Reducing your toxic burden can be the single most impactful way to swing the pendulum in the way you look and feel.
That's why I recommend that you do a deep-dive detoxification plan twice a year.
Remember, your body is always detoxifying… so you want to consistently provide the right support to support those efforts.
Some signs that you're carrying a heavy toxic burden include near-constant gut issues and trouble losing weight.
But when you do the right detoxification plan, you also heal your gut, cool down inflammation, and become the best fat burner.
Before You Lose Weight, You Need to Detoxify
Many people start a weight loss plan without addressing their body's toxic burden.
But here's the thing: Toxins are stored in fat.
When you lose weight, you release those toxins, which can lead to toxic overload.
If you’ve been a repeat dieter throughout your life, your body lowers its metabolism, holding onto fat and accumulating toxins.
A toxic burden also lowers your metabolic rate and thyroid function, making weight loss more difficult.
You need to minimize that toxic burden so you can lose weight successfully.
The Virgin Diet is the Solution
The Virgin Diet is the perfect way to support your body's detoxification efforts, heal your gut, cool down inflammation, and lose weight.
The foods, nutrients, and lifestyle strategies in this plan help find your hidden food intolerances.
Plus, The Virgin Diet helps you shift from being a sugar burner to a multi-fuel burner.
And when you're doing all that, you're also giving your body all the support it needs to detoxify.
We’re all hit with a ton of toxins every day. These chemicals are everywhere: In our food, water, cosmetics, household cleaners, and the air we breathe.
When you focus on these 5 essentials along with The Virgin Diet, you can feel confident that you're providing your body the support it needs for detoxification.
1: Clean, Lean Protein
Your liver converts toxins into water-soluble substances, which your body can then excrete.
Here's the take-home: Without amino acids like glycine, taurine, and glutamine, your liver cannot do this. As a result, your body may actually become more toxic. (1)
Many detox plans, which are little more than sugar water with a few added nutrients, miss this critical point. When you don’t get sufficient protein, your body may become more toxic.
A loaded smoothie is the best way to break your fast and get the protein your body needs to detoxify.
Need some new smoothie ideas? I’ve got over 50 delicious, easy-to-make recipes in this Loaded Smoothie Guide. (It’s free, so grab yours today!)
2: Fiber
Dietary fiber binds toxins, which you then eliminate (AKA poop).
Studies show that increasing dietary fiber supports gut health. Plus, a healthy gut positively impacts other detoxification organs too, including the liver and kidneys. (2)
My favorite fiber-rich foods include non-starchy, cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cabbage. Along with onions and garlic, these veggies also provide the mineral sulfur to boost detoxification.
Getting sufficient amounts of fiber can be hard with even the best-designed plan.
That’s why I recommend Extra Fiber. Every serving combines fiber derived from fruits, vegetables, roots, seeds, and tree extracts…including a prebiotic that supports the growth of friendly bacteria.* Altogether, it contains 12 types of fiber to create the ULTIMATE fiber product.
3: Intermittent Fasting
If you’re grazing all day on your detoxification plan (even on healthy foods), you’re keeping your insulin elevated. And high insulin levels lock the door on fat burning.
Intermittent fasting gives your hardworking gut a break. Fasting can support your liver’s ability to detoxify, too. (3)
Make sure your fast is at least 12 – 14 hours every day.
To do that, have a healthy dinner, close the kitchen, and then break your fast the following morning with a loaded smoothie.
You'll be sleeping eight or nine of those hours, so this overnight fast should be relatively painless.
I recommend that you to do an overnight fast every day. Occasionally, you might work up to a longer fast, including a 16 – 18 hour fast. That way, you get all of those detoxification benefits.
You can learn more about how to do intermittent fasting correctly and figure out which type works best for you in this blog.
4: Water
Water plays a significant role in detoxification, via supporting your body's perspiration and evaporation abilities. It also helps cleanse your skin and remove waste.
Water does so many other things, too. It helps muscle maintenance and recovery, and prevents dehydration that can cause fatigue and raise stress hormones.
When you’re dehydrated, your metabolism slows down, your stress hormones shoot up, and inflammation escalates.
That's exactly what you don’t want to happen when you’re trying to minimize your body’s toxic burden.
By the time you realize you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Don’t let that happen. Sip clean, filtered water throughout the day and always have some within arm’s reach.
How much water should you drink daily? Find out here
Always choose clean, filtered water. Tap water can contain lead and other nasty ingredients that may impair detoxification. (4)
Need a little zing? Try sparkling water with a little lime, or one of my faves, spa water with cucumbers and a little mint.
Limit the amount of water you drink during meals, because too much water can dilute the stomach enzymes that break down protein. Otherwise, drink up!
Green tea is also awesome for detoxification. It’s loaded with polyphenols that support the body’s antioxidant defense, plus the L-theanine is super calming. That’s why I drink 32 ounces of green tea daily.
And coffee lovers, you can keep your java when you detoxify… if it’s mycotoxin-free Bulletproof™ Coffee.
5: Sleep
No matter how great your detoxification program, you’re not going to get the biggest bang for your metabolic buck without stellar sleep.
Getting consistently great sleep helps your liver, kidneys, and gut detoxify more efficiently. But sleep can also support your brain’s ability to detoxify.
One study found that during sleep, a system called the glymphatic system can help the brain flush out toxins that can contribute to Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. (5)
The sweet spot for burning fat, building muscle, revving up your metabolism, and swimming downstream with your stress is 7 – 9 hours of consistent, quality uninterrupted sleep every night.
My Best Rest Sleep Cheat Sheet gives you my top tips to get consistently stellar sleep. Get yours FREE here.
When you use these five essentials as the foundation of your plan, you'll provide your body the support it need to detoxify and lose weight.
Remember what I said earlier: Your body is always detoxifying. You want to consistently provide the right nutrients to do that. And The Virgin Diet provides a solid foundation to detoxify and make you the best fat burner.
The views in this blog by JJ Virgin should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please work with a healthcare practitioner concerning any medical problem or concern. The information here is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or condition. Statements contained here have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
References
- Hodges RE, Minich DM. Modulation of Metabolic Detoxification Pathways Using Foods and Food-Derived Components: A Scientific Review with Clinical Application. J Nutr Metab. 2015;2015:760689. doi: 10.1155/2015/760689. Epub 2015 Jun 16. PMID: 26167297; PMCID: PMC4488002.
- Kieffer DA, Martin RJ, Adams SH. Impact of Dietary Fibers on Nutrient Management and Detoxification Organs: Gut, Liver, and Kidneys. Adv Nutr. 2016 Nov 15;7(6):1111-1121. doi: 10.3945/an.116.013219. PMID: 28140328; PMCID: PMC5105045.
- Wen H, Yang HJ, An YJ, Kim JM, Lee DH, Jin X, Park SW, Min KJ, Park S. Enhanced phase II detoxification contributes to beneficial effects of dietary restriction as revealed by multi-platform metabolomics studies. Mol Cell Proteomics. 2013 Mar;12(3):575-86. doi: 10.1074/mcp.M112.021352. Epub 2012 Dec 9. PMID: 23230277; PMCID: PMC3591652.
- https://www.nrdc.org/stories/whats-your-drinking-water
- Xie L, Kang H, Xu Q, Chen MJ, Liao Y, Thiyagarajan M, O'Donnell J, Christensen DJ, Nicholson C, Iliff JJ, Takano T, Deane R, Nedergaard M. Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain. Science. 2013 Oct 18;342(6156):373-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1241224. PMID: 24136970; PMCID: PMC3880190.
