How do I reduce my waistline and feel good again!

Detoxification.

As mentioned in my previous articles, if you decide to head towards a 'calorie deficit' but not improve your food choices and organise your macros (proteins, carbs and fats) into the right percentages then your goal of fat loss will not be achieved. In addition you may lose muscle which you have spent months and years building! So listen up and read below carefully.

Detoxification is the first rule to effectively and safely losing bodyfat. But what is detoxing exactly? It is the metabolic process by which toxins are changed into less toxic or more readily excretable substances. It is also described as the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from the human body, mainly carried out by the liver, kidney and guts.

The correct method of detoxification is setting an agreed time period of refraining from bad foods, toxins and alcohol and replacing it with healthy organic foods and hydration. This can be 4-12 weeks depending on severity of a cleanse needed. It is allowing your liver, kidney, and gut to get rid of harmful toxins, repair and replenish its cells and improve their function. When our bodies are in an anabolic, oxygenated, PH balanced, healthy state will we truly lose significant amounts of fat. Detoxing is not a fad, it is quite serious and can be life changing for people stuck in a rut.

The incorrect method of fat loss is cutting down on calories (calorie deficit) but maintaining the same bad food choices. The problem with this is the toxin levels will remain highly concentrated and cause the body to be in a catabolic state of stress and fat storage. In conjunction ‘dieting’ implies people do not deal with health issues and continue to drink, smoke and binge on the weekend. This will leave you with decreased energy, headaches, migraines, low moods, leaky gut syndrome, stomach pain, disturbed sleep patterns and the likelihood you will fail your ultimate fat loss journey. If these organs are failing, clogged up and faulty then fat reduction will be sabotaged. A constant diet that is refined, processed and filled with sugars and bad fats will eventually cause damage to these organs and they will no longer be able to do their job.

Sometimes its necessary to partake in slightly more aggressive forms of detox which is a contentious subject. I know coaches and health experts who swear by them and others who believe they are dangerous or a waste of time. However in my experience with clients and myself I have only witnessed great results when done with a scientific approach and safely.

Read on if you would like to have:

1) A deeper scientific understanding of how the 3 organs work

2) Have tried previous diets and nothing has worked on your stubborn body fat

3) Training like a lunatic but your waist is not getting leaner

THE LIVER CLEANSE - The livers main job is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract before passing it to the rest of the body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes fats, proteins and carbohydrates and stores glycogen. I learnt the liver flush from the expert Andrea Mortiz. His book is called 'The amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush'. He mentions that if you have symptoms such as feeling sluggish, low in energy, mood, bad sleep, headaches, blurred vision, yellow jaundiced skin, nausea, diarrhoea, plateau in body composition improvements are all possible signs that your liver may not be working properly.

You can no longer detox toxins properly anymore due to gallstones congesting the bile ducts in the liver. The Liver flush is a procedure that is designed to cleanse the gallbladder and liver, it’s a 5 day process from start to finish and the process may need to be repeated 4-6 times over a 4-6 month period. Instructions are in the book so you will have to buy it. The benefits of the cleanse are:

1. Fat loss

2. Immune system support due to better blood supply

3. Get rid of liver and gall bladder stones

4. Improved skin, hair and eyesight

5. Significant boost in energy levels

THE KIDNEY CLEANSE - The Kidneys are 2nd organ that is responsible for detoxing, in this case the fluids and the water in our bodies and also contribute to filtering the blood of toxins, salt and poisons to keep us healthy. The miracle kidney (Lauren Felts) cleanse shows how to flush out toxins, in turn the benefits are. This book shows provides the safest and gentlest ways to dissolve kidney stones. Essential drinking 4-6 litres of purified water will help clean out the kidneys. Putting parsley in boiling water and drinking it once warm will help dissolve kidney stones. The benefits are:

1. Prevention of further kidney stones

2. Boost immune system & energy levels

3. Improve overall health and mood

4. Curing lower back kidney pain

5. Improvements in skin and hair conditions

THE GUT & COLON CLEANSE - The gut and colon’s job is to maintain PH balance in the bloodstream, so when we eat high acidic foods such as processed food without any fibre then this can cause the liver, guts and colon to work overtime and contribute to blockages in digestion. If the colon tissue becomes inflamed it will reduce the organs job to allow water, vitamins, minerals to pass into the blood stream. Infections, yeast, molds and fungus can build up and enter the blood stream which will then cause severe issue with weight management, body fat and illnesses. Best book: The Intestinal cleanse and reconstruction (Nekoterrran). Gut absorption levels are dictated by stomach acid levels and how healthy the colon is at passing excrement and toxins. If gut & colon is done correctly the benefits are:

1. Makes the digestive system more effective

2. Increase in energy and performance in gym

3. Increase body’s absorption of proteins, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals

4. Weight loss and fat loss

If your ambition is to burn significant fat you will have a serious problem in doing so if any of the above 3 organs are damaged or not performing optimally! Hence following these cleansing & flushing procedures will help you achieve your goal. Sometimes a mild detox simply won't do the job and we're in need of a natural cleanse. Below are the foods to help repair the 3 main organs.

Foods to repair and detox the Liver

· Green Tea

· Apricots

· Blueberries

· Cranberries

· Prickly pear

· Grapes

· Beetroot

· Brussel sprouts

· Broccoli

· Lemon In water

· Nuts

· Sardines & salmon

· Olive Oil

· A Mediterranean Diet

Foods to repair and detox the Kidney

· Cauliflower

· Cabbage

· Blueberries

· Red grapes

· Pineapple

· Cranberries

· Spinach

· Kale

· Radish

· Turnips

· Garlic & Onions

· Bell Peppers

· Organic raw virgin coconut oil

· Renal Diet: Restricting Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Red meats.

Foods to repair and detox the Gut and Colon

· Fruit & Vegetable smoothies

· Kimchi

· Pickles & onion

· Herbal Teas

· Ginger & Garlic

· Laxative herbs

· Aloe Vera

· Psyllium and marsh mellow root

· Dark leafy greens

· Apples & Bananas

· Sweet Potatoes

· Pre/Probiotic & high Fibre rich Diet: Vegetables, Fruits and Legumes.

Hope you have enjoyed this article.

Please like and comment, helps with writing the next one.

Rick