Being motivated to get healthier and making the decision to commit to a detox program is great and requires a certain level of discipline. I love that people seek nutritional methods to lose weight and to feel better. However, I believe that most people don’t really know what is going on at cellular level and what detoxification really means. While it sounds super simple to drink a few juices for one or two weeks, and then seeing a lower number on the scale, it might actually do more harm then good to the body.

Here is a short and simple description of the detoxification mechanism in our bodies:

Metabolism of toxicants can occur in two phases:

Phase I: In this phase, toxins (pollutants, BPA, diet-derived toxins, etc.) are converted to more water-soluble forms by liver enzymes and prepared for removal from the body. These products of the first phase can be much more toxic than the original compounds.

Nutrients that are required for this phase include the antioxidant vitamins A and E, beta-carotene, CoQ10, important minerals such as Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, and Manganese, as well as the B-Vitamins.

Phase II: In this phase, additional groups that confer greater water solubility are introduced so that the products from phase I can be transported from liver cells. In the liver, the products enter either the biliary system or the blood, from which they may be removed by the kidneys and excreted in the urine.

Nutrients that are required for this phase include glucoronic acid, glutathione, sulfate, cysteine, acetate, glycine, and glutamine. These compounds are joined to products from the phase I reactions to make them even more water soluble, so that they can be excreted.

Any impairment in phase II can lead to accumulation of the more highly toxic intermediates that have been produced in phase I. It is very likely and common that phase I is overloaded and works faster than phase II. This is because we are exposed to environmental toxins such as car exhausts, food contaminants, and pesticides on a daily basis. All these toxins stimulate the phase I system to such a degree that phase II cannot keep up. As mentioned above, the phase I system can convert certain substances into more toxic compounds, many of which are pro-carcinogenic. These cannot be removed if phase I and II do not work in harmony, leading to an accumulation of toxins in the body.

Additionally, if there are deficiencies in any of the nutrients specific for each phase, it can further exacerbate the impairment of any of the two phases

You probably have heard many times that juice cleanses cause several undesired side effects such as weakness, fatigue, nausea, and basically just feeling horrible. Well these are obvious signs that the toxins that underwent the processes in phase I are rendered even more toxic and circulate in the bloodstream because they can not be removed from the body, due to improper function of the phase II detox system, and lack of protein in the diet, which toxins need to bind to for excretion. This accumulation of toxins can cause serious health problems.

When fasting/cleansing does make sense

There are definitely times when a fast or cleanse program is appropriate. “Cleansing” means purging the body of toxins and residues that have accumulated by using too many building/anabolic foods (high-protein, high-fat foods). While there should always be a balance between consumption of building and cleansing foods, people eat far more building foods than cleansing ones, which causes fat and toxin accumulation over time.

A common assumption is that quick cleansing is better and most people who are interested in quick results want to use the most rapid cleansing methods, such as juice cleanses. This can be valuable therapeutically in some cases, such as when the phase I and II detoxification systems function properly. However, in most cases, the slower, milder fasts with selected whole foods can bring remarkable healing to those who lead stressful lives. It is a method in moderation that minimizes the possibility of a post-fast binge and of drastically slowing down metabolic function and digestion.

The type of cleanse depends on the individual. It is important to know which foods to select for the fast. For instance, while those with signs of heat/excess (robust person, strong voice, dislikes heat) will benefit from raw vegetables, fruits, or fruit juices for fasting, individuals with signs of coldness/deficiency (chills, aversion to the cold, weak) would do better with a fast of cooked vegetables, with the addition of herb teas. In short, the program should be matched to the individual.

In any case, it is always best to work with a health practitioner who teaches you how to select the appropriate foods and supplements so that your program is effective and healing. Don’t waste your money on detox products if you are uncertain if your body actually requires them or negatively impact your health.

References:

1. Pitchford P. Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition. 3rd ed. Berkeley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books; 2002.
2. Lord RS. Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine. 2nd ed. Duluth, Ga.: Metametrix Institute; 2008.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson194.htm

The final aspects of recovery-supportive nutrition we will discuss are hydration and supplements. In order to recover and therefore, perform at our best, our diets must provide plenty of nutrients, including water and electrolytes for proper hydration. But with so much to consider, and with active bodies that have large nutritional demands, how can we make sure we’re actually obtaining everything we require from our diets? It can be difficult to obtain all the nutrients we need from food alone (plus, sometimes it’s just not even possible to know all we need and how much), so this is where nutritional supplements come into play. In this final post of our Maximizing Recovery with Nutrition series, we’ll talk about the importance of water and electrolytes and how you can fill gaps in your diet with quality nutritional supplements.

