Detoxification

This is often referred to as a cleanse and is a process by which diet and supplements help your liver detoxify substances like heavy metals, plastics, xenoestrogens, and other toxins. Let's face it, we live in a toxic world, and we can use some help to get rid of these things we put in and on our bodies.

There are many options on the market, and I will talk about a few, but often people refer to a cleanse or a detox, and it really is a reset. Meaning not much detoxification is happening.

I typically prefer a 21-day detox like the one by Standard Process or Thorne, which incorporates an elimination diet and a supplemental shake or pills that aid your body (and liver) in the detoxification and elimination processes.

There are shorter ones, but I feel anything less than two weeks is not efficacious. A good 2-weeker is Orthomolecular Products' Core Restore. I personally do a 21-day detox once a year.

Fasting

Caloric restriction has long been known to improve longevity, but I specifically wanted to discuss the 5-day Prolon fasting-mimicking diet. You eat only what is in the box-soups, crackers, and bars for the 5 days, so it is fasting with food. There is some good research behind this plan, and it shows that during those 5 days, inflammatory markers, blood sugar markers, cholesterol markers, and weight can improve.

A process called autophagy occurs, in which old, dead cells are cleaned up. These are good things! But different from a detox, and there is a place for both - not at the same time, obviously. Moreover, this can be done multiple times throughout the year, and the benefits may be long-lasting. I did this once a month for 3 months 2 years ago and now once a year.

Resetting

I use a reset when my diet and sugar intake are bad, and I need to gain control. Most recently, I have been loving The Provenance 3 or 6-day detox. So you can see where there is confusion; they call it a detox. I call it a reset. This is a delivery service of all plant-based, nutrient-dense food, and that is all you eat during those days. It gets my head straight, and no cheating, and then I am back on track with my healthy eating plan. I think those 3-day juice cleanses can fit in this category as well. These can be done fairly often, but always check with your doc, and if it’s me, ask!

Here are some links where you can purchase some of the protocols mentioned;

• Thorne (Mediclear): Healup Corp | MediClear Plus® (gethealthy.store)
• Prolon: Healup Corp | ProLon (gethealthy.store)
• Provenance Meals: Use the one-time code DRCOHEN for $35 off all orders over $75.

If you are interested in purchasing and would like assistance or have questions, please contact Yossie at info@drdanacohen.com. 

And if you have read this far, my husband Henry and I were in the NY Times this past Sunday. Fun story! 

Stay Healthy and Hydrated! - Dr. Dana