My Hormone-Balancing System: CLEANSE

My signature Hormone-Balancing System is based around 4 main areas:

• Nourish

• Move

• Rest

• Cleanse

This Blog delves a bit more into the ‘Cleanse’ area of my programmes.

When I work with my clients, I also look at the toxins they may be exposed to, for example in the products they use on their body or skin, cleaning products, storage products in the kitchen, and environmental toxins, and also toxins from what they eat and drink.

All of the toxins we are exposed to need to be detoxified and eliminated, and that is the job of the liver.

The liver is one of the hardest-working organs in the body, but it also has a little help from the kidneys, the digestive system, your skin and lungs.

Essentially, detoxification is a two-step process. The main work is carried out by your liver, and it involves a complex set of chemical reactions designed to turn toxic chemicals into harmless ones, which are then safely eliminated.

Detoxification happens in two stages, known as Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Phase 1

This first phase prepares the toxins for elimination, turning fat-soluble toxins into some that are more easily excreted using enzymes. The more toxins you’re exposed to, the faster these detox enzymes (called P-450 enzymes) have to work. Caffeine, alcohol, pollutants, cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes, high-protein diets, preservatives and chemical fertilisers, paint fumes, damaged trans fats, steroid hormones and charcoal-barbecued meat make this phase 1 process much harder.

Phase 2

This second phase of detoxification binds the end products of phase 1 detoxification to specific nutrients, depending on what is being detoxified. That might mean glutathione, sulphur or carbon groups, and this sends the toxins down four specific pathways called conjugation, sulfation, methylation and glucuronidation.

The two detox phases work together and, in the end, the toxins are excreted in your sweat, urine and in your stools.

So it is important to support the liver in doing its job, and avoid putting it under too much pressure.

What you put on your body really matters too. After all, the skin is the body’s biggest organ, and it is pretty absorbent so what you put on it can end up in your bloodstream. Many of the ingredients in the products you use when you get ready in the morning give your body something new to detoxify.

The preservatives that prolong the shelf-life of products like shampoo, conditioner, body wash and moisturisers contain synthetic forms of oestrogen. These mimic the effect of natural oestrogen in your body and are called ‘endocrine disruptors’, which is code for ‘they wreak havoc with your hormones’. There are even claims that these ingredients raise your risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer.

Among the main culprits are parabens, phthalates and sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate. And, if a product label mysteriously says ‘fragrance’ without further clarification, you can bet it’s not good news. Instead, look for labels that say ‘no synthetic fragrances’.

So I will work with my clients to find ways to reduce or eliminate excessive toxins, thus supporting the liver and helping hormonal balance.

Do you think you may be using lots of chemical-full products in your home? Are you unsure of how to start to reduce your toxic load? Book a free phone call with me HERE.