Will Detoxes Relieve Menopause Symptoms and Create Happy Hormones?

 

Will Detoxes Relieve Menopause Symptoms and Create Happy Hormones?

Plus: Questions to ask yourself if you are thinking of doing a detox.

Are you thinking of “doing a detox” to support your hormones?

Are you asking:

  • Should you do it?

  • What is detox?

  • Don't our bodies detox anyways?

  • Do I need to detox to balance my hormones in menopause?

As usual, this is not medical advice, but my perspective only.

What about your relationship to food
when you are on a detox?

WHAT IS A DETOX?

Let's define the term as it exists on the internet, in nutrition school and wellness circles.

A detox, or a cleanse, is a process that supposedly eliminates toxic elements from your body. 

There are some licensed MDs in the functional or integrative medicine space that look at toxicity, from an environment, and chronic illness perspective.

I'm talking about extreme detoxes, like the cleanse where you drink lemon, olive oil, cayenne pepper and maple syrup. The drop ten pounds in ten days kind of detox.

Trying these things without giving thought to your health history and mental health can backfire. 

Other types of detoxes:

  • Sugar detoxes, you know, they enter around Christmas & Halloween

  • Gluten detoxes

  • Sober October

  • Ditch the caffeine

  • Dry January

  • Juice fasts

… they all can be put into a detox category.

You won't hear me complain if you're taking alcohol out of your life!

That’s one thing I don't recommend as an add-in approach to food and health. These detoxes can last for a month or maybe a few days, a week, they all vary. 

If the detox includes juices, then there will be little solid food in your diet. There might be recommendations to just go do something else if you get hungry, find an activity, take a nap.

There might even be a suggestion to start this on the weekend, cause if we’re kicking caffeine, which I’ve done a lot, well, damn straight YOU ARE GONNA BE TIRED.


Your relationship to food may not be your list of questions, but since this is a non diet podcast, I'm going to talk about this from my perspective.

Your first set of self coaching questions:

  • If you are interested in a detox, what are you detoxing FROM?

  • Are you targeting something? Mold toxicity? Mercury Toxicity?

  • Are you trying to lose weight?

  • What is your intention with this chosen practice?

  • Are you doing this as a general clean up of your system?

  • Do you think that you may have a mercury toxicity?

  • Do you think you have mold toxicity?

  • Do you suspect a digestive issue?

If your intention is weight loss, are you really just going on a diet?

Diets get dressed up as detoxes.
Anything restrictive will result in some loss on the scale.

Whether or not it’s water, muscle, or actual fat your guess is as good as mine.

What happens when you finish the general detox?

Many of you finish a detox after December, and by February you’re back in your old lifestyle habits. BEEN THERE!

Falling back into old habits could be a natural movement through the Stages of Change, where we do see cyclical behavior of regressing into old habits.

We then move back into the newly formed habits.

It’s a back and forth exercise, by processing how we feel or any “repercussions” of our behaviour.

In behavior coaching we call it “Normalizing Setbacks.” 

In life we call this LIVING

I’m not advocating for a detox for you.

I don't know you.

I don't run detox programs.

I do run the Fullness Method, and I invite you to book a discovery call to see if working with me is right for you.

Embarking on detoxes or cleanses just because you want to “get healthy” or work on your hormones, may create an even more negative relationship to food.

Second set of self coaching prompts:

If you have done a detox, ask yourself:

  • What has changed for me? 

  • What positive, sustainable behavior changes have happened for me?

  • Am I adding more fiber in my diet?

  • Am I taking care of my sleep hygiene in a better manner?

  • Am I managing stress better?

Assessing what works, and what doesn’t, is part of creating a full and happy menopause life.

 
Tanya StricekComment