Detox Defined
By Wendy Underhill

When I hear the word "detox," I immediately think of people kicking a substance abuse habit. But that's just one meaning of detoxification. Colloquially, the word is used loosely to refer to almost any new effort to live more healthfully. And sometimes it is even used to explain big life decisions, as in, "It was time I detoxified my life, so I said good-bye to Reggie."

All of those are fine conversationally, but medically, what does detoxification mean? Hilary Andrews, N.D., a professor of microbiology at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine and a specialist in detoxification in her private practice, gives a darn good definition of detoxification: "It means opening the organs of elimination," she says.

The body is always in the process of removing unnecessary and sometimes harmful things. These are both the natural, expected, perfectly normal leftovers created by being alive - these are called "metabolic waste products." Then there are the not-so-natural things we ingest or breathe or otherwise take into our bodies - minute quantities of chemicals, heavy metals, preservatives and other substances. Whether the "toxins" are from the natural or the industrial side of things, a build up of these waste products can lead to such problems as depression, headaches, insomnia, chronic fatigue syndrome or multiple chemical sensitivities. Suffice it to say, it's good to help toxins - natural or not - make a speedy exit. (Of course, it's even better to avoid toxins by reducing the body's exposure to chemicals in foods, body products, air and everywhere. If fewer toxins go in, then there's that much less to detoxify.)

The body is equipped with several mechanisms for expelling the junk. You can picture most of them: the lungs help us breathe out gases; the urinary system is an obvious excretory pathway, as is the gastro-intestinal system (with the help of the lymphatic system). And then there's the skin, which excretes toxins via sweat and to a lesser extent exfoliation. And last, says Andrews, is our brain. She says we can and should "excrete" problematic mental states via journaling and learning to speak our truth throughout life.

Her approach to detoxification is to help the body work on all these fronts. One hears about dramatic detox practices, including colonic cleansings, strict dietary regimens and manual lymphatic drainage. But there are also a lot of plain-Jane detoxification practices that can, and should, be incorporated by all of us. These simple things can make the biggest difference.

Andrews suggests, for instance, deep, diaphragmatic breathing to aid the lungs in their excretory function - at least 100 deep breaths spread throughout the day. This opens up parts of the lungs that generally aren't used, thus ridding us of carbon dioxide. And deep breaths provide the added benefit of sending a relaxed "all is well" message to the brain.
As for the skin, "Exercise sweat is by far the best" for detoxification, Andrews says. Vigorous exercise gives you a three-in-one cleansing: it strengthens the circulatory system, aids digestion and helps remove toxins from the body. Butif exercise is out of the question, dry-sauna sweat is good too.

As for gastro-intestinal cleansing, there are no big surprises. On the "do-eat" list are lots of dark green vegetables. Also, supplemental milk thistle (Silyburn marianum) helps support the liver, a major detoxification organ. After the liver screens out toxins, they're dumped into the bile passages and eventually go to the colon for excretion. On the other hand, NSAIDS, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, inhibit liver function. That doesn't mean that one should never use one of these typical fever or pain reducers, but it's not a good idea to use them in large quantity on an ongoing basis. Lots of whole grains are part of a detoxification food plan, too; they help "scrub" out our digestive system as the fibrous material makes its way from point A to point B. Also, supplementing with probiotics, especially L. acidophilus and B. bifidum, helps restore a balance of desirable bacterial flora in the gut.

As for the urinary system, the key is, not surprisingly, to drink more water. Andrews suggests that each of us divide our weight by two, and drink that many ounces of water per day. This comes out remarkably close to the standard recommendation of eight glasses per day. And this means water, not soda, diet soda, coffee, juice or tea.
Ironically, all of this detox advice is so much like what Mom used to tell us: drink more water, eat well, get enough exercise and take deep breaths. Many of us want something quicker and jazzier to fix us right up. But, says Andrews, using the more esoteric forms of detoxification can make you sicker, at least temporarily, if the excretory organs haven't already been opened up with simple steps.

And what are the fancier options? First is diet. Many detoxification or cleansing plans call for giving up food for a day or much longer, while prescribing specific liquids instead. The idea is to allow the digestive system a rest from its work. While following one common detoxification regimen, the Master Cleanse, adherents may feel more energized, though others, at least at the start, may feel draggy. Any cleanse can easily entail hunger - a hurdle if ever there was one. (For me, a woman who finds it hard to say no to an Oreo no matter how much I know about the evils of sugar and transfats, sticking with a cleansing plan has always been a problem.) You'll find those who swear by detoxification diets, and others who swear at them.

Then there's manual lymphatic drainage. Lymph flows through its system the same way that blood flows through arteries and veins. The blood brings energy to cells, and the lymph carries away the leftovers, the metabolic waste products. Unlike the arteries, however, the lymph system doesn't have a huge muscle constantly pumping away. So if the flow of lymph gets sluggish, the waste stays put. Since the lymph system is close to the skin, it's not hard for a massage therapist or other trained person to help it along. I'm told that if you like massage because of the feel-good element, this won't suffice. However, free-flowing lymph is a good thing, and worth pursuing. While Andrews says this treatment is "very safe," there is one major caveat: moving the lymph is a bad idea if cancer is present, has been present or might be present. (There are other contraindications, too, so be sure to have lymph massage prescribed by a health care practitioner who knows you and your body well.)

There are other ways of addressing the lymph system besides manipulation. From a naturopathic standpoint, a castor oil treatment is fine; saturate an organic cloth with castor oil and apply it to the belly. The oil slightly irritates the lymph system, and that increases flow. Says Andrews, "When you move lymph, you also help the kidneys and liver." An even simpler at-home approach is skin brushing - gently brush your skin with a dry sea sponge or soft brush, always moving toward the heart. This will exfoliate the skin a bit and stimulate the lymph system at the same time.

And last, there's colonic irrigation. For some, enemas and the more complicated bowel cleansing of colonic irrigation are the most useful things since the opposable thumb. Adherents of these practices see cleaning the colon as the equivalent of cleaning our teeth. The idea is that the body moves wastes out imperfectly, partly because of our highly refined diet, partly because of our socialization (we are all trained to retain waste when a bowel movement would be inconvenient), and partly just because our bodies are quixotic by nature. A good colonic irrigation dramatically helps with the removal of toxins. If you're ready to try colonics, it's a good idea to go to a practitioner with lots of training, perhaps one who is a member of the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy.

While Andrews does prescribe colonics, manual lymph drainage and specialized cleansing diets for her patients as needed, these come only after they've already adopted the more everyday detoxification methods. "Our body knows how to detox perfectly," she says. "It's just that in our lifestyles, all the ways we have to detoxify are under stress." And that's why we sometimes need a detoxifying boost, be it simple or complex.

Resources, local and beyond

For more information on detoxing, see the following resources: (Note: while many of these resources include details on detoxing, they are not intended to replace consultation with health care providers.)

The following are Nexus advertisers who offer some form of detoxification. Turn to the page listed after their names to learn more about them.