Nutrients: It seems we’ve discussed them all— we’ve gone over in detail the three macronutrients, talked about the importance of getting an abundance of micronutrients, and even focused on a few important vitamins and minerals in particular. But there’s one nutrient we didn’t touch upon— water, which is actually the most important nutrient in the body, and the most common nutritional deficiency in our country. Did you know that you could live about two months without eating food, but only a few days without drinking water? Proper hydration levels within the body are absolutely necessary for recovery and performance, but also for staying alive— the body depends on water to survive. In fact, water makes up 55-60% of our body weight, comprising the majority of our blood and cellular fluids. Without it, we just wouldn’t exist.

Water has many amazing, health-promoting benefits that directly impact performance and recovery— it improves oxygen delivery to our cells, transports nutrients, cushions and lubricates bones and joints, regulates body temperature, flushes toxins and wastes, and moistens oxygen to make breathing easier. It’s also crucial for digestion, elimination, and detoxification to occur.

In order for water to be absorbed, we also need electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals that break into small, electrically-charged particles (ions) when they dissolve in water. These ions carry electrical current, help maintain proper pH levels, and serve as cofactors for enzyme reactions in the body. Electrolytes such as sodium, magnesium, and potassium must be present in the right concentrations in order to maintain fluid balance in the body. They also play a role in maintenance of blood pressure, contraction and relaxation of muscles (including the heart), skeletal strength, joint integrity, and endocrine gland health, especially the adrenal glands. Water does not contain electrolytes, so we need to consume them (one of the reasons why it’s so important to get micronutrients in our diets!)

So even though water makes up over half of our bodies, we produce about only 8% of our daily water needs, so that means we must ingest the remaining 92%, and daily— water can’t be stored in the body! Water loss occurs when we sweat, go to the bathroom, breathe, and exercise, and we lose more the higher the temperature. If the water we lose isn’t replaced, we become dehydrated. And even just the tiniest level of dehydration can significantly impact our functioning— a drop of only 2% of the body’s water content causes fatigue, while a 10% drop will cause significant health issues… and over 10% loss can cause death! So if you’re not properly hydrated going into your intense workouts, think of how your strength, agility, speed, and recovery suffers!

How can you tell if you’re dehydrated? Early signs of dehydration include:
• Fatigue
• Little or less frequent urination
• Thirst
• Urine that is darker than usual (urine should be clear to light yellow)
• Little or no sweating upon exertion
• Muscle or stomach cramps
• Dry mouth
• Anxiety
• Headache
• Confusion
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Food cravings (particularly for salty foods)

Mature signs of more serious dehydration include:
• Joint pain
• Back pain
• Migraines
• Constipation

Don’t wait until you notice symptoms of dehydration to take action! In fact, feeling thirsty is a sign that you’re already slightly dehydrated! Actively prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of pure, clean water throughout the day, especially before, during, and after intense workouts. Be mindful of your intake of diuretic beverages— coffee, caffeinated teas, fruit juices, alcoholic beverages, and pre-workout drinks all cause the body to lose water at a quicker rate.

A good rule of thumb is to drink at least ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day (adding more if you exercise and/or drink diuretic drinks). If you’re exercising for long durations, it is helpful to weigh yourself pre- and post-workout to get an idea of how much fluid you’ve lost. Work to replace it over the following few hours, not all at once.

The body loses water faster than it loses electrolytes, so replacing these after exercise may not always be needed. Just make sure you’re getting adequate electrolytes in your diet daily by eating mineral-rich foods.
However, if you’re exercising intensely for over an hour per day, you may need to actively replace electrolytes— the longer and more intense your workout, the higher the temperature, and the more you sweat will determine how much you need.

Yet even when replacing electrolytes, you don’t need to rely on sports drinks and other bottled electrolyte beverages- they often are loaded with refined or artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and even processed vegetable oils! There are natural ways to get the electrolytes you need, such as unrefined Himalayan or Celtic sea salt, coconut water, salty foods like pickles, tomato juice, and olives, nuts and seeds, and certain fruits and vegetables including bananas, dark leafy greens, and potatoes. You can also make your own versions of electrolyte-replacement drinks using coconut water, fresh citrus juices such as lemon, orange, and lime, raw honey and/or molasses, and unrefined sea salt.

