Surviving a Functional Medicine Liver Detox
Congratulations on making the decision to allow your body to re-balance and reset back to equilibrium! Whether you’re embarking on a 7, 14 or 21 day detox, you will see and feel the results.
There are some rules that you need to follow to maximise the positive benefits of the detox which I’ve listed below:
Avoid coffee, black tea and alcohol.
Avoid intensive exercise during day 1 and day 2.
Avoid dairy, gluten, wheat, red meat and all processed foods including pastas, breads, crackers and fast food.
Avoid cooking in oil, rather steam, bake, grill, slow cook or sauté (pan-fry) in a little water to prevent sticking.
There are also some things you need to do in preparation for your detox which I’ve listed below:
Go though the Dr Cabral Detox Meal Planner (below) and make a shopping list based on the listed foods that you prefer to eat over the next 7, 14 or 21 days.
Start your day with a glass of warm water with the juice of 1/2 or 1 lemon or lime and a decent pinch of sea salt (Murray River pink salt, Himalayan sea salt or Celtic sea salt).
If you get hunger pangs in the first 2 days, drink herbal teas. They really do help!
Aim to drink about 2-3 litres of water per day (you can include the shakes and herbal teas in the overall count).
Finish eating by 6:30pm and aim to have your breakfast shake between 9:00am - 10:00am.
Remove any ‘banned’ foods from the house to avoid temptation.
Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil along with a squeeze of lemon or lime as a dressing to cooked food (or raw veggies).
If you’re not using the Equilife detox i.e. using another brand, you can still follow the instructions on the Dr Cabral 7-Day Detox sheet (below).
If you’re doing the 14 or 21-day detox, just repeat the 7-day detox for weeks 2 and 3.
Why you may feel worse before you feel better during the detox:
As we are exposed to many toxins through our environment, food, household products and cosmetics, our liver can get overwhelmed and may struggle removing all of these toxins. Because of this, you may experience some unwelcomed symptoms.
These symptoms are called Herxheimer Reactions and are a result of our body removing toxins like pathogens, viruses, bacteria, heavy metals or pesticides and can be one or more of the following:
fever
chills
nausea
headaches
muscle aches
joint pain
fatigue
low mood
poor sleep
Although unpleasant, these are all signs that your body is effectively detoxifying years (or months if you do seasonally) of built-up toxins.
How to survive Herxheimer Reactions:
Managing symptoms can help you complete the detox and reap the benefits. You may drink a cup of black coffee per day (if you’re a daily coffee drinker) to avoid headaches, for example. Most symptoms are mild to moderate and ease up after a few days. But depending on the reactions, you may need to adjust your protocol to get through it. If you're concerned about your well-being, stop the detox and contact me for further advice. Additionally, consider the following which will help:
Rest! Take it easy to reserve your body’s energy for the detox process
Sauna - a dry or infrared sauna will help eliminate toxins through the skin via sweat
Epsom salt bath - introduces sulphates through your skin that help clear toxins
Dry brushing - removes dead skin and also stimulates your lymphatic system to remove toxins through and out of your body
