How to Detox for Digestive Issues

Chances are, if you’re a woman, you probably suffer from digestive issues without even realizing the cause of your woes. 

Most ladies today struggle with weight loss. We try to exercise and count calories, but no matter what new fad diet we try, we can’t keep belly fat away. But what if I told you your weight loss troubles might result from a build-up of toxins in your digestive tract? And what if I told you that inability to release those toxins is caused by chronic stress, burnout, and potentially adrenal fatigue? 

It doesn’t just seem like women have a harder time losing weight than men, we really do. Unlike men, the female body is more susceptible to stress and toxins that cause digestive issues and lead to weight gain. The effects don’t always show up overnight, though—and low levels of chronic stress are the biggest culprit. 

In this post, I’ll show you the role stress and toxins play in your digestion and weight loss issues and how you can naturally detox for digestive health. Read on to learn how you can enhance your health, lose weight, and live happier. 

The Role of Toxins in Your Digestion Issues

Our lives are packed full of an ever-increasing number of  stressors. Environmental toxins are in our food, household cleaners, cosmetics, personal care items, and the air itself. Low-grade toxins even show up on most conventionally grown veggies and fruits today. Emotional and mental stressors are coming at us from every angle: work, home, relationships, finances, and social media. These toxins are just as important as environmental, and we need to work daily to detox both. 

 The toxins in your environment can cause your digestive system to stop working correctly, which studies show leads to weight gain, obesity, and a myriad of other issues (8). Chronic emotional and mental stress can not only cause your system to hold onto these toxins while focusing on survival, but it can also cause an increase in belly fat. 

What Happens When Your Digestive System is Not Working Properly?

When your digestive system isn’t working properly due to mental or physical stressors, your liver is overwhelmed with toxins. Some toxins can stick around longer than we can handle, which makes us feel sick and sluggish. The metabolism slows down, the nervous system goes into fight or flight, and before you know it, the build-up of toxins causes fluid retention, puffiness, bloating, fatigue, and more. 

Symptoms:

• Bloating
• Chronic, unexplained fatigue
• Gas/Burping
• Heartburn
• Irritated skin
• Leaky gut
• Weight gain
• Abdominal pain
• Chronic inflammation
• Constipation
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Diarrhea and vomiting 
• Mental confusion
• Feeling sluggish or slow
• Low-grade infections
• Menstrual issues
• Allergies
• Puffy or bags under the eyes

How Toxins Lead to Digestive Issues

The more toxins in your life, the more negative impacts these organs face. Food and your environment determine how heavy your toxic load becomes over time, and the toxicity then causes inflammation that leads to weight gain. 

How toxins lead to digestive issues is a complicated process, but it mostly takes place in your liver. The organ is responsible for converting toxins into highly reactive metabolites before excreting these toxins from the body altogether. Although the liver is the most impacted by toxins inside your body –  intestines, gallbladder, and pancreas are also vital organs that hold toxins in your digestive system. 

Healthy digestive systems break down your food and absorb the essential vitamins and nutrients they can, releasing the unusable foods in your daily bowel movements. When this one-way system isn’t working right, people most often experience:

• Indigestion
• Nausea
• Leaky gut
• Diarrhea
• Constipation 
• Irritable bowel syndrome

If the issues persist, an unhealthy digestive tract is even associated with:

• Allergies, particularly in regards to food
• Hemorrhoids
• Dehydration – we love our Hydration Superfood Energy powder for this 
• Diabetes
• Ulcers
• Chronic Diarrhea
• Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
• Small intestinal overgrowth
• Skin issues like Eczema or Psoriasis
• Heart and brain issues
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Obesity and weight gain
• Autoimmune conditions, like Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, and more
• Signs of liver disease

How to Treat Digestive Issues Caused by Toxins 

The only way to treat digestive issues caused by toxins is to remove or reduce your exposure and rid your body of toxic build-up. 

