By Written by Marina Farook.
If you want to get trendy and follow what’s out there, I’m sure detox teas and smoothies have been on your list. They’re advertised by countless celebs, fitness models, and pretty much all over Instagram. But, let me ask you this: When is the last time we actually stopped to find out what detoxing is and whether it actually works?
Detoxing requires the use of the livers and kidneys, and the last time I checked, both organs function daily instead of periodically as we like to think. Amazing how health is just a trend now. The key (or common sense) to this whole detox thing is to understand what detox is and LEAD A DETOX LIFESTYLE, instead of purchasing magical detox products (which doesn’t give a lasting result anyway).
You can tweak your current habits and make your body a detoxing machine. By learning more about your natural system and activating it, you can keep your body strong, fit, and burn fat — releasing stored toxins in your fat cells there by shrinking your fat cells, leading to weight loss. (TA-DA!)
The actual process:
Our body is designed to continuously and naturally remove toxins. You can divide toxins into two groups: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble toxins are easily flushed out of the body through the blood and kidneys (drink enough water girls!) Fat-soluble toxins are a bit difficult for the body to remove. These fat-soluble toxins (heavy metals, pesticides, preservatives, food additives, pollutants, plastics and other environmental chemicals) if not removed, (detoxed) are stored inside your fat cells.
The key (or common sense) to this whole detox thing is to understand what detox is and LEAD A DETOX LIFESTYLE, instead of purchasing magical detox products (which doesn’t give a lasting result anyway).
All of this detoxing happens in the liver and is removed through stool if your gut is clean and strong. But if your digestive and detox pathways are not working properly (due to previous toxin buildup caused by lazy lifestyle and improper nutrition), these toxins are carried from the liver to the blood, fat cells and brain for storage.
Stored toxins in the fat cells and brain cannot be removed by teas which act as a diuretic. Diuretics (tea/coffee/caffeine) cause the kidney to pass out more urine. More urine means less water retention in the body. You may lose a pound or few by drinking teas, but you don’t necessarily decide from where. You can’t just skinny tea-tox your spare tire away. Drinking extremely caffeinated teas/drinks help you shed water weight, but at the end of the day, the fat-to-lean muscle ratio wouldn’t change. Just two cups of water equal one pound, which you can lose through sweat or urine. So what exactly did you detox?
To remove fat-soluble toxins, (and prevent them from being stored in your fat cells) your intestine functions have to be clear. After a meal, all the nutrients are absorbed and processed in the small intestines. The small intestines have tiny grass-like fingers, called villi, which absorb the nutrients (and toxins). They send the nutrients for storage and use, and toxins to the liver for processing out of the body. The intestines naturally release mucus to capture irritants and remove them from the body. Too many irritants (food additives, food allergens, bacteria/virus, dust, chemicals and other pollution) cause more mucus secretion than normal.
You may lose a pound or few by drinking teas, but you don’t necessarily decide from where. You can’t just skinny tea-tox your spare tire away.
Excessive mucus causes glue-like build up over the villi and hamper proper absorptions. Too much mucus can cause improper processing of the nutrients and toxins. Instead of being earmarked for waste, toxins enter into the storage pathways along with other nutrients and ultimately end up getting stored — guess where? In your fat cells. Over time, your body is storing toxins in the fat cells. So the areas of your body you tend to hate actually have been storing toxins. As we already know, detox teas contain extreme amounts of caffeine, which remove water from the body and NOT STORED FAT.
Are we literally a walking bag of toxic waste?
Excessive mucus build up and weak intestines cause several symptoms and warning signs. One or more of these symptoms can mean your nutrient absorption is faulty and instead of removing waste your body is storing that toxic sludge. Check if you have one or more of the following:
– Constant chronic cough and phlegm
– Currently experiencing mucus from a cold and/or flu
– Puffy and crusty eyes in the morning
– Bad breath throughout the day
– Constant stuffy nose
– Dulled senses (lots of salt to make food “taste good”)
– Senses are not sharp (foggy mind, unclear thinking)
Your own detox system:
Keep your mind on two things when it comes to restoring and continuing your own detoxing process:
You have to burn fat to remove stored toxins:
- Include a regular and effective fat burn regime (regular exercise)
- Clean and balanced meals
- Enough water for your body
Repair your gut health to make sure your body can continue its own process:
- Remove processed / packaged foods
- Add more raw vegetables and fruits (green smoothies are ok)
- Drink water instead of sugary drinks
Teas and coffee are best for jumpstarting the process of lipolysis, which is when your body releases free fatty acids into the bloodstream. This occurs when your body is breaking down your fat stores to convert it into energy. That is to say, caffeine boosts metabolism, which helps you burn fat (slightly). You can make a metabolism-boosting super drink at home using natural spices.
Getting with the new trend of things, your health is not as temporary as that new shade of nude lipstick. Fitness doesn’t come in a box and can’t be bought by a coupon. Invest some energy and werk!
The following is a list of spices that increase metabolism and won’t hurt your pocket:
- Ginseng: 3 grams of ginseng root per cup of tea.
- Cayenne Pepper: Few dashes of cayenne pepper on any meal.
- Black Pepper: Fresh crushed black pepper on your eggs.
- Dandelion: Sip on dandelion tea and feel fancy.
- Turmeric: Swallow 1 teaspoon turmeric every morning (my personal fav).
- Mustard: More fresh organic mustard on your hot dog.
- Ginger: Add 1 inch of ginger in your smoothie.
All these foods deliver what your body needs to increase your metabolism and *start* the fat burn process. But relying on drinks wont burn fat (and remove stored toxins) at all. Include an effective workout routine with a clean eating meal plan and these teas will aid the process of burning fat.
Getting with the new trend of things, your health is not as temporary as that new shade of nude lipstick. Fitness doesn’t come in a box and can’t be bought by a coupon. Invest some energy and werk!