Detoxing in the Winter Months

Want to improve your health this Winter? Check out the post on detoxing in winter months from Dr. Erica Steele!

It is cold outside. You are hibernating. The last thing you are thinking about is your health… until now. The winter months are a perfect time to improve your health, not procrastinate on your health. Even if you are not actively running around as you would in the summer, one can truly take advantage of the winter, when we are more indoors than outdoors.

Detoxification can take many forms, and there is much data on the proven benefits. Many people experience less fatigue, more clear thinking, focus, even loss of weight especially bloating. Our organs take a beating in the modern world. We are exposed to various toxins in our outside world. From exhaust fumes in our air, toxins found in our water, and even unfortunately now in our food the toxic load on our bodies can be challenging, imbalancing our health and creating many symptoms that are unexplained. As a naturopath, I work with people to decrease toxic load on the body, taking pressure off their organs so they can do their job most effectively. When our organs become stressed because of increased toxic loads, they become sluggish and not able to do their jobs fully. Naturally, the body will always create homeostasis, which is balance, however we may experience less than desirable symptoms. If we are more aware of our body function we will notice that our body feels sluggish, we may feel bloating, or our skin may not feel as soft and supple as it once was. In fact, acne or skin conditions are a primary sign that the body is overly toxic. The skin is an expressive organ and will show the health of the internal organs.

Also, as a Naturopath, I recommend detoxification as a part of preventative health once every three months. I also recommend focusing either on a general detox or for more focused detoxes, we do a specific organ. If someone has no experience with formal detox, I tend to begin with the liver after a review of their blood work panel. It is recommended to review a blood panel first before proceeding with an oral detox so you have a good idea as to how the body is functioning, under the hood of the car. So often we are disconnected with how we feel and getting a good idea of how the body is balanced or imbalanced in many cases. This is more of a controlled detox, and differs from you going to a store and buying a “detox kit”. I tend to not recommend these detox kits, because they are not designed for you. Also, you may have herb or mineral interactions and detoxing using a kit can do more harm than good. Not to mention various external factors like expiration dates, shelf life’s, etc. all of these variables play into the shelf life of the product. Products that sit on the shelf for periods of time lose some of their medicinal properties since these are hopefully natural substances. Some kits unfortunately contain many unnatural substances, so you need to be careful when considering these options.

So, let’s say you are brand new to detoxing and you are unsure of how you may feel or your body is very sensitive to things, using your body’s own power to detox is the best choice in these cases. That way you develop a baseline, so to speak, of detox. You awaken this sometimes hidden ability and are able to see that it is a safe a natural thing that your body does. Our bodies are truly amazing and have wisdom well beyond our intellect; sometimes we need a little support mentally to ensure that detoxification is something that is right for us. Naturally, there is lots of mixed information out there on the topic and many people with the next latest and greatest product, service, idea that has miraculous results. So, let’s ease into this shall we. Our body uses the lungs, the bowels, the kidneys, and the skin to detoxify so we support those organs to do what they do best. We do that through steam, foot baths, and infrared dry saunas in our center and many gyms also have similar services to provide.

The idea is that steam, opens the pores and allows for greater respiration or breathing ability to expel many toxins, also as you sweat you detoxify as well. The infrared sauna much of the same however this treatment acts as a fever inducer in the body to burn off things. I know what you are thinking, I though fevers were bad. My reply, some fevers are bad. Fevers above 105 degrees for prolonged periods of time can be harmful to the brain and should be addressed immediately. Fevers in general have gotten a bad rap. Fevers are our bodies’ natural means to detoxify themselves burning off what is not needed, such as bacteria, virus, heavy metals, and parasites. It is imperative that you drink plenty of water while you are detoxing to ensure that you support your kidneys and your bowels in expelling harmful toxins.

A word on laxatives, many of you are constipated. I won’t go into great detail, as I will leave this for a follow up post, however I will say this taking any laxatives over a prolonged period of time is not recommended. I know it may seem like it is a good detox strategy but in all actuality you can do more harm than good. You tend to manipulate the bacteria and can make yourself more dependent on them. So, if you use laxatives do so in moderation or consult your naturopath for additional instruction. Also, a colonoscopy flush is not a detox, FYI for those approaching the 50 and wiser mark.

Detoxification is a big subject with many ins and outs. I will say this, the winter is an excellent time, in fact my favorite time to detox. For one, is it is cold so I tend to stay inside more, and you are less active. Imagine when you are in an active detox your body is working to clean itself. Exercise, especially high endurance exercise should be limited and reduced if at all possible. Exercise junkies groan! Two, you must drink plenty of water so if you are detoxifying or planning to detox and your water is not quite right, get to it! Drink plenty of water, and add a little extra. We can calculate your total body water, give you complete water requirements for you in our center, and help get you on the track to detoxifying your body. Third, go slowly. This is especially true if you are new to detox. We have three tiers of detox in our center: Basic, Advanced, and Expert. We can assess where you are and how healthy your body is, because naturally if you are overloaded with toxins we definitely need to begin slowly to ensure that we of not cause more harm than good. Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Going to a professional has its benefits as we tailor a detox program for you, taking the guess work out of it. Doing it on your own can have many side effects, difficulties, and can put you at risk. However, if you are prone to independence, at the very least listen to the tips that I have outlined to ensure you maintain your health for years to come.

In closing, we are providing a link to download a detoxification questionnaire. If you fill out the questionnaire and email it back to us we are able to tell you what would work best for you in terms of detoxification, etc. I am always available to help anyone live a more natural life so feel free to reach out to me via Facebook or shoot me an email. I am truly blessed and love what I do, wanting to be of service to others. I feel very fortunate that G-D has entrusted me to help people live a natural life, and I take this job very seriously. I look forward to working with yourself, your family, and seeing you at my center sometime. Stay blessed and grateful until next time ~ Dr Steele DNM ND.