There are several natural ways you can attempt to rid your body of toxins before they cause digestive issues. Detoxification or a full-body cleanse are both ideal treatments for digestive issues caused by toxins while other natural strategies like eating the right foods and using supplements to improve gastrointestinal health can help. 

However, your body will only properly detoxify with the right foods, plenty of sleep, and proper hygiene.  

Benefits of Detox for Digestive Issues

A detox for digestive issues uses natural ingredients to flush toxins from your body. Digestive health is vital for your wellbeing, and you may find benefits from cleansing your:

• Liver
• Colon
• Intestines

Detoxes help you eliminate the unhealthy foods and toxins from your body before the pounds add up. They also boost your digestive health. Whatever toxins would normally grow inside you are expelled before they have time to cause harm. 

Studies show a detox cleanse can aid weight loss and benefit other factors that lead to obesity like chronic inflammation (9). Specialists also believe many chronic conditions are easy to avoid with proper digestive health. 

After a detox, people often feel more energized and have renewed vigor. Because stress and toxins hinder your body’s normal function, you might feel like your old self and bounce back into health. 

What Are Some Other Benefits of Detoxing for Digestion?

A digestion detox can also help cleanse the large intestine or colon, which is where your good bacteria break down the food. Colon cleansing helps with other digestive issues like constipation and irregular bowel movements. It even lowers your risk of colon cancer. Eating foods like broccoli and leafy greens can naturally help the colon detox. 

Digestive Issues and Detox Strategies

When it comes to finding a detox for digestive issues that’s right for your needs, consider what goes into your body. Your eating habits, nutritional supplements, and detox cures all play a role in your digestive health. The right strategy for you may depend on your lifestyle as well. 

Some people eat more greens or nuts rather than processed foods. Others use certain foods as laxatives to cleanse the body. Natural remedies like apple cider vinegar or ginger can aid negative symptoms. People also use detox diets to eliminate toxins from the body, which range from juice fasts to using supplements or diuretics. Then, cleanses are available for sale to detox either your full-body or a specific region like the colon. I’ll talk about some of the best later. 

Digestion and Detox: Natural Remedies

The following all-natural detox strategies can cleanse your body of toxins in no time. Remember that a healthy diet is vital for detoxification, so the first place to start is with your food choices. Then, explore natural detoxes and supplements. 

Natural Detox Strategies to Cleanse Your Body With Food

Fruits and veggies are the easiest way to cleanse the body. They’re an excellent source of fiber, water, phytochemicals, and other nutrients. Make sure to also buy organic fruits and vegetables with no chemicals over conventional produce. 

A gut cleanse diet is also beneficial for digestive issues. Eating certain foods that promote gut health and avoiding foods that make the problem worse is the easiest and most natural ways to alter your health. You can stick to the gut-healthy foods exclusively or swap out your favorite alternatives for problem-causing foods. 

Foods to boost gut health include:

• Fermented foods
• Bone broth
• Kimchi
• Apples
• Yogurt
• Garlic
• Barley
• Cacao
• Wheat bran
• Unripe bananas
• Coconut products
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Shirataki noodles
• Cooked vegetables
• Healthy fats
• Our vanilla-honey Beauty Collagen Complex powder

Avoid consuming the following gut-harmful foods:

• Alcohol – Too much alcohol isn’t good for anyone’s overall health, but research shows chronic alcohol consumption even alters your gut bacteria to cause liver disease (1). 
• Food additives – Often found in heavily processed foods that are high in fat and low in fiber, food additives cause intestinal inflammation and boost your chances of irritable bowel syndrome (2). 
• Artificial sweeteners – Plenty of studies on artificial sweeteners show they cause negative gut bacteria and other metabolic outcomes (3,4). Stick to real sugar in smaller amounts. 

