What is Metabolic Detoxification?

We are exposed to so many toxins on a daily basis, just from living, breathing the air, eating foods and, drinking water. Toxins can include pesticides, herbicides, preservatives and other additives in food and personal care products, ingredients in household cleaning products, heavy metals, endocrine disruptors found in plastics such as phthalates, industrial pollutants and many more. Toxins emitted by a new car, a new home, home renovation, new carpet or other flooring, traditional mattresses, flame retardants and other ingredients added to clothing, all add to our toxin load. Foods that are processed and contain preservatives, artificial flavors and colors can also add to your toxin load. Additionally, the diet may not be providing the nutrients needed for healthy detoxification to occur.

Over time, these can accumulate and cause symptoms such as brain fog, headaches, mood swings, low energy, poor sleep, fatigue, allergies, aches and pains, poor digestion and can even contribute to chronic diseases such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Many cultures have some sort of fasting, elimination and detoxification diet for a set period of time that is tied into religion, so this concept isn’t a foreign one. Using modern science has taken this a step further with research and data and created metabolic detoxification programs for the modern world to help address modern world toxins and our current state of health.

Metabolic detoxification supports your body’s natural process of removing toxins from your body. This process has three phases.

Phase 1 or bio-transformation is the process of making a fat-soluble toxin easier to eliminate by making it more water soluble. This process can also make the toxin more reactive and potentially more toxic, so it is important to have all 3 phases in proper balance.

Phase 2 or conjugation makes toxins further water soluble, less reactive and bind to another molecule that will facilitate elimination.

Phase 3 or transport is the process of eliminating the toxin from the body. It is important to have regular bowel movements, eat plenty of fiber and to drink plenty of water to prevent re-absorption of toxic metabolites.

Having all phases in synchrony is also very important because you don’t want the body to produce more toxins than what the next phase can handle. Each of these processes require nutrients, amino acids and antioxidants to keep in balance. A diet low in acidic foods such as red meat and coffee and high in vegetables can improve alkalinity in the body and help promote safe detoxification.

One way to address the buildup of toxins is to do a metabolic detoxification a couple of times a year, which not only helps with detoxification but also allows you to reset your eating habits if processed foods, additives and too much sugar have crept into your diet. Additionally, it has a built-in elimination diet that guides you through eliminating certain food groups over days. This can help identify food sensitivities that may be causing symptoms such as brain fog, aches and pains, stomach upset and fatigue.

Removing toxins from your environment, eating a whole food diet (organic meats, vegetables, no processed food), drinking filtered water, regular exercise and use a sauna (some toxins are more efficiently removed through sweat) can help lower your toxic load.

Reset your eating habits with Clear Change 10 Day Metabolic Detoxification by Metagenics. If you know that you have let your eating habits slip and want to reset or if you are looking to start the year with clarity, focus, and more energy, a metabolic detoxification can give you the boost you need. Contact me for a program guide and more information.