Detoxification: Not a Detox

And the quiet daily work your body’s been doing behind the scenes.

You probably already have a reaction to the word.

Detox.

You think: Juice cleanses. Skinny teas. That weird week you ate only soup and thought it would fix everything.

And honestly? You’re right to side eye it. Because most of what’s sold as “detox” has nothing to do with the way your body actually works.

The truth is, your body is detoxing all the time.

Not in a dramatic, 3-day-reset kind of way. In a real, unglamorous, cellular way.

Daily Detoxification

It’s happening right now.

Your liver is taking compounds you’ve been exposed to, from the food you ate, the wine you drank, the air you breathed, the makeup you put on, the cortisol still floating from yesterday’s stress, and deciding what stays and what goes.

It’s tagging things for clearance. Breaking them down. Neutralising them. Packaging them up for the kidneys, the gut, the lymph.

This is not a bonus feature. It’s essential.

Because if your detox pathways fall behind, you feel it.

You might not recognise it as detox. But you’ll feel…

• Foggy, puffy, heavy.

• Reacting to smells or foods you used to handle.

• Hungover after just one drink.

• PMS that feels more intense than it used to.

• Skin that’s trying to tell you something.

• Moods that don’t move as easily.

• Energy that slumps at the wrong times.

These aren’t random. They’re signals. From a system that’s trying to process more than it has capacity for.

We live in a world full of inputs.

Some of them nourishing. A lot of them not.

And detoxification? It’s your body’s way of clearing what it never asked for.

It’s not just about toxins. It’s about excess.

Excess hormones. Excess histamine. Excess stress by-products. Excess stimulation. And all the other things your body holds onto when life doesn’t leave time to process.

The real work of detox happens in phases, and it needs support.

It needs amino acids. It needs antioxidants. It needs fiber. It needs movement. It needs hydration. It needs space.

It’s not activated by restriction. It’s supported by rhythm.

Eating enough. Pooping daily. Moving your body. Drinking water. Giving your liver what it actually needs:

• Cruciferous vegetables

• Herbs like coriander and rosemary

• Bitter greens

• Citrus peel

• Brassicas

• Sulfur-rich foods

• Flax, chia, and fiber to bind and carry it all out

This is what a real “detox” looks like. It looks like life working well.

So no, this isn’t about going on a cleanse. It’s about staying in relationship with your body’s capacity to process what it’s holding.

To clear what’s ready to be released. To let your chemistry come back to baseline. To create enough margin that your body can focus on more than just catching up.

Your body doesn’t need a detox. It needs daily support for detoxification. And maybe… a little less to carry.

Detox Daily: A Gentle Toolkit

What to Do	Why It Matters	Examples / Tips
Don’t forget your brassicas	Supports both Phase I & II detox enzymes	Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
Bitter is better (your liver thinks so)	Stimulates bile flow and supports liver clearance	Rocket, dandelion, coriander, parsley, rosemary
Water like you mean it	Keeps kidneys, lymph, and bowel moving efficiently	Filtered water, mineral water, herbal teas
Get your minerals the old-fashioned way	Cofactors for detox enzymes, support cellular resilience	Sea salt, leafy greens, sesame seeds, seaweed
Move it so you can lose it (gently)	Supports lymphatic flow, bowel motility, and cellular metabolism	Walking, stretching, rebounding, gentle strength
Don’t skip the exit strategy	Ensures toxins actually leave the body	Chia/flax, veg skins, fiber, stewed apples
Lower the noise where you can	Gives your system breathing room to catch up	Lower alcohol, synthetic fragrance, food additives
Make space for the exhale	Calms the nervous system so detox pathways can function efficiently	Slow meals, mindful exhale, space between commitments

For those who want a little more...

If you're someone who likes to see the whole picture, here’s how food compounds support detoxification, broken down by phase.

Your liver processes and clears in stages. Each one has its own role, its own rhythm, and its own nutrient needs. When the phases are balanced, everything moves smoothly. When they’re not, things back up.

Foods That Support Detoxification By Phase

Detoxifcation Phase I: Activation + Transformation

This is the liver’s prep phase, it uses enzymes to break toxins, hormones, and chemicals down into intermediate forms.

These intermediates can be reactive and inflammatory if not cleared properly, so this phase needs antioxidants and compounds that regulate the speed of activity.

Food	Key Compounds	Supportive Action
Citrus peel	D-limonene, flavonoids	Enhances enzyme activity, supports Phase I
Green tea	Catechins	Regulates enzyme speed, antioxidant support
Rosemary	Rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid	Balances Phase I activity, antioxidant support
Artichoke	Cynarin, bitters	Promotes liver enzymes + bile flow
Broccoli & cabbage	Glucosinolates, sulforaphane	Activates detox enzymes

Detoxification Phase II: Conjugation + Clearance

This is the liver’s clearing phase, where those reactive intermediates get packaged for removal.

It requires amino acids, sulfur compounds, methyl donors, and fiber to finish the job and prepare to safely eliminate waste.

Food	Key Compounds	Supportive Action
Beetroot	Betaine, antioxidants	Supports methylation, clears excess estrogens
Garlic & onions	Sulfur compounds	Fuels conjugation pathways + supports glutathione
Coriander & parsley	Chelating flavonoids, polyphenols	Binds heavy metals, promotes toxin clearance
Dandelion greens	Bitter compounds, inulin	Supports bile production + healthy bowel flow
Broccoli sprouts	Sulforaphane	Strong Phase II activator (especially GST pathway)
Artichoke	Bitter compounds	Dual support for Phase I + bile for clearance

Elimination: The Final Step

Once processed, toxins need to leave the body, via bile, urine, or stool.

If you’re not eliminating well, detoxification can backfire.

Food	Key Compounds	Supportive Action
Flax & chia seeds	Soluble fibre, lignans	Binds toxins and hormones for excretion
Stewed apples	Pectin	Gentle fiber to support bowel clearance
Hydration	Water + minerals	Flushes kidneys + lymph, maintains elimination rhythm

You don’t need a reset.

You need rhythm.

This work isn’t about restriction, it’s about restoration.

When you support the body’s natural detox processes, you get less buildup, less reactivity, and more room to feel like yourself.