And remove foods from your diet that are toxic or interfere with the detox process. Limit your intake of:

• Animal protein – Studies show all animal products, particularly red meat, create an unfavorable microbiome with too much bad bacteria (5). 
• Saturated fats – Research proves saturated and trans fats kill off good bacteria and increase bad bacteria (6). They’re often in processed foods or anything with a “low fat” label. Limit butter and fatty oils in favor of olive oil, avocados, and nuts as well.
• Carrageenan – A stabilizer in cheese, bread, milk, ice cream, jam, and lunch meat that causes gut inflammation in animals (7). Although researchers don’t know how a diet high in carrageenans affects humans, gluten, dairy, corn, and soy are all known to cause sensitivities that negatively affect the gut and allow more toxins to reach the bloodstream. 
• Fructose – Such as high-fructose corn syrup, fructose is an ingredient commonly found in fruit juice and soda. It contributes to chronic diseases and obesity (10). Try sticking to water as much as possible. 

Digestive Detox and Cleanses

Everyone should detox or cleanse at least once per year for the best results. Try our detox prep-in-a-box kit to prepare for your detox a month before to maintain your energy levels.  However, be cautious if you’re pregnant, nursing, or have a chronic disease. 

Day Digestive Detox

Throughout the day, there are a few things you can do to reset your diet. Detox by flushing your system with water. Then, make sure you consume three meals with real food, especially foods full of water, and get plenty of exercise to sweat out toxins. It’s a simple yet effective detox for bloating and the whole body. 

Herbal Detox Tea

Herbal teas, like water, are a homemade detox for digestive system issues. They flush out toxins and aid other symptoms naturally. Drink an afternoon cup of dandelion root herbal tea to boost digestive health, or try the following herbal tea blends for indigestion and nausea:

• Peppermint
• Ginger
• Lemon
• Licorice root

Juices and Smoothies

Fruits and veggies are full of fiber, which makes them the best detox for digestive system trouble. You can incorporate more of these foods through natural juices and smoothies as well as in each meal. This celery juice gut cleanse is easy to make at home, and you can freeze it in advance for an early morning cleanse. 

Full-Body Cleanse for Digestive Issues

A full-body cleanse can also quickly help digestive issues. Complete a formal full-body detox in the spring or fall. The process takes no less than a week to complete. 

Many programs include a fasting period where you only drink water or fruit and veggie juices for two days before following a carefully selected diet for the next five days. It allows the digestive tract to rest and reset, and it’s effective for releasing environmental toxins from the body. Some people also cleanse with smoothies. Just make sure they’re fresh-pressed smoothies with ingredients high in fiber, not sugar. 

How Do Full-Body Cleanses Work?

A full-body cleanse detoxifies the body by removing toxins from the blood located in the liver. It stimulates the liver, driving toxins out through the intestines, kidneys, and skin. Then, the cleanse improves blood circulation to pump your body full of nutrients. 

How to Select a Full-Body Cleanse for Better Digestion

While there are many full-body detoxification recipes and programs, the best detox cleanse for you will meet your individual needs. For a well-rounded full-body cleanse, you need to supplement whole, natural foods into your diet, avoid sugar, and eliminate foods you may notice causing sensitivities. 

For most people, a simple cleanse means doing little things every day to minimize the build up of toxins. This can look like:

• meditating or taking a walk in the morning
• taking an epsom salt bath at night
• getting your daily greens in with a delicious supplement 
• collagen (we’ll talk more on this below)
• doing something that lights you up every single day
• taking the weekend off social media
• avoiding processed foods and foods sprayed with chemicals
• hydrating with properly mineralized water

The Best Detox Supplements for Digestive Issues

Collagen is the best detox supplement for digestive issues because it actually repairs the gut lining. Our clinically-proven collagen, Beauty Collagen Complex, is a delicious vanilla honey supplement that you can easily add into your daily routine. Most people who struggle with adrenal fatigue, also suffer from leaky gut and food sensitivities. Daily use of our collagen will help heal the gut, promote energy, and brain clarity.

Our collagen really is unlike any other on the market. It’s not just a collagen—it’s also a supplement for stress management. With potent adaptogens to help make you more resilient to stress, our collagen will help heal digestive issues and adrenal fatigue at the root. Shop it here!

