Fall Cleansing: Perfect Timing and Optimal Process

By Sara Thyr, ND

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography via Flickr, used under the Creative Commons License.

Have you heard that spring and fall are ideal times to do a cleanse? In the spring, new buds signal a time of growth, and people are inspired to do spring cleaning. In the fall, as the growth season winds to a close, a cleanse is an ideal way to prepare for winter, the holidays and hibernation.

A biannual detox is a welcome addition to one’s healthcare regimen.

If you are living on this planet, even under the best of circumstances, you are exposed to toxins. They are present in many situations, and we easily absorb them into our bodies. Toxins are prevalent in pollution, and in average automobile exhaust. Just driving your car or walking down the street can add to your toxic burden. Everything from our food and medications to our homes and personal care products, such as lotions and aftershave, can add toxins to our bodies.

People come to do a detox for a variety of reasons: hormonal symptoms – such as PMS or perimenopause, skin issues, fatigue, headaches, infertility, autoimmune disorders, elevated cholesterol, and a variety of inflammatory disorders. Once people are aware of the many toxins in our environment, even those who eat organic and keep their cleaning products as clean as possible often want to detoxify a couple of times per year as a good preventive strategy.

Organs in our bodies that assist us in detoxification on a daily basis include the liver, lungs, kidneys, digestive tract and skin.

Many of the over-the-counter detoxification kits include intestinal cathartics – even natural ones like senna and cascara – which can induce explosive bowel action, cramping and discomfort in many people. Having optimal digestive function is critical for proper elimination and detoxification, but this type of abrasive action is not recommended. (If someone is continually constipated, then they likely need a detox more than most people, since their detoxification action in the digestive tract is limited. They may benefit from cathartics, but should use them only in the short term. Constipation can be resolved by treating underlying causes, not just depending on laxatives.)

While all of the organs of detoxification are important for optimal health, focusing on the liver and assuring excellent elimination makes the most sense. The liver is really the powerhouse of detoxification in the body. Most medications have to pass through the liver in order to be eliminated. Our liver function affects our hormones and our ability to clear other toxins to which we are exposed.

An ideal plan for detoxification includes diet changes, such as eliminating alcohol and caffeine, sugar, refined carbohydrates and any known food allergens.

Supplements that may be helpful will provide nutrients and herbs for liver support and a fiber source to improve elimination.

Saunas, steams and massage will also aid in the body’s detoxification process.

The type of cleanse that is best for an individual will depend on one's symptoms and personal goals. A licensed naturopathic physician can tailor a plan to their specific needs.

Environmental Chemicals Affect Health

By Sara Thyr, ND

Photo by stevedepolo via Flickr, used under the Creative Commons License.

Recent information released by the Endocrine Society showed a link between bisphenal-A (BPA) and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), with the authors noting that women with PCOS seem to have more vulnerability to exposure to BPA. (HealthDay, Jan 18, 2011)

BPA is commonly found in plastics, and particularly noticed at high levels in canned foods and infant formulas. It appears to be toxic at even low doses, falling into a class of chemicals called hormone disruptors (and also endocrine disruptors). Animal research has shown that BPA causes breast tissue and prostate cells to be more sensitive to hormones and carcinogens, as well as permanent changes to the genital tract. (Environmental Working Group review of research).

This is not the first time that chemicals in our environment have been shown to negatively affect health. The Endocrine Society, a medical group, released information two years ago indicating that BPA, phthalates, and pesticides had a significant negative effect on human health. And many persist in the environment, even after they are no longer used or banned by the government.

Phthalates (or DBP for dibutyl phthalate) are found in cosmetics, beauty aids and pharmaceuticals. They are also not always easily identified on labels, and many cosmetics don’t even have an outer label where consumers can read ingredients before purchasing. A wide range of products may contain DBP – such as antiperspirants, shampoo and conditioners, body lotion, and even gum and candy.

Phthalates are added to products to make them more flexible, such as nail polish and mascara. In lotions they are added to make the skin feel more smooth after application, or enhance the penetration of a cream. The price of using these plasticizers is disruption of hormones and the endocrine system. Allergic reactions are also common, even ones as serious as anaphylaxis. They have been long implicated in cases of male infertility and reproductive health problems.

How do we avoid these products?

If you have any activism in you, joining advocacy groups that bring awareness to the use of these chemicals may be worth your while. The Environmental Working Group is one that utilitizes scientific studies and other in-depth information about all of the toxic chemicals that they study.