Now what about supplements?

Well, if you’re staying hydrated, eating nutrient-dense foods and digesting well, you should be getting most of the micronutrients you need from your diet, including electrolytes. Plus, remember that nutrients from real food are best— they’re not only abundant, but are absorbed and utilized better by the body. But it’s clear that high intensity exercise places high demands on the body— it causes extra water loss and demands more nutrients for repair. And some systems in the body take a hit more than others and therefore need extra nutritional support.

So here’s where nutritional supplements come in. Although there’s a supplement out there for every purpose and desire, it doesn’t mean you need them nor should rely on them. (You can’t out-supplement a crappy diet). Yet sometimes, we just can’t eat enough food to get everything we need, so we may need help getting the nutrition necessary to recovery and perform at our highest potential. Therefore to make up for deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals, or even to get help obtaining enough of our macronutrients, we can consider supplements. Particularly if you are a serious athlete, you may want to supplement with high-quality products that fill dietary voids to recover properly and be ready to go for your next workout or event.

If you’re very active and have performance goals, there are definitely some supplements you may want to consider adding into your nutrition regimen— to not only help you recover faster and increase your performance, but also assist with your overall health and functioning and therefore, positively affect mental clarity, energy, and body composition. Below is a list of the most common nutrients athletes need in high amounts that may be lacking even in the most nutrient-dense diet.

Fish oil/omega 3s: Simply put, our bodies need omega 3 fatty acids— for brain growth and development, anti-inflammation, heart health, and more. And because active individuals need to counteract the inflammation that ensues from intense exercise, we need even more. However, they are tough to get from food. The human diet thousands of years ago provided an abundance of foods rich in these fats, but our modern diet provides us with very, very little. Further, omega 3s need to be in a proper balance with omega 6s, and with the ever-increasing presence of vegetable and seed oils in our food supply and diets, most people consume very high amounts of omega 6 fats.

So unless you’re eating fatty wild fish like sardines and salmon daily, it’s tough to get enough omega 3s. A high-quality fish oil supplement is the best way to get the omega 3s your body needs. Capsules are great, but oil is often better absorbed by the body, especially if you have compromised digestion. Look for pure fish oil supplements made from wild fish, preferably those sustainably-harvested, free of contaminants, and without artificial flavorings or fillers (if in capsules). Be sure to check the omega 3 content as well as the levels of EPA and DHA— even though there is no RDA (recommended daily allowance), you want to obtain at least 1,000mg per day, and the more EPA/DHA, the better.

Minerals: Sure, we get a ton of minerals from our diets, but not only do our active bodies demand higher amounts (remember, electrolytes are minerals), some are a bit tougher to get due to changes in food production and the trend of modern diets. For example, soil was once rich in minerals but due to the progression of agriculture and use of pesticides and fertilizers, it is now very depleted, therefore depleting the minerals in food it grows. Secondly, traditional diets of our ancestors relied heavily on all parts of the animal, including offal. Today, we eat mostly muscle meat and therefore, miss out on the mineral-rich organ meats that were once dietary staples!

To cover your electrolyte bases, you can add in a trace mineral supplement— usually these are a liquid or powder that you add to a beverage. But two minerals we need for recovery and are especially likely to be deficient in are magnesium and zinc. As we discussed in Part II of our series, these minerals have huge roles in our health. Magnesium is needed for energy production, nerve conduction, and muscle relaxation, while zinc plays an important part in endocrine function, tissue growth and repair, collagen formation, and stomach acid production. Supplementing your diet with these two minerals may not be a bad idea, particularly on days you work out— magnesium can help you relax and settle down in the evening, while zinc can support digestion and absorption of all the good food you’re eating.

But how do you know what kind to take? There are many forms of both minerals— citrate, oxide, glycinate, orotate, sulfate, and more. These words just describe what agent the mineral has been attached to so that it can be absorbed into the body. Each has its pros and cons, so it’s important to do some research and talk to a qualified medical or nutrition professional to figure out the best version and dosage for you.

