After about a year and a half of taking a break due to an unusual amount of international travel, I’ve gotten back to my regular seasonal nutritional therapy protocols and practices.
I was fortifying my digestive strength by way of decongesting the liver and gallbladder. (These organs work hard for us!)
For me, working with these organs results most notably in more restful sleep, more energy, and less bloating.
But, as you know, everyone’s body has a slightly different operating manual.
Not everyone needs to pursue the same nutritional practices for the same reason.
Aside from liver health and digestive health, there are other wonderful reasons to practice nutritional therapy.
These include:
Flushing the lymphatic system
Shifting the body into fat metabolism (forget weight, this actually helps support steadier energy throughout the day)
Developing a more attuned relationship with your digestive organs
Reducing the intensity of menstrual symptoms
Fortifying the immune system
Working through emotional, mental, and habitual attachments to food
Improving elimination
Simply learning about your own body
Supplementing a vision quest or other spiritual practice
As you may have suspected, there’s a bit of a sacrifice involved.
But like your annual pap smear or regular dental cleanings, here’s a situation where you, your present self, is taking care of you, your future self.
(It’s kind of like when you decide to make your bed in the morning to the delight of your future self who climbs into bed hours later!)
Bad Move?
Now, on the other hand, I am very aware of a specific circumstances where, despite the possible benefits, it is NOT a wise idea to plan this kind of protocol. For those that are recovering from the diet/binge cycle, disordered eating, or any other burdened relationship with food, sometime the kindest choice is focuses on healing this first.
For example, when people “cleanse” because they are “feeling fat” or “feeling gross,” they are often simply going on a restrictive diet, praying they shed weight, with far too much emotional energy on the line.
This is not the energy we want to bring to our eating.
It’s part of my job to feel into creative, kind, and edgy ways to help clients move forward with their diet and health that takes into account all side of them.
Sometimes this includes nutritonal therapy and sometimes it does not!
So is nutritional detox or therapy a bad idea?
I’m sure you can see it depends on the energy driving the person considering it.
There is a place for anything given the right circumstances.
I am wishing you a beautiful transition into the coming season. And for eaters of all kinds, remember lemon water, leafy greens, turmeric, cayenne pepper, beets, and garlic all have medicinal qualities for the season. Add a couple in when you are able as a peace offering to the body!