated food with the healthy alternative. Aim to do this over a week or two.
If you are suffering from headaches, and other detox symptoms, then do not eliminate other foods until those symptoms subside. Drink lots of water. And follow these guidelines listed below for how to deal with a Healing Crisis.
Grains
avoid: wheat, cutting our bread, biscuits, cakes and pasta as well as checking labels for wheat is contained in many processed foods. It is one of the most difficult foods to digest. Barley, Oats, Rye, Spelt, Tricale
Alternatives: Almond meal, Amaranth, Brown rice, Buckwheat, Coconut flour, Corn, Hazelnut meal, Lupin, Millet, Polenta, Auinoa, Red rice, Wild rice (Just a note on Spelt sour dough bread, if this is made traditionally, and naturally, then most of the gluten has been metabolized and is safe to eat, but trust your body on this)
Dairy
Avoid: Avoid anything made from cows milk. One of the ways animals remove toxins is through their milk, which is why dairy products have toxins. Cows are given chemicals to make them gain weight faster, steroids, antibiotics and pesticide residues are often included in this toxic cocktail.
Alternatives: nut milks such as almond, rice milk, however I recommend not subsituting with soya milk, its a highly processed prodcut. Goats milk products, plain coconut yogurt, and sheep milk products.
Processed & Canned Foods, Preservatives, Colourings, Flavourings
Avoid: read the labels and if you dont recognize the ingredient then do not buy or consume it. Canned, dried (contains sulphite), or crystalliesed fruit.
Alternatives: Whole foods, fruit, vegetables, sour dough bread, organic foods, fermented foods, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds. There are so many wonderful alternatives, just make sure its organic, and seasonal, that way you are assured to have a variety of different foods.
Caffeine, Alcohol &Nicotine
Avoid: that means no coffee or smoking! black tea, fruit drinks and cordials, reconstituted fruit juices, soft/carbonated drinks
Alternatives: herbal teas, green tea, dandelion tea, freshly made juices made from fruit and vegetables unflavoured kombucha, and most importantly WATER!
Dressings, Condiments, Sweetners & Seasonings
avoid: sugar, artificial sweetners such as aspartame, and saccharine, MSG, additives, preservatives, commercially made sauses and condiments, spices and herbs blended with salts, sugars, and artificial ingredients, honey, rice malt syrup, white salt, wasabi.
Alternatives: stevia (which also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels) celtic, sea, or himalyan salt, organic tamari, homemade dressings and sauces, homemade dips, and spreads, lemon juice, garlic, all herbs and spices.
Proteins
Avoid: Red meat, pork, lamb, mince, beef, duck, sausages, veil, shellfish including prans, oysers, mussels and crab, cured/smoked meats and deli meats, fish suseptible to higher heavy metal content such as tuna, salmon, king mackerel, marlin, swordfish and shark, tinned meat and fish
Alternatives: 1 palm sized portion per meal Chicken, eggs, kangaroo, tempeh, tofu, turkey, fresh fish (3-4 serves per week) excluding those in the 'avoid' list. Calamari can be enjoyed as part of the fresh fish intake.
Oils
avoid: butter, canola oil, duck fat, fried foods, ghee, margarine, peanut oil, vegetable oil.
Alternatives: (use organic, cold pressed oils wherever possible) coconut oil, flaxseed oil, macadamia oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil, walnut oil
Nuts & Seeds
Avoid: peanuts including peanut butter, roasted and/salted nuts.
Alternatives: (serving 1 small handful of raw, natural nuts, organic and maybe consumed daily) almonds, brazil nuts, chia seeds, coconut, hazelnuts, linseeds/flaxseeds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pepitas, pine nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts.
Water
Avoid: unfiltered water, it contains many toxic, heavy metals and added chemicals. The worst of which is fluoride. Fluoride is a thyroid depressant and is used for over active thyroids. There is a remarkably high increase with thyroid diseases . If you are having problems losing weight, you will want to make sure your thyroid is working as it should. We want the water to flush out our system, especially during a detox and healing crisis, its counter intuitive to have that water contain further chemicals and toxins. Our environment pays a terrible price for bottled water, and therefore I am not a fan. Please look at cleaner alternatives that are good for you as well as our planet.
Alternatives: I recommend getting a good water purifying system and drinking clean water.
Home
Look at detoxing areas of your home, begin with your kitchen and bathroom. Your skin absorbs what ever you place on it. Clear out anything that has chemicals, such as toiletries, makeup and skin care, toothpaste, and household cleaning products. I will include more information in the future, but just apply the same rules that you do to your food. If you do not recognize what the ingredients are then its most probably a toxic product.
How you approach your list is up to you. You may prefer to put the hardest things on top of the list or you may prefer to work your way to them.
The choice is yours and I only recommend doing what ever is easiest for you.
The Healing Crisis
Just remember the key to success is making this as easy as you can. This means taking it slow. This is not a diet, its a lifestyle change, so you can take the time you need to ease into the process. If you are having a healing crisis, things can feel like they are actually much worse and the detox isnt working.
In-fact this is a sign that you really do need to detox. The healing crisis usually occurs in the first 3 days, symptoms may included, fatigue, headaches, diarrhea or constipation. Skin rashes, and conditions. This is happening because you are realising higher levels of toxins than your body can handle you can support the liver with the supplements mentioned above.
Drink lots of water, rest, and listen to your body. This wont last long, and once its over you will feel amazing, because your mind and your body will be fuelled by the proper fuel it needs. Do not eliminate anything further from your diet until the symptoms have subsided.