Vitamin D: Although classified as a vitamin, vitamin D acts more like a hormone in our bodies. It’s crucial for overall health and vitality, acting as an important immune modulator and working to keep bones strong. Deficiencies have been linked with health issues like depression, osteoporosis, Crohn’s Disease, Celiac Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. Unlike other vitamins, it is very difficult to get vitamin D from food, let alone in the amounts we need. Further, foods fortified with vitamin D (such as pasteurized milk), contain the plant-based vitamin D2, which is a form not well-absorbed by our bodies.

The best way to get vitamin D is from the sun— we manufacture it from UVB rays, which convert a form of cholesterol in our bodies into vitamin D3, which is then turned into the active form, vitamin D. Since most people, especially in northern climates, do not get enough sun exposure, deficiency is common and supplementation is usually necessary. There are RDAs for vitamin D according to age and other factors, so these numbers are guidelines to follow, but many agree that they are fairly conservative.

You can find out how much vitamin D to supplement with by having your calcidiol or 25(OH)D levels checked. If you are very deficient, your doctor may even prescribe a high dose to bring levels back up. Make sure when buying D supplements you look for D3, not D2— it’s not only more effective at correcting low levels, but our bodies prefer it. And remember, since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it can be stored in the body so high dose supplementation is not often necessary long-term. Once your levels return to optimal range, a low, maintenance dose will likely be all that’s needed.

Digestive support: If you read Part IV of our series, you’ll know just how crucial healthy digestion is for recovery but also overall health. And you’ll also know that due to our modern lifestyles (stress) and diets (refined carbs and food allergens), many of us have compromised digestive systems to begin with. Throw in an abundance of food, and now the digestive system is really overloaded! Certain supplements, such as probiotics and digestive enzymes, can help us get our digestive systems working efficiently so that we can get all the benefits of the food we eat.

Start with probiotics. Everyone needs good bacteria in their digestive tract, and again, our modern diets don’t really provide us with much! Even if you include fermented foods (like kombucha tea and raw sauerkraut) in your diet daily, the bacteria present don’t stick around long— they do their jobs and then leave the body. In order to make sure we’re colonizing our gut microbes and sustaining healthy bacteria, taking a probiotic supplement is a good idea.

But probiotic supplements are often confusing— we see varying numbers in the millions and billions and difficult-to-pronounce words like Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces boulardii. What do they all mean? Well first of all, the numbers describe the amount of bacteria in the supplement, while these funky words describe just what types of bacteria are present. Generally, the higher the number, with the more strains, the better. Start small and work your way up and vary the strains you consume. An effective approach to doing this would be each time you finish a bottle of probiotics, try another brand with different strains. Research shows that the more diverse your gut microbiome (the environment of microorganisms in your digestive tract), the healthier your body is.

Another way to support your digestive system is with enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions. Nature intended for us to eat live enzyme-rich foods and chew them properly so food arrives in our stomachs essentially “pre-digested”— but most people don’t do either! Most of the food we eat is cooked and therefore, enzyme-deficient. So, the body tries to compensate by producing more digestive enzymes in the pancreas, which can become overly stressed.

A digestive enzyme supplement can do wonders for recovery and overall health. It can help take some of the burden off of your digestive organs and maximize the extraction of nutrients from your food. Simple plant-based digestive enzyme supplements such as bromelain are very safe and cost-effective to give your system a little boost. For more potent enzyme assistance, you may want to look into broader-spectrum supplement, such as those that include enzymes like protease, lipase, amylase, cellulose, and/or lactase to digest proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fibers, and lactose (for those who eat dairy). There is an enzyme supplement for whatever your degree of need may be— some contain ox bile to assist a sluggish or non-existent gallbladder, while some contain betaine hydrochloride with pepsin to assist those of us with low stomach acid levels. And lastly, enzymes can be vegetable-based or animal-based, which you prefer depends on your needs!

Protein supplements
Post-workout nutrition has great potential to promote recovery and help build lean muscle mass over time. This post-workout “window” (generally agreed to be within 30-60 minutes of completion of exercise) should be taken advantage of to maximize recovery, but also performance and body composition goals. Fast-digesting carbohydrates and protein (in ratios between 1:1 and 4:1, depending on training and goals) should be consumed to maximize glycogen repletion and tissue rebuilding. Although real food is best, sometimes, we just don’t have immediate access to it post-workout. Unless you can (or actually want to) scarf down grilled chicken breast post-workout, a protein powder is often a good idea. It’s easily portable and quick and easy to consume after a grueling workout.

