Just because cleansing is trendy doesn’t mean it’s good for everyone. While an occasional cleanse is a healthy practice, not everybody should do one. Listening to your body’s signals as to when you should or should not cleanse will help you do it in a healthy way. Read on for times when you should not cleanse.
Conditions and Signs You Shouldn’t Detox
Please don’t undertake a severe cleansing program if you are…
Pregnant or Breastfeeding
There are many reasons why women should avoid detoxing during pregnancy or breastfeeding. First of all, at this stage, women need serious nutritional support, which is extremely hard to get while on a restricted calorie diet. Ensuring that mother and child get proper nutrition is of the utmost importance. In addition, toxins that are released during a cleanse can either affect the fetus or get released into breast milk. Since baby’s systems are more sensitive than an adult’s, this is potentially dangerous. Finally, pregnant and breastfeeding women are very limited in what herbs they can take. Herbs that provide excellent detoxifying support for someone who isn’t pregnant could be dangerous for a woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding.
Suffering or Recovering from an Eating Disorder
Juice fasting is one thing when it is done with a healthy mind and balanced outlook, but some may use cleansing as an excuse for an eating disorder. If you are underweight, undernourished, obsessed with thoughts of weight loss, have intense fears of gaining weight, go on very restrictive “cleanses” for extended periods of time, or try to compensate for binge eating by immediately going on a “cleanse,” consider seeking help from a professional. Be honest with yourself when you evaluate whether or not you should cleanse. Are you doing it for the right reasons, to get energized or mark a changing season? Or do you just want to lose weight as fast as possible? If it is the latter, pass on the cleanse. If you actually need to lose weight, a slow, steady, healthy approach is the way to go.
Under the Age of 18
Children and adolescents need proper nutrition to grow at healthy rates. It is hard to meet macro- and micro-nutrient requirements while detoxing. Young people are also very susceptible to peer pressure. Teenagers might try cleansing then enjoy losing weight, getting attention from their peers, or a sense of control that may come from fasting. This can easily lead down an unhealthy path. If a younger person genuinely wants to improve their health, there are many other ways to do so. Instead of taking foods away, try adding additional seasonal produce to the diet, aiming to eat produce of every color throughout the day, taking up a stress-reduction hobby like meditation, or drinking herbal teas.
Chronically and Acutely Stressed
All over the internet you can find articles explaining the “signs you need to detox”. Some examples: fatigued, brain fog, feeling depressed, trouble losing weight, headaches… You know what else those are signs of? Stress! If your average day starts includes children, a stressful job, 8 cups of coffee, working through lunch, too little or too much exercise, and starts early and/or ends late, you probably don’t need a cleanse regimen as much as you need some rest and relaxation. All those “signs of toxicity” are really signs that you need to nourish your body! Start with a daily regimen of 7-8 hours of sleep, a wholesome diet, a type of physical activity that you enjoy, and some deep breathing exercises. Take this as seriously as you would take a strict detox program and check in a couple months later. How many signs of your toxic load disappeared with proper self care? If you still have some, it is okay to cleanse now that you have enough energy stored up.
Cold/Flu/Allergies
Diagnosed with a Major or Life-Threatening Illness
For example
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- HIV/AIDS
- Diabetes
Any type of major illness that keeps your system weak means that it probably isn’t a good idea to cleanse. If your body doesn’t have enough calories, vitamins, and minerals, it will struggle even more than it usually does with your illness. In the case of some diseases, you may already been losing too much weight as the illness progresses. In others, your immune system may be too compromised to handle a major flush of toxins trying to leave your system. In the case of diabetes, cleansing that involves any type of fasting could destabilize your blood sugar. If you feel you must undertake a program, consult with your physician. Otherwise, just skip it.