The benefits of a Metabolic Detox

I love doing a detox with each season change as it’s a chance to re-focus on my health goals especially after being out of routine when returning from the summer or Christmas holidays.

I first came across the detox world whilst training to be a nutrition & wellness coach with Amanda Hamilton. She is a huge advocate for the healing benefits that a fast can bring and I now have the pleasure of supporting her on her detox retreats at Champneys. 

When we detox using a fasting mimicking style approach, we trigger a process called autophagy. Normally, our bodies are busy digesting the foods we eat & processing the toxins we ingest. However, when we put the body into a rest and repair state, the body is released from these duties and directs its energies towards healing. 

Autophagy helps to get rid of cellular debris whereby our body discards what’s damaged or unhealthy as a priority - like a bit of a spring clean! In doing so, we can then experience lower blood glucose, lower inflammation, improved appetite control, improved blood pressure and an increase in fat burning. A different set of microbes are also established which help to repair the gut lining. All these benefits have a positive impact on anti-aging and life extension which are a key focus during midlife.

For a detox to work effectively, our bodies should be in a rested state. It’s important to stay within our parasympathetic nervous system rather than our sympathetic which is when we’re experiencing stress, adrenaline, in fight or flight mode. During this mode we often shallow breathe and don’t digest or heal as well. 

To stay in our parasympathetic nervous system, I encourage clients to focus on walking in nature, yoga or pilates rather than exercise which requires more workload - we don’t want the body dealing with sore muscles rather than focusing on repair and getting rid of cellular debris. It’s also a time to focus on deep breathing and trying to stay rested and relaxed. 

To help me do this, I ensure I have a lovely hot bath in the evenings with epsom salts. These are a natural product as ideally we don’t want to be using products which contain toxins while our bodies are working hard to offload these. Epsom salts have been shown to not only help the body replenish depleted mineral stores, but to deeply soothe and relax the nervous system. It’s a lovely way to end the day. 

I always feel much lighter, brighter and more energised after a detox. It’s also a time to prioritise yourself and focus on self-care which in midlife, we can often forget to do.