With protein powder like any other supplement, quality and ingredients are key— not all powders are created equal! Since animal proteins are complete proteins (meaning they contain all essential amino acids) and contain a favorable amount of BCAAs (branched chain amino acids Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine known to assist with muscle protein synthesis), a whey protein (isolate or hydrolysate in particular) is often your best bet. And thankfully, there are many companies now making such powders from high-quality grass-fed dairy. However, many people are sensitive to dairy proteins. In this case, you can try an egg white protein, which will also have a good amount of BCAAs. Vegan powders are a third option— rice, pea, hemp protein powders are widely available and mix easily with water well.

Regardless of the type of protein powder you choose, always look for those with few ingredients (5 or less is good, but 3 or less is best). Avoid artificial flavoring and sweeteners as well as corn or soy fillers. Look for 18g of protein or more per 30g serving— this means at least 60% of the powder is actually protein.

Most importantly, just as with food, always be aware of what’s in your nutritional supplements. Read labels and inspect ingredients lists. Do your research— not only what is in your supplements, but also on who is manufacturing and selling them. Do they have your best interests in mind? Are they trying to lure you in with extreme marketing, multi-level-marketing schemes, or false promises? Are they telling you a supplement is absolutely necessary, even though you know you can obtain that nutrient in food? Be mindful and aware of everything you put in your body!

Lastly, the most important thing to consider is your unique bio-individually. Everyone is different— we have different needs, goals, lifestyles, preferences, health history, and even microbiome composition. This means that like dietary needs, supplemental needs vary from person to person. Depending on these factors and more (such as genetic make-up, hormonal imbalances, and specific nutritional deficiencies), you may need different supplements, at varying amounts. This is where it’s helpful to dig deeper— work with a qualified medical and/or nutrition practitioner to determine just what you need to maximize your recovery, and your health, with nutrition.

Ah digestion— a favorite topic in the health and nutrition fields recently, especially within the paleo world. But, not without reason: healthy, efficiently-functioning digestion is absolutely necessary for good health. It means abundant nutrient absorption and complete elimination of wastes and toxins, but also improved energy levels, less sugar cravings, and even better mood. (Sure, think of how crappy you feel when you’ve got digestive issues going on… but also, did you know the gut contains the largest amount of neurotransmitters, second to the brain?) Healthy digestive function also supports healthy immune function, therefore, reducing unwanted inflammation and allowing our immune systems to focus on the things they should be tending to. When you’re very active, with performance goals especially, all of these things are non-negotiable if you want to reach your goals without negatively affecting your health.

Think about it: You could be eating the healthiest, most nutrient-dense diet with macro ratios perfectly crafted for you— but if you’re not properly digesting your food and utilizing the nutrients from that food, are you really getting all the benefits? Likely not. We need to extract nutrients from food in order to rebuild and replenish. If you’re eating foods that are inflammatory for you and placing stress on your immune system, are these foods still health-promoting? Not really. Chronic inflammation interferes with every process in the body. Plus, intensive training can suppress the immune system, so we especially need to support it. So while good nutrition is a crucial foundation for optimal recovery (and of course, performance and overall health), we can never forget about digestion, and how it ties to immunity.

The phrase “you are what you eat,” is more complicated than it sounds. You are actually what your body does with what you eat. So in order to reap all of the benefits from our food, we must support our abilities to digest and use it. And this not only means maximizing nutrient absorption, but reducing inflammation and supporting the immune system as well. To support recovery, we need to be able to digest proteins into amino acids needed to build muscle tissue, make neurotransmitters, and produce hormones. We need to be able to breakdown carbohydrates into glucose in order to make glycogen and fuel our bodies. We must be able to digest fats into fatty acids needed to reduce inflammation, build cell membranes that allow nutrients in and wastes out, cushion joints, and provide long-burning fuel for workouts. We even need to be able to digest in order to obtain nutrients needed for the processes of digestion— it’s a never-ending cycle!

