Easy Detox Life Swaps

I have been on a wellness journey for more than half of a decade. It has been a long path with both positive and negative twists and turns. Until last year, I seemed to only find temporary relief from my many chronic ailments that had started once I hit my thirties. Before then, I was accustomed to being a semi-professional runner logging more than 80-mile weeks at times. I have always loved to cook fresh food chalked full of fruits and vegetables. But, it didn’t matter, I ended up with chronic illness anyway. One and a half years ago, I decided to rip the bandage off and go all-in on a functional medicine doctor. It was very expensive, but I learned a lot. Now, I want to share what I have learned. This blog post will be the first of many as I have tried what feels like everything!

So first off, I wanted to write about easy detox life swaps that anybody can do in the near-term. When I first started to see Doctor Phil, Gilman, DC at Lifespring Wellness Center, he gave me a “goodie” bag. To call it that is a bit of a joke because the items were definitely not things to get super excited about until the health benefits are revealed. There was a roll-on crystal deodorant, a small bottle of mineral water, a small timer, and PH test strips. Everything in the bag was low cost but served a very real purpose. The Crystal Deodorant is free of toxins (and has healing mineral properties). Still putting poison in the old armpits, stop that (envision a toxic deodorant slap right out of the old hand)! Crystal deodorant is the best deodorant I have ever used and I’m still using that same one it lasts so long.

I have always wanted to be considered down to earth, so tap water has been my jam. I even root for it over bottled water due to the impact of single-use plastics on the environment. That said, I have learned that a switch to filtered water, natural spring water, or mineral water is an effective way to root out a build-up of chemicals like chlorine and fluoride. Natural spring water is void of chemicals and can even add minerals like magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium back into the body. The World Health Organization has stated that the incidence of osteoporosis and heart disease might be notably reduced by drinking water with reasonable concentrations of magnesium and calcium. As a tip, consider putting a filter on the shower head too, yes that stuff can soak in through that very large organ, the skin.

The timer was for less of a product-related health swap and more of a physical health swap. Think yin yoga, without the yoga! Every day I was meant to focus on yin breathing. I had already been doing yoga and meditation, but I was still to some degree tethering the idea of yin breathing to those practices instead of pulling it over into my daily routines. Yin breathing is about consciously thinking about the act of breathing inhalation, down into the lungs, then a brief hold of the breath followed by a long-slow excel. Ideally, the numbers should be at least 4, 2, 6 at the start, but folks often work up from there to 6,4,8. The point is to focus on each part of the breathing process and picture the air coming in, filling the lungs, and gently expelling out the mouth into the surrounding space. Yin breathing will reduce stress, activate the rest and digest system, improve your heart and lung function, lower blood pressure and lead toward better body function.

Now, PH strips aren’t exactly a detox tool, but I touch on them quickly. I had never thought to bring high-school lab time fun home with me, but there I was strip in hand in the comforts of my own bathroom. Go figure human waste can tell us a lot about body function. Using PH strips allowed me to have real data to help guide dietary needs throughout the first six-months with a functional medicine doctor. A brief tip that will likely be discussed at length in another post, consider using a food journal. My numbers were way off, so I did need to make some major changes personally. Just knowing the numbers is half the battle though so it is a great place to start.

Another swap I had been hoping to make for years was the transition to natural cosmetics. Please note, I would not call this an easy transition. There is still ongoing research and testing I am doing to find products, in my price range, that worked as well as the mainstream products. I love technology that aides me in wellness and I highly recommend Think Dirty for researching clean cosmetics. The one switch I will recommend that was absolutely easy was the move from thick toxin-filled moisturizers to an all-natural organic plant-based facial oil. I have found several products I love that gave my face a nice glow and more even moisture, even in my T-zone. My favorite for the price is Botanics Organic Facial Oil which can be bought at Target, Walgreens and Amazon. I also love YaYa Organics and Olive and M.

As I started to think about environmental toxins, I had a bit of a shift. It’s kind of like how we all used to blow out candles on birthday cakes. Then Covid-19 happened and we all realized how gross that tradition is, right? I went ninty-nine percent organic with my food. This is a huge swap, but it was not too terribly difficult. Though I realize there are restraints based on one’s finances and where one can shop. It is absolutely worth it to pay attention to the type of products that go in, around and on the body. I have stopped putting bleach in my body. I said it that way for impact, but if you drink tea a lot like me, and the tea bags are white as can be, they are likely bleached. A simple swap is going to loose leaf tea. It is about the same price point at my local co-op, but healthier and a lot less waste. Best of all, this change sparked a new hobby, making my own tea blends which I am so enjoying! It’s not a sexy one, but I am now also buying organic and natural tampons with no bleach. I am in the process of transitioning into more natural home cleaners as well. Mainstream cleaners are loaded with toxins. Do the switch out for some apple cider vinegar with fresh citrus and mint essential oil. It will clean anything, it is affordable and smells amazing. Also, watch out for anything with fragrances as fragrances that are not natural have been known to include toxins, cancer-causing ones at that. Put down those scented candles with mystery ingredients and diffuse natural essential oils instead.

This is just the tip of the iceberg friends, but I hope it gives some useful ideas for how to live cleaner, be healthier, and feel better. Contact me to learn more about detoxing for life.