As I’ve already alluded to, January is National Detox Month. If you completed our previously posted Personal Detox Questionnaire earlier this month, you might have been surprised that the odds of YOU needing to undergo a detox protocol are quite high. A quick search on the topic will yield hundreds of products and methods you can use for this purpose. Quite confusing for the average individual, I know.
Although the scope of why and when we use specific protocols for certain conditions is beyond what I can present here, today’s goal is to give you a simple 5-7 day beginner detox program that we often use in our office.
Go ahead and give it a go! If you have any challenges or have questions needing answers, feel free to call our office.
5-7 Day Simple Detox Protocol
- For 5-7 days consume only unlimited amounts of ORGANIC vegetables (excluding potatoes). These can be steamed, sautéed, or eaten raw. 7 days is preferred, but if you have never done this, 5 days may be more realistic for you.
- RECOMMENDED VEGETABLES: Kale, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, green and red cabbage, lettuce (romaine, red leaf, mustard greens), peppers (red, green, yellow, and hot), spinach, zucchini.
- Use condiments as desired, preferably organic. NO SALT. To sautee use extra virgin olive oil or organic coconut oil. You can use real lemon and/or lime juice as needed.
- Along with the vegetables, consume a Medical Food as recommended by your doctor for 5-7 days with a minimum of 3-5 servings per day. Why do we need a medical food? The process of detoxification primarily occurs in the liver and is incredibly NUTRIENT-DEPENDENT. Medical foods specific for this purpose provide the exact nutrients you need and in the therapeutic dosages required to get the job done efficiently. We use products from several companies, but specially like one from Metagenics called UltraClear Renew as a good general recommendation. Under the presence of specific medical conditions, such as diabetes, systemic inflammation, and/or hormone-related issues, we may use other products that more specifically target the needs of the individual.
- Take 3-5 grams of a pharmaceutical-grade fish oil DAILY the entire time.
Use this protocol several times per year (twice per year OR once per quarter are good recommendations) for general liver detox, to kick-start a weight loss program, or as the first building step towards correcting a more serious metabolic issue. In many cases, we follow up this program with a MODIFIED-ELIMINATION DIET to help detect food allergies.
Know that the first one or two days are the hardest. It usually gets easier after that. Most importantly we encourage you to focus on the wonderful health benefits your body will derive from this. Over time, this protocol will become easy for you.
In Health Always,
Rick Duenas, DC, NASM-CPT
1055 West Columbia Way, Suite 106
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 942-5000
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