It’s spring cleaning time! Your body is one of the most important things to keep clean. Today we will talk about the importance of keeping your liver and kidney healthy in addition to some detox suggestions.
Keep your detox organs healthy
Your liver and kidneys are the main organs that help remove toxins that enter your body or are created by your body. Step one is making sure your liver and kidneys are working well. We do that with blood and urine tests. Bring in your lab work and I’ll show you what I’m looking for to evaluate these important organs.
What to avoid
Toxins like alcohol are known to put a load on the liver but did you know that acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, is one of the most toxic over the counter medications that affect the liver? This drug, that is so commonly used, has a very narrow window of safety for the liver. Your liver is ok until it isn’t and that can happen so quickly that it is often a sudden trip to the hospital to find you have liver failure. Shocking isn’t it?! You have to watch out for all the products that have acetaminophen in them. If you are home with a horrible cold or flu and you take a flu medication and then take acetaminophen in addition to it, you may find yourself in the emergency room. Try to avoid it if at all possible.
Toxic brews
Most people know to control food items on a detox but did you consider that perfumes and fragrances are also toxic? They are often an undisclosed brew that can be secret due to proprietary blends. How about electronics? The electromagnetic frequencies that are emitted, often held next to your brain, are also dangerous and you would benefit from avoiding them for at least a period of time. Not to mention our addiction to these devices. Put them down.
Supplements
There are many supplements out there for detoxification. I have great results for symptoms like fatigue, headache and bloating with our 10 or 28 detox program by Metagenics. Start by completing our detox questionnaire that can be found on our website. If you score “mild”, I welcome you to do the 10-day detox. It’s quick and relatively easy. If you score “moderate or severe”, I recommend the 28-day detox. It consists of a medical food that makes a nutritious shake that you drink throughout the day, healthy fresh foods, a liver support supplement called Advaclear, and an effective broad-spectrum probiotic called Ultraflora IB. The medical food will depend on whether you need more anti-inflammatory help or more pH balancing help. Come in so we can determine the best program for you.
Happy spring cleaning,
Dr. Stacey