Detox Your Way To Hormonal Health
As trendy as it is right now, I love me a good detox plan. There is something cathartic about the idea that you can shed excess baggage and emerge from the process lighter and more free. I love knowing that the toxins we absorb (both literal and metaphorical toxins) don’t have to be a part of us forever.
Here’s what doesn’t work. The idea of detox as a quick-fix, or as an intensive and singular act that happens once a year or once a season. Detoxing is a constant process, chugging along under the surface of our every day lives. We don’t need to stop eating solid foods to detox. But we do need to intentionally support the systems at work.
Detox + Hormones
If you are looking to improve your hormonal balance, you are going to need to look at your detox system. For one thing, many environmental toxins are known endocrine disruptors, which means that they mess with they way our hormones work. It’s definitely important to have ways to get those environmental toxins out of our bodies. Your liver, in addition to running the detox show, is also in charge of eliminating excess hormonal waste. If our liver is overwhelmed with other toxins, or is working too slowly because of nutrient deficiencies, the excess hormones get backed up and recirculate through the body. This is one common cause of estrogen dominance (linked to all sorts of health concerns, including metabolic disease and breast cancer). Bottom line…efficient detox is key to hormonal health.
8 FOODS THAT HELP YOU DETOX
I don’t believe in restrictive or extreme diets. For most of us, making small changes to our diet and lifestyle will give our detox system the support it needs to do it’s job- no liquid fasts required!
Eggs
Eggs are very high in sulfur, which is a key part of the liver detox pathway system. Make sure you are eating the egg yolk, not just the whites!
Leafy green vegetables
Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, bok choy, swiss chard, and collard greens are high in fiber, which supports healthy digestion (a key part of the detox system). They are also great sources of nutrients that the liver needs in order to do its job, like magnesium, vitamin K, and antioxidants.
Green tea
Green tea is full of antioxidants, especially one called ECGC that the liver uses to keep detoxification going. Drink 1-3 cups of high quality, loose-leaf tea or matcha powder every day.
Garlic + onion
The allium family (including garlic and onion) is also a great source of sulfur, one of the key compounds that the liver uses to detox the body.
Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, and cabbage are major detox fuel. Not only are they full of fiber for healthy digestion, they also contain compounds called glucocinolates, which are super strong detoxifiers.
Fermented foods
Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, and other fermented foods are full of healthy bacteria that feeds our gut microbiome and keep our digestion moving. If we aren’t eliminating through our digestion, those toxins just keep building and circulating, so this is a very important step!
Asparagus
Asparagus is high in fiber, as well as a strong antioxidant called glutothione. Glutathione is a potent detoxifier, helping move toxic compounds and heavy metals out of the body. Asparagus is particularly supportive for the liver and kidneys’ detox pathways.
Cilantro
The leaves of cilantro are overflowing with detoxing compounds. In fact, the compounds in cilantro can bind to heavy metals in the body (a super common and serious issue) and eliminate them from the body.
Lifestyle Tips
Food is truly powerful, but there are lots of non-food actions that will keep your detox system working efficiently. Pair the foods above with these daily habits for maximum detox power!
poop every day
If we aren’t eliminating through our digestive system, toxins are stuck circulating in our body. If you aren’t pooping daily, you need to support your gut health with plenty of fiber and fermented foods (see above for ideas).
move every day
Sweating is a very effective detox pathway! In fact, our skin is constantly purging toxins through the lymphatic system. Aim to get a sweat on every day, even for just a few minutes, to maximize this detox pathway.
sleep 8 hours
So much happens in the body when we are asleep. The liver is particularly busy in the middle of the night, sweeping toxins out and even regenerating itself. If we aren’t sleeping enough, or sleeping soundly, that rhythm will be thrown off and liver function will be compromised.
drink plenty of water
All of our detox pathways require us to properly hydrated, and the kidneys in particular are constantly working to remove toxins through our urine. Aim for 80-100 oz of purified water every day.
drink liver-loving herbs
My favorites include milk thistle, dandelion root , and turmeric tea. Drink these teas daily to support optimal liver function and keep the detox train chugging along.