So how do our bodies digest food, extract nutrients, and eliminate wastes? Digestion is a process that occurs from north to south, actually beginning in the brain. When we perceive food with our senses, the brain notifies the digestive system to get ready. We need to be in a calm, relaxed state in order to digest properly. Then, when we begin the process of eating, chewing mechanically breaks down food and mixes it with saliva, which contains digestive enzymes. From the mouth, food travels through the esophagus to the stomach, where it meets with hydrochloric acid (stomach acid), which further digests the food. Hydrochloric acid helps to digest proteins, but also kills off pathogens and lowers the pH of the food (which is now partly-digested and referred to as “chyme”) so that it is acidic enough to pass into the small intestine.

From the stomach, the chyme moves through the duodenum into the small intestine, where it meets with more enzymes from the pancreas, and bile secreted from the gallbladder, which helps to breakdown fats and eliminates wastes. Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream, and the leftover liquid passes through to the large intestine, or colon. Excess water is recycled and the undigested food is prepared to be eliminated. It meets with mucus and bacteria that live in the colon (which also help produce vitamins and keep the lining of our intestines healthy) forms into fecal matter as it moves through the colon, to the rectum, to be eliminated from the body.

So what happens when we don’t digest properly? If we eat rushed, standing up, or on-the-go, our bodies are in a fight-or-flight mode and cannot relax enough to digest well (ever hear the word “agita”?) If we don’t chew our food properly, we lose the opportunity to break down food in our mouths and therefore, the rest of our digestive organs need to work a little harder. If our stomach acid or digestive enzyme levels are low, we can’t properly breakdown food and kill bacteria. In particular, we don’t properly digest proteins (which then arrive to the intestines intact, increasing the odds that they will get into the bloodstream). If we don’t have a healthy balance of gut bacteria, we are more prone to food allergies, bacterial overgrowth, and colds and viruses! Gut bacteria promote normal digestion, provide protection from infection, and even help regulate metabolism, weight, and mood.

Digestion dysfunction can occur as a result of chronic stress (emotional or physical, like overtraining or under-recovering), food sensitivities, diets high in refined grains and sugars and industrial oils, and use of certain medications such as antacids, antibiotics, and oral contraceptives. All of these things can deplete stomach acid and enzymes, damage the intestinal lining, harm good bacteria, and slow or stall elimination from the colon. This therefore creates opportunity for harmful bacteria to overgrow, sets the stage for leaky gut, and makes food and environmental allergies, increased cortisol levels, and a depressed or overactive immune system more probable— all which negatively impact recovery!

How can you know if your digestive function needs a little help? The following are some tell-tale symptoms that something is going on in your GI tract that warrants some attention:
• Heartburn/acid reflux (which, contrary to popular belief, is a sign of low stomach acid, not high!)
• Nausea
• Chronic constipation and/or diarrhea
• Abdominal pain (particularly after eating)
• Bloating and/or gas after eating

However, many symptoms of food intolerances actually aren’t digestive in nature. Many show up in other areas of the body, mainly the immune and nervous systems, such as:
• Acne, eczema, and/or unexplained rashes or hives
• Keratosis Pilaris (“chicken skin” on the backs of the arms)
• Seasonal and/or food allergies
• Sinus congestion and/or recurring infections
• Asthma
• Joint and/or muscle pain
• Brain fog
• Fatigue (especially after meals)
• Headaches/migraines
• Dizziness
• Autoimmunity

If any of the steps of digestion are impaired, the entire digestive process is impaired. Digestive dysfunction, just like function, occurs north to south (think of it as a domino effect), so we absolutely must support healthy digestive function from beginning to end. The best way to do so is with nutrition! What we eat (and how) can support stomach acid, digestive enzyme, and bile production, healthy gut flora, tissue integrity, and efficient elimination of waste. Above all, focus on sitting down, relaxing, and slowing down while eating. Once you’ve got that covered, focus on adding digestive-supportive foods, such as any of the following:
• Raw apple cider vinegar
• Fresh lemon or lime juice (can be added to water or tea)
• Tea made with ginger, peppermint, and/or fennel
• Fermented foods (such as raw sauerkraut, kombucha tea, and dairy or coconut kefir)
• Dark leafy greens and fresh herbs (which particularly support the liver)
• A variety of healthy, natural fats (We need fat in order to make healthy bile and therefore, digest fat!). Grass-fed butter/ghee and coconut oil are especially nourishing!
• Beets (which help to thin bile so that it flows!)
• Glycine-rich foods such as bone broth, collagen/gelatin, and organ meat
• Digestive bitters (tinctures made from bitter herbs that when ingested prior to eating, help stimulate secretion of digestive enzymes)

