Detox

Optimal keto/paleo detox diet for spring 2021   Spring is coming and it is time to transform my diet in order to cleanse the body of its toxins and cellular waste and to optimize the functions of my liver.  In general, during the winter, I eat more, and often too many carbohydrates, starches and sugars that clog the digestion and create accumulated toxins. In Ayurveda, we call these accumulated toxins in the organs and tissues amas and these occur because of a combination of factors such as overeating, eating at times when digestion is weakened or eating with stress or more charged emotions and, in today’s world, this affects many, many people. So in the spring, with the temperature rising and giving the signal to the cells to pour their toxins into the bloodstream, it is time to adapt my diet to do a detox.  Otherwise, and I see it frequently in my osteopathic practice in Montreal, the congestion of the digestive tract in spring brings its share of tensions, backaches, blockages, and so on. Here is how I adapt my diet to a keto/paleo style detox, focusing on vegetables, fiber, superfoods, good fats and clean proteins. I’ve put together this article and in the jungle of modern diets and food trends, it’s sometimes hard to find your way.   Preparatory Week Step 1: Empty the digestive tract. I need to give the digestive tract room to start and free up space before taking plants that increase detox.  So, a preparatory week where I remove certain things from my diet and include certain herbs to clear the tube.   I start to: – Not eating 3 hours before bedtime and never after 8pm – Practice intermittent fasting from 2-6pm after dinner until the next morning – Drink 1 L of water on an empty stomach in the morning with chlorophyll and lemon – I make sure to do a few exercise sessions a week, to stimulate the lymph, a waste transport network in the body that is only activated with movement. Sometimes it can be as simple as jumping up and down doing jumping jacks, doing a few sprints outside, a yoga practice, squats or push-ups in a gap in the day, in fact anything that moves the body and activates the heart. Step 2: Herbs to add for the week of preparation I make it easy to eliminate the tube and start to : – Taking 2-4 Tablespoons of chia or flax well soaked in my day (maybe combined with superfoods, nut milks etc). – I add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Triphala at night before bed, this Ayurvedic blend designed for tube emptying.  Super effective. Step 3: Adapting the diet 3.1 To remove from the diet So during my prep week, here’s what I remove. – I remove the classic allergens because these can create unnecessary stress on the digestive tract and body inflammation for some and even if no symptoms are apparent, their effects are sometimes insidious and support other chronic diseases.  Gluten, Peanut, Dairy, Corn, Soy – I remove red meat, it activates the mTor network, which in turn inhibits apoptosis and cell repair, and creates for many a restlessness of the mind and bodily tension, especially in the heart. – I remove all simple sugars, they put unnecessary stress on the body by activating cortisol and destabilizing blood sugar. – I remove poor quality monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils, considered more damaging to the body than sugar itself.  These include all trans oils, canola, sunflower, palm oil, soybean, peanut and polyunsaturated cooking oils such as olive oil etc.  I concentrate my intake of good fats with coconut oil, avocado oil, raw olive oil, DHA rich oils, and high omega 3 oils like hemp and good quality flax.   I also avoid eating a lot of nuts during the day, which is quite heavy on the liver, and I soak my nuts and seeds to facilitate digestion and absorption. – I remove stimulants such as coffee, tea and cocoa to allow the adrenal glands to rest completely and allow the body to recover. This allows you to slow down and it is true that at the beginning you may come into contact with fatigue, which is the reality of the body.  After a few nights of rest and a healthy diet, the body recovers.  To optimize sleep, I have an entire blog on the best strategies for sleeping like a baby that you can read by clicking here! – Alcohol.  Obviously, to be removed from the body – Unsoaked nuts and seeds.  Nuts are hard on the liver and digestion, unless you soak them for about 8 hours and then start the germination process.  The fats and proteins in nuts start to be pre-digested and the anti-nutrients like phytic acid and lectins come out in the soaking water.  The only seeds that do not require soaking are hemp seeds and ground flax. In summary, what I remove – Red meat – Dairy products – Gluten, corn, soy, peanuts – Coffee, tea, cocoa – Simple sugar, except honey – Poor quality mono or polyunsaturated oils – Unsoaked nuts and seeds. – Alcohol   3.2 Intermittent or cyclic ketogenic/Paleo diet. To facilitate the detox and give room for digestion, the trick is to remove complex sugars like grains and starches. So in the week of preparation, I start to gather all the grains and starches in one meal, that is to say the evening meal.  The rest of the day, we are in keto/paleo mode.  Refer to my optimal ketogenic/paleo diet guide by clicking here.  And when it’s time to detox, I take them out completely.     The spring keto/paleo green detox Here we are, ready to get into the heart of the detox.  By continuing the good strategies taken in the preparatory week, the detox is usually pretty smooth and easy.  I continue intermittent fasting, lots of water, triphala, movement and exercise, chia, getting enough sleep and still