Appreciate that everything that you rub on your skin, inhale, chew on, suck on, drink and, of course, eat, is absorbed by your cells and, if it is toxic to them, will have a negative effect on your health. Don’t just assume that because something is available in the U.S. that it must be safe. This industry is largely unregulated.

Avoid using products that contain BPA and DBP if at all possible. Don’t using plastic water bottles – this does good for both your health and your planet. Cutting down on the tons of plastics that are thrown into our landfills will help protect our planet and reduce our dependency on oil.

Avoid perfumes and most air fresheners – especially the ones that you stick into an outlet in your home. Avoid body lotions that contain perfumes or DBP. Become an avid label reader. If you cannot pronounce the words on product packaging and there is a very long, small print list of ingredients, think twice. Skin Free products are free of all toxic chemicals. The Environmental Working Group has a website called the Cosmetics Database where you can look up the personal care products that you use and find out what is in them and what their potential toxic effect is. You can also search in such a way that they will recommend manufacturers whose products are clean.

Buy organic food, avoid canned food and canned sodas, and encourage young mothers to breast feed rather than use formula.

Most naturopathic doctors can put you on a good detox program if you are concerned about toxins in your system. There are even lab tests that will tell you what you are harboring and possibly help you figure out how to avoid them.

A Spring Cleanse – For the Body and Mind

By Sara Thyr, ND

A CSA farm box. Photo by Unhindered by Talent via Flickr, used under the Creative Commons License.

My husband and I, along with a group of 15 people from my practice, are on day two of our annual spring cleanse. It is an event that I always look forward to and relish when it comes – feeling the warmth of spring, new sprouts of life everywhere, and taking some time for our health.

This morning we are taking the time to be creative with the abundance of greens and root vegetables from our local farm box (CSA = community supported agriculture). Making a big batch of roasted vegetables and some brown rice will help sustain us. A smoothie of carrots, collards, beet greens, frozen mango, and the detoxification powder supplement that we are using this year comprises our breakfast. We will be on this plan for ten days, with the food choices becoming more restrictive as we go along. From the beginning we bid a fond farewell to caffeine, sugar, alcohol, refined carbohydrates, eggs, dairy products, and flesh foods.

I lead liver detoxification workshops twice per year in the spring and fall, the most optimal times to cleanse. But spring is always my favorite. I’m a summertime gal, so spring is when I can let myself start to get excited about longer days, growing tomatoes, and all of the fun that summer brings. That feeling of excitement and motion is why many people are moved to do spring cleaning – it is a natural shift from the hibernation of winter. Acknowledgment of the changing of seasons helps us to be more connected to nature, to eat more seasonally (which I appreciate is a little easier in a climate where we can grow food year round), and to shift our bodies and activities in concert with these practices.

So too it is the right time to think about cleaning out our bodies.

The eating plan while detoxing is more restrictive that what I normally do. For some people, making the changes is not that difficult. For many of us, it is. I encourage cleansers to pay attention to the luscious healthiness of what they are consuming rather than focusing on what they cannot eat. Food on the cleanse is focused on nutrient density and paying close attention to what you are putting in your body. It feels so good to me to do this. We just don’t take the time in our normal daily routines, at least not to the extent that we do now. I love the permission on the detox to take it easy, spend more time with food, focus on greens, and feel all of the cells of my body soak up the intensity of the nutrition.

We are exposed to toxins all the time. When I began leading detox workshops, I spent lots of time talking about all of the things in our environment that are bad for us and ended up seeing many deer-in-the-headlights faces. I find that the people who want to come to the program realize there are some inherent toxins in their environment, so I don’t belabor the point quite so much. But education is one of my passions, so I always have to throw in a few little details about safe sunscreens and toothpaste. Some people are more exposed on the job, but everyone, even those who live clean lives, has some toxic load. Pollution, plastic bottles, pesticides on produce, medications, and personal care products (like deodorant, lotions, cortisone cream, cosmetics, sun screen, shampoo) have chemicals that have been shown to cause harm. Categories of damage include endocrine disruption, carcinogenesis, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and allergies or immunotoxicity.

While finding the balance between awareness and panic, between making positive changes and falling into bottomless depression about how we’ve polluted our world, I now lean more towards a detox that is also good for your spirit. Find a place where you can make some positive shifts without feeling completely overwhelmed. Doing a detox requires spending more time preparing your food rather than buying something quick. Relish that. Give up some of the other tasks of the day to make chopping the carrots meditative. Rest and take care of yourself, so that putting together a delicious vegan dinner doesn’t feel like such a heavy load. Appreciate the new leaves on the Japanese maple, or the tulips or whatever is blooming in your yard.

That is the beauty of spring. That is all part of the health of our natural world.