Today on Thrive, we are transitioning from "weight loss" to "detox". Detoxing seems like a really tempting way to kick off a weight loss programme or a health drive on the right foot. But actually, not done properly it can cause a healing crisis and make you feel much worse.
So, when should you contemplate doing a detox?
To answer this question, you first have to have a chat with your liver.
Your liver is responsible for over 500 functions. And it is your PERSONAL MASTER DETOXIFYING ORGAN.
Here are some of the ways your liver tries to tell you that it's time to detox.
Are you:
- feeling bloated after meals more than 50% of the time?
- having big energy slumps regularly?
- developing a beer belly or muffin top?
- suddenly getting a lot of acne particularly on the side of your cheeks?
- constipated easily?
- having bad PMS, e.g. painful breasts, water retention & bloating?
- noticing you have red eyes even if you're not tired?
- having poops that are yellowish, mucousy or floating?
If you've answered YES to any of these, your liver might be trying to tell you it's tired and overworked. And you better listen -- because a scorned liver will make you ill.
This week on Thrive, we're learning how to love our liver by detoxing the right way.
Now, here's the thing:
It doesn't matter how much green juice you knock back -- if you're not pooping at least twice a day - YOU'RE NOT DETOXING.
What's going to happen in this case, is that all the toxins being released by your sudden clean, healthy eating are going to circulate in your body and make you feel like....
well...you know!
So, STEP 1: OPEN THE DOORS OF ELIMINATION
Here's a recipe that you can start incorporating into you daily routine that will help you kick-start your elimination power:
- 1.5 TBSP chia seeds
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 cup water
- Juice of half a lime
Mix and let sit for about 5-10min so that the chia seeds swell up a bit. Mix again and drink. If you like you can add a bit of stevia to sweeten the taste a bit.
The benefits are amazing:
- 2 TBSP of chia seeds contain 10g of fibre
- chia seeds are packed with Calcium (5x more than milk!) and VitC
- gram for gram, chia seeds are richer in anti-inflammatory Omega 3s than salmon
- and the sour in the lime is going to help your liver push out the bile you need to digest fats. Undigested fats cause bloating and floating poops.
Next time on Thrive, my two favourite detox smoothies.
Thrive Nutrition Practice launches in a few weeks!