Effects of the de-tox include
- Weight loss and reduction of cellulite
- Reduced blood pressure and cholesterol
- Improved skin
- Enhanced vitality
- Improved digestion
- Improved fertility
- Relief from some chronic health problems
- Heightened immune system
- Mind benefits
Daily Routine
- Upon waking, 1 cup warm water with ½ a lemon (wait 30 mins before juice)
- Vegetable juice (30 mins after the lemon water) Carrot, apple, beetroot, and celery is a classic.
- Skin brushing every morning ~ not recommended for those with skin conditions. Follow the video instructions on the left.
- Minimum 3 times a week = 30 min walk, get some good fresh air, the beach is good, or the forest. Try to incorporate yoga, or stretching.
- You can drink as many juices, broths and herbal teas as you like.
- Meditate at least 4 time a week, for ten minutes at a time. Include 5 mins of breathwork before your meditation.
- You can include journaling to help you record your experiences, as well as, being able to read back and reflect on your journey.
- You can include alternative therapies in your routine, I recommend naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Read the tips above for other suggestions.
Example of the plan
This is just the beginning, however, with the list above, its enough to get you started and on your way! If you are after a longer plan made especially for you
then you can contact me HERE
Your plan can be a combination of any of the above foods that are allowed.
Here is an example of what a week may look like. Just keep the meals simple, keep cooking time short and temperatures low.
Drink lots of water, fresh juices, and herbal, but do not drink around meal times.
Do not drink any liquids 30 mins before a meal, during the meal, or an hour after the meal.
Breakfast
Look at breakfast completely differently, you need warm yang foods to feed and nourish the stomach and the spleen.
Try to eat around spleen and stomach TIME
Follow the guidelines for a healthy stomach and spleen HERE
7 cups of water to 1 cup of brown rice, over night on the slowest setting of the slow cooker.
is an Asian porridge dish. You put one cup of brown rice with 7 cups water, in a slow cooker and leave over night. It can be bland, especially with no salt and pepper. But, it’s therapeutic, it will sooth the gut.
To make it yummier, you can add a cup of the broth, see next recipe.
Broth
Chicken
1 whole organic, free range chicken
Turnip, parsnip, dill, onion, potato, celery, garlic and whatever organic veggies she wants.
Put it all together in a big pot and bring to the boil, simmer for 1.5 hrs.
Vegetable
Spinach, broccoli, green vegetables, 1 carrot, 1 apple Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour. Using root vegetables is good this time of year.
Brown rice and vegies
Steamed brown rice with any vegies she likes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and Tamara sauce.
You can add tofu or temphe if you need.
Juice
Apples,
Beetroot,
Carrot,
Celery,
Ginger
Keep the vegies at room temp; don’t make the juices too cold in the winter.
It’s also why I’ve added the ginger, to warm it and give it some heat. But only a small piece, 1 -2 cm square.
Lunch
Grilled salmon with asian greens
Grill your salmon (skin on, unfarmed, wild caught)
in a little olive oil, medium heat for around 5-6 mins a side, depending on the size of the fillet.
You can wrap it with nori (seaweed sushi) sheets, that’s quite yummy
Brown rice and steamed broccoli with tahini and lemon juice
The title says it all, drizzle a little tahini on the broccoli and lemon to taste.
Red lentil and carrot soup
Onions, garlic, carrots, celery, red lentils, coriander, cumin
Sweat onions with garlic and 1 teaspoon of cumin,
Add the carrots, celery, further cook 10 mins.
Add 500mls of water/broth. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins or until the vegetables are tender.
Once the vegetables are tender, blend together.
Add the red lentils and cook for a further 15 mins or until the lentils are tender.
Top with coriander and serve.
Sour dough Spelt Bread with avocado or any spare toppings you like
Drizzle a little olive oil and lemon juice on the avocado and tomato
Spelt bread recipe for bread-maker
Add ingredients in this order, first you add the wet ingredients, then the dry,
325 ml water
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 cups spelt flour
1 vit c tablet
1 ½ tsp yeast
When the machine beeps, and it’s time to add extra ingredients, you can add
5 cut up dried figs
handful of walnuts.
I find if I bake this in the oven it turns out even better. When ready, I half the dough and let sit for 15mins for a second rise. You can coat with beaten egg white with a sprinkle of sesame seeds,
bake at 175 degrees, for 45-50 mins depending on your oven.
The shell will be very brown and crusty.
Have at least 4 free meat days per week.
Snacks
Hommous and beetroot dip
1 cup of chickpeas soaked over night
In a food processer
place chickpeas ,
1 cup of beetroot (boiled/baked till soft)
1 clove of garlic,
squeeze 1/2 a lemon
¼ cup of tahini,
3 tablespoons of olive oil
add water and blend until smooth.
Can have with rice crackers.
Dinner
Is always a light meal, usually broth or soup with a small amount of brown rice if feeling particularly hungry, you can have some vegetables or leftovers from lunch.
Resources and Book List
The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity by Daniel P Reid
Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford
Staying Healthy with the Seasons by Elson M Haas
LifeDetox by Amanda Hamilton and Sandy Newbigging
Metagenics.com.au
Images: Unsplash Photos for Everyone
Medical Disclaimer
The information contained on this website is for general education purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should always obtain advice relevant to your particular circumstances from a health professional. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Medical information changes constantly. The information on this website or on the linked websites should not be considered absolutely complete, current or exhaustive, nor should you rely on such information to recommend a course of treatment for you or any other individual. Reliance on any information provided on this website or any linked websites is solely at your own risk.
Copyright: Catherine Argyros ,The Barefoot Doctor I Wellness I Heart Driven Services 2019