This month’s question comes from Varun:
Hi Kate,
I’ve always been interested in detoxes but never tried one. I read your post last week and I understand in principle that we come into contact with lots of toxins in our modern lives which can impact our overall wellbeing, but could you share some of the specific health benefits or results that I can expect through doing a detox? Is weight loss possible?
Many thanks, Varun
My answer:
While it’s important to understand the reasons behind the benefits of a detox, it’s also equally important to know about the tangible ways in which you would experience those benefits.
It comes as no surprise to me that Varun brought up weight loss. Having run numerous detox programs with both private and group coaching clients over the years, weight loss is often the primary motivation for many people.
Yes, most individuals indeed experience some weight loss during a detox, the extent of it depends on several key factors. These include the type of detox (considering its level of restrictiveness and duration) and whether or not you have excess weight to shed in the first place. Also, some people lose a different kind of weight which is more of a ‘water weight’ related to the person’s toxic load because the body’s detoxification system hasn’t been working optimally. In this case, after a detox, you’ll find you’re less ‘puffy’ or bloated and have also released fluid retention.
Some detox programs are very restrictive and closer to what I’d call a method of fasting – a person will typically lose weight because they’re really limiting the amount of food and calories they consume, so the body starts to use its body fat for fuel. These types of programs are also often sold with the primary goal and motivation being weight-loss.
However, I want to emphasise that these types of health protocols can be a real stress to the body and nervous system, and they are not for everyone at any time. I do not recommend very restrictive diets, fasts, or detoxes unless a medical professional is closely guiding you.
Rather than being super restrictive, a typical, what I’m calling ‘healthy detox’, involves removing certain foods known to be more inflammatory and/or difficult for the body to process – this gives the body a break from having to deal with those foods. A detox is also usually structured in a way that takes as much pressure and focus off digestion as is safely possible while still consuming enough food – for instance, having blended meals such as smoothies or soups will reduce the workload on your digestive system when it comes to breaking down the food.
What many people don’t realise is that your body expends a lot of energy on digestion, and it can’t ever put digestion on hold – once you consume something, it must get to work digesting and processing that food or drink.
So, in a well-structured, ‘healthy’ detox, you’re essentially removing certain ‘problematic’ foods and substances and taking the load off your digestion and liver in the way that you consume food and drinks. This then allows your body to turn more of its attention elsewhere and it gets to work processing any build-up of toxins, lowering inflammation, healing, restoring, and rebuilding. During the detox, you’re also ideally following various protocols that help the body expel the processed toxins … More to come on that in an upcoming post.
With the above in mind and to answer Varun’s question: what results can you expect through doing a detox:
- Feeling lighter and brighter
- Better sleep
- Skin issues often clear up
- Improved digestion
- Lighter mood
- Feeling more at ease and peace in yourself
- Less cravings
- Boosts your metabolism
- Increased energy
- A better relationship with your body and food
- And yes, typically people do release some weight
Those are the common health benefits that people feel during and after a detox, but I also want to impress the point that there are many other very important benefits you don’t necessarily feel.
It’s helpful to think of a detox as a form of maintenance for your body – a moment when it can heal, reset and restore. Just as I said in last week’s blog post, it’s like taking your car in for a service – things get cleaned up and repaired.
For this reason, a regular quarterly or annual detox can be seen as an important part of your overall health routine that helps prevent illness and disease.
Stay tuned for next week’s post where we’ll discuss how to detox in more detail.
To support a healthy detox, I am excited to be launching a new 121 programme in February. To be added to the waitlist and to be the first to receive more information, send me a message via my Contact Page today or email us at info@katehorwood.com
Kate x