In addition to our collagen, pre and probiotics are both vital supplements popular today because they can repopulate the number of good bacteria in your gut and kill the bad. You can use these supplements to either allow the gut to heal or maintain a healthy digestive system before issues arise. Digestive enzymes and soluble fiber are other supplements that aid digestive health. L-glutamine repairs the digestive system too. 

You can also try:

• Natural Herbs – Peppermint as a tea, essential oil, or entree garnish soothes the digestive system. Ginger aids nausea, and slippery elm aids constipation. Dandelion root, lemon, and fennel also make great aids for digestion. Cilantro as a garnish also helps excrete heavy metal toxins. 
• Edible Aloe Vera Gel – Aloe can soothe the intestines when ingested three times per day. Make sure it’s the edible type!
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Mix apple cider vinegar in an 8-ounce glass of water and drink it before a large meal to aid digestion. 
• Activated Charcoal – Place this pill in a detox drink for digestive issues when you feel sluggish, and it will naturally remove toxins from your body, boost energy, and even clear your complexion. 

What’s the Best Way to Take Detox Supplements?

While taking a supplement can help your gut health, don’t rely on them to solve all your digestive issues. A nutritional supplement should never replace real, whole food. So it’s much better for you to eat an apple, for example, than to attempt to replicate the same benefits. 

Use supplements as intended (to supplement a healthy diet) and incorporate healthier choices in every meal for the best results. Never starve yourself or take more supplements than suggested.

Seek Other Digestive Detoxification Wellness Resources

Everyone is different, so the right nutrients and best detox for digestive problems may differ too. 

A nutritionist may be able to help you further understand your body’s food needs, and chiropractors or healthcare professionals can help patients figure out what nutrients (and how much) you need. They’ll also be able to tell if you suffer from a severe intestinal permeability like leaky gut and offer help for other digestive issues. 

If beyond digestive issues you also suffer with fatigue, brain fog, salt cravings, mood swings, and poor sleep, you may have adrenal fatigue. Take our quiz to find out. You can also sign up for our group coaching program to learn more about how we detox physically, mentally, and emotionally to heal burnout and chronic fatigue.

If you suffer from a digestive system-related health condition already, switching to a healthier diet can ease your suffering. You may also benefit from a detox cleanse or supplement when toxins start to build up. Pregnant or nursing mothers may also want to avoid detox. 

Always check with your doctor before self-treatment, as some medications may conflict and cause more harm. A professional can help you assess the right care for your needs.

Sources:

1. Mutlu, Ece A., et al. (2012). Colonic microbiome is altered in alcoholism. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3362077/
2. Neto, Heitor A. Paula, et al. (2017). Effects of Food Additive on Immune Cells As Contributors to Body Weight Gain and Immune-Mediated Metabolic Dysregulation. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5672138/
3. Suez, Jotham, et al. (2014). Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota. Retrieved from: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13793#
4. Suez, Jotham, et al. (2015). Non-caloric artificial sweeteners and the microbiome: findings and challenges. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19490976.2015.1017700
5. Singh, Rasnik K., et al. (2017). Influence of diet on the gut microbiome and implications for human health. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5385025/
6. Zhang, Mei, and Xiao-Jiao Yang. (2016). Effects of a high-fat diet on the intestinal microbiota and gastrointestinal diseases. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5083795/
7. Fahoum, L., et al. (2017). Digestive fate of dietary carrageenan: Evidence of interference with digestive proteolysis and disruption of gut epithelial function. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27718308
8. Latini, Giuseppe, Francesco Gallo, and Lorenzo Iughetti. (2010). Toxic environment and obesity pandemia: Is there a relationship? Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2823765/
9. Klein, A.V., and Kiat H. (2014). Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence. Retrieved from: https://www.bodybuilding-natural.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Detox-diets-for-toxin-elimination-and-weight-management-a-critical-review-of-the-evidence.pdf
10.  Pereira, Rodrigo Martins, et al. (2017). Fructose Consumption in the Development of Obesity and the Effects of Different Protocols of Physical Exercise on the Hepatic Metabolism. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409744/