Screen-Shot-2017-01-01-at-9.31.32-PM.png

It's officially the beginning of the New Year (Happy New Year, to you by the way!) and with that, comes over-crowded gyms, far too many weight loss-related commercials and the overall desire to start fresh! Naturally, many people resort to crash diets or "detoxes" to kick start their health journey, however doing so without the supervision of a health care professional can actually be very dangerous.

I've talked about toxins before and the effects they have on our body, especially when accumulated over time, but I really want to emphasize the effect that stirred toxins can have on our body when they don't have an elimination pathway to leave our body through.

Yes, our organs are always detoxing for us, but there are ways that we can encourage or support detoxification through dietary, supplemental and lifestyle changes. When we get those toxins moving in our body, they need a way to exit through an elimination pathway, be it our colon, lungs, liver, kidneys, blood, lymphatic system and/or skin. If those pathways happen to be blocked, we can actually start seeing more damage as a result, leading to an array of undesirable and potentially dangerous symptoms. So while it may seem harmless to undergo a detox on your own based on something you saw in a magazine or Instagram post, it really is important to make sure you've worked with a health care professional such as a Holistic Nutritionist or a Naturopathic Doctor before conducting a detox.

With that said, there are effective and gentle ways to get started with food alone by emphasizing detox-friendly foods in your diet, by incorporating:- Liver-loving foods (beets, garlic, avocados, olive oil)- Naturally detoxifying foods + herbs (lemon, leafy greens - swiss chard, kale, spinach, garlic, ginger)- Easily digestible foods (soups, stews, smoothies)- Fibre-packed foods (ground flax, chia seeds, avocado, pear)- Digestion-supportive foods (warm water + apple cider vinegar, bone broth, fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso paste and kombucha)On top of that, I've gathered up 10 delicious recipes you can incorporate into your diet to make detoxing even more effective and delicious!