Whole Self Detox
Whole Self Detox
Detoxing is not only about what we do or don’t eat and drink, our environmental exposure or the quality of the air we breathe. A Whole Self Detox takes into account everything we encounter, from what we read and listen to, to reducing exposure to toxic people, environments and relationships.
A Whole Self Detox is Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual.
This blog article is based on the incredible work of Deanna Minnich and her book: Whole Self Detox
While inflammation is a natural part of life that can serve a beneficial role, we start to see disease when inflammatory pathways are constantly activated. As an example, brain symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, memory loss, can actually be caused by systemic inflammation.
The foods we eat, the toxins we’re exposed to, our stress levels, and our genetics are just some of the many aspects that can impact the body and brain’s propensity toward inflammation and disease.
Whole self detox is all about reducing inflammation and returning the body to a state of balance.
When we regulate the body’s biological systems, we automatically regulate the brain chemistry, hormones and other factors that can lead to chronic disease when left unchecked.
Let’s start with detoxing poor quality SLEEP.
It is said that ‘How we sleep is how we live”
Good quality sleep is fundamental to a whole body detox as it is a rejuvenation and repair process for our immune system and all our organs.
7-9 hours has been researched to be the ‘sweet spot’
As our recent blog article contains loads of valuable information on this often over-looked but essential aspect of our health, we will not go into much more detail here.
Detox stress by making time for RELAXATION
21st century living has most of us in Sympathetic Dominance or a chronic flight, fright, freeze response, with associated high levels of cortisol and adrenaline.
A focus on daily relaxation to evoke the relaxation response is a powerful, effective and easy way to counter the stress response and has been shown to result in favorable changes in gene expression.
One conscious breath is a meditation.
The relaxation response includes:
- Good posture
- Being still
- Breathing techniques including:
- Full lung breathing
- Belly breathing
- Alternate nostril breathing
We cannot mention RELAXATION as a cornerstone to a Whole Self Detox without mentioning some of the catastrophic impacts of stress on our health, energy and vitality. Stress is the big hairy monster toxin that almost 80% of us report as being an issue.
Stress is one of the biggest contributors to chronic disease. It impacts both our physiology and our psychology, and changes our eating and lifestyle behaviours.
A few keys questions to evaluate your stress levels:
- What speed is your life on?
- What is your current life stress inventory score?
- What is your anxiety/depression score?
- Do you have a stress detox tool kit ?
- Do you have effective coping mechanisms?
- How much does stress get in the way of a healthy lifestyle?
Let emotions flow…inflammatory cytokines are released in tears. Feelings become toxic when they build up or are repressed.
- Do you have a verbal language for emotions?
- Are you comfortable talking about your feelings?
- Do you have frequent mood swings?
- Do you blow up over minor incidents?
- Do you find yourself over-eating, over-drinking or distracting yourself in other ways (social media) when you feel emotional?
Did you know that in certain cultures it is believed that the health of a person is determined by how much greenery they have access to… yes, the greenery ingested through a plant strong diet as well as access to greenery in nature and our environment.
Forest bathing has been proven to be one of the most effective techniques in quickly and effectively reducing stress.
Detox toxic RELATIONSHIPS
Relationships with people have the potential to change our physiology and our psychology, either for the better or for the worse.
Social isolation, lack of social integration and interpersonal conflict are associated with higher inflammatory markers including Interleukin 6 and CRP.
Social network inventory:
Do you have a tribe you trust?
Do you feel supported by family and friends?
Are you surrounded by people who ‘drain your energy’?
Detox negative THOUGHT PATTERNS
66% of the thoughts we think everyday are repetitive.
What am I thinking most of time?
Are my innate thoughts, those I have in my mind without consciously thinking, toxic or healing?
If we have a tendancy toward negative self talk, what we do and don’t think can have a powerful impact on our lives and on the way we see and experience the world.
Detoxing negative thought patterns through guided imagery, the laddering technique and visualisation are effective steps in detoxing negative through patterns and their effects on our health and energy.
Detox sedentary by ensuring daily EXERCISE and MOVEMENT
One day without exercise is now understood to be as harmful to our health as smoking!
Whilst that may sound scary, sometimes just the thought of physical exertion can leave us feeling exhausted!
Exercise does not always have to be about sweating and cardiovascular output!
The Yin type of exercise and movement may include activities like yoga, flow, tai chi, while the Yang involves more cardio-vascularly demanding exertion.
The most suitable type of exercise and movement should be determined by personality type and stress levels…Type A people often say they need to go for a hard and fast run as a form of stress relief. However, this can sometimes increase the stress on already stressed body. A types often benefit from more Yin type exercise but may need a mind set shift to realise the benefit as they often perceive Yin type exercise and movement as a waste of time.
The SPIRITUAL FACTOR of a Whole Self Detox
This is worth contemplating and is very helpful through a crisis.
Spiritual in this context is understood to be separate from religion/ religious.
- What gives your life meaning and purpose?
- Do you believe in something greater than yourself?
- Do you feel a sense of peace about your being?
- Are you feeling settled?
- What anchors you in feeling connected and grounded?
- Do you have a spiritual practice or ritual that you make time for everyday?
- Meditation
- Mindfulness
- Listening to music
- Sitting with your feet in the grass
- Hugging a tree
- Journaling
- Gratitude practice
NUTRITION is fundamental to a Whole Self Detox
This is a vast and expansive subject that has been covered in many of the previous blog articles.
The health of the gut is understood to be the inflammatory set point of the body.
Nutritional detox should include a Gut/Digestive tract reset, avoidance of inflammatory foods and the addition of high micronutrient containing nutritious food.
As Nutrition is very personal and needs to be individualised, a few basic pointers will follow. For a more detailed approach to nutrition and a gut re-set through health coaching, contact Functional Medicine and Lifestyle practitioner Chantal Du Chenne by emailing: Chantal@healthtrac.global
This Blog post has been created By Chantal Du Chenne, Functional Medicine and Lifestyle Practitioner, Founder of the DripBar and owner of a Kombucha brewery which produces the brand of ‘booch’ called theFarmacy. The blog contains information that is not designed to substitute, or replace any form or method of professional or medical advice and treatment or medicine. All content is the author’s opinion and is not intended to diagnose and remedy. Any facts and figures contained in this document are presented solely for informational and educational purposes only.
BIO:
Chantal is a B.Sc.Hons allied health with an international certification in Functional health & Lifestyle Medicine. Chantal is a passionate Gut Health advocate, specialising in the management of inflammatory conditions associated with leaky gut and dysbiosis (imbalance) of the gut microbiome. These include but are not limited to anxiety, depression, auto-immune conditions, cancer, type 2 diabetes etc.
Over her 25 year career, Chantal has held various positions within the health and wellness industry – including 10 years as the Executive Head of Vodacom’s corporate wellness & mobile health programs.
Chantal is a competitive cyclist, a plant strong vegan and mom to two grown up girls.
Hydrate. Detox. Energise. Boost
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