Bonus— by supporting healthy digestion, you automatically support healthy immunity! Why? Well, the digestive and immune systems are very closely interconnected. The majority of the immune system is actually located within the digestive tract— the gut hosts over 70% of the body’s immune tissue, known as the “gut-associated lymphoid tissue,” or GALT. The GALT is made up of different types of lymphoid tissues that store immune cells which carry out attacks and produce antibodies. When pathogens (foreign substances such as viruses, bacteria, and even, in certain instances, food) enter the body, antibodies are produced, which attract white blood cells that neutralize toxins.

Yes, the immune system reacts to food! Why? Antibodies are produced in response to proteins— foreign proteins like viruses and bacteria, but also whole proteins that come from foods that have not been properly digested before they reach the intestines. The gut aims to keep foreign substances from entering the body. The intestines are “selectively permeable,” meaning they control what they allow into the bloodstream (certain digested nutrients) and what they do not by opening the tight cell junctions of the intestinal wall. So when this wall is compromised— by diet, stress, medications, food allergies, poor digestive function, etc.— the lining becomes worn down and now proteins not normally allowed into the bloodstream (i.e. undigested food proteins) can escape (a condition termed “leaky gut”).

Once the immune system makes an antibody specific to any protein (including food proteins), it will react any time that protein enters the body. This is great when we contract a virus, but when we develop food allergies due to digestive dysfunction, it’s not so fun, especially if we constantly expose our bodies to them. If many pathogens are getting into the body (what happens with leaky gut), the immune system becomes overwhelmed, overworked, and depleted. Now, nutrients are not properly absorbed, the gut lining becomes more vulnerable, food allergies start piling up, and viruses, fungi, and bacteria begin to multiply in the unhealthy GI tract. Digestive dysfunction and inflammation continue to be fueled, and the immune system just can’t keep up with its normal functions.

Yes, acute (short-term) immune system responses are favorable and beneficial— inflammation is how our bodies heal. However, constant immune responses lead to chronic and systemic inflammation— affecting not only how well we recover from exercise, but how well our bodies perform down to a cellular level. Chronic inflammation interferes with every normal process in the body! So if there’s digestive distress and heightened immune activity, proper recovery is likely not occurring. Plus, issues like migraines, chronic fatigue, inflammatory joint disorders, and certain autoimmune diseases are made more likely— all definitely interfering with how we recover.

So what can we do? Well, in addition to supporting healthy digestive function as previously discussed, we can use nutrition to further support the immune system and decrease inflammation. What does this mean?

• Learn about common inflammatory foods/allergens such as grains, legumes, and dairy. The proteins in these foods, particularly gluten and casein, are large and therefore, very difficult for even a healthy digestive system to digest! Since today, digestive dysfunction is so common (especially due to chronic stress and refined diets), many individuals cannot digest these proteins properly.
• Find out how these foods personally affect you. The only true way to know if you have a food intolerance or allergy is to eliminate it for a period of time and then re-introduce it, paying attention to how any symptoms change. (You can be sensitive, or even allergic, to a food without having digestive symptoms!) This is where a strict paleo challenge is a good idea! Know that removing certain foods doesn’t need to be forever (often times, food intolerances subside once you restore healthy gut function), but most people find they feel best without them. Try it, if you haven’t already!
• Remove processed foods from your diet, particularly sugars and vegetable oils, which are inflammatory by nature!
• Avoid (or at least limit) consumption of alcohol. (It not only is inflammatory, but also dehydrates the body and places a burden on the liver, therefore stalling fat loss!) If you do drink, make sure you’re properly hydrated.
• Sure, keep that daily cup of coffee (it does have antioxidant properties), but don’t go crazy! Too much caffeine places stress on the immune system by affecting the adrenals, especially when we feel we rely on it for “energy.”
• Support healthy immune function and the body’s natural anti-inflammatory process by adding some, or all, of the following foods into your diet:
o Foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids such as salmon, sardines, flaxseeds, and chia seeds
o Immune-supportive herbal teas such as dandelion, nettles, green, or Echinacea
o Turmeric and ginger (which are anti-inflammatory powerhouses!) (fresh roots are best, but dried are also great)
o Foods rich in vitamin C, zinc, and/or vitamin D