The Top Three Mistakes People Make When Detoxing

Welcome to the top three mistakes people make when detoxing and what to do instead.  My name is Donna Williams and I’m the owner of wocdetox.com. Let’s quickly get some housekeeping out of the way.



This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being provided to educate you about how to take care of your body and as a self-help tool for your own use so that you can reach your own health goals.


It is not intended to treat or cure any specific illness and is not to replace the guidance provided by your own medical practitioner. This information is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgment. If you suspect you have a medical problem, we urge you to take appropriate action by seeking medical attention.


My Qualification

https://www.wocdetox.com/mistakes-people-make.html
For those of you who don’t know me I became an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach in 2018 even though I created a high blood pressure website in 2009. It is all about the many ways you can manage your high blood pressure, when I was diagnosed, my many dangerous side effects, how I was able to overcome high blood pressure and now maintain normal numbers.

Wocdetox.com was created in 2019 to continue my maintaining vibrancy along with my ageless beauty, hah, hah!! and have been helping so many people on their journey in achieving their glow; while gaining momentum ever since.


One more thing I want to talk about briefly before we jump into the top three mistakes people make when they detox, (myself included!), is to give a brief definition of a detox and let you know why I’m even encouraging you to try one in the first place.


Compare A Detox And A Cleanse

You might be wondering what the difference is between a detox and a cleanse. By definition, detoxification is the metabolic process by which toxins are changed into less toxic or more readily excretable substances. You also might know of detoxes happening when people are getting off of addictive substances.

 

Cleansing is defined in the dictionary as making something clean, but when thinking in terms of bodily function, the term cleanse is used more often when a program is specifically targeted toward cleaning out and toning certain organs in the body, and most often the digestive system. Many cleanses and detoxes use properties from both in their programs.

 

For the purposes of this page on mistakes people make, I’ll be using the terms interchangeably.

 

Okay, now that we’ve gotten the definitions out of the way, let’s talk about why it’s important to detox.  


The reality is that we live in an increasingly toxic world. Now, we have a choice to bury our heads in the sand and pretend it isn’t happening or we have a choice to pay attention and do what we can to keep ourselves as healthy as possible.

 

We’re exposed to toxins on a daily basis, and our bodies are built to process a certain toxic load each day. It does this by flushing out chemicals and toxic substances through our colon, our lungs, our kidneys and even our skin.

 

We run into problems when we’re over-exposed to toxins and our bodies can’t keep up. Your livers are responsible for organizing the toxins that enter your system and then distributing them to one of the four channels of detoxification.


In fact, if you notice that you have dull skin or breakouts, you’re likely in need of a detox because the skin is the body’s last-resort, and least efficient, detox organ. When things start coming out through the skin it’s because the body is starting to get desperate. 

 

When the liver gets overloaded, its primary job is to keep you safe from the overflow of toxins because those, as you likely know, cause all kinds of damage to our bodies. 


The way the liver KEEPS you safe, however, is not so awesome: it actually wraps up those toxins in a ball of mucus and stores it in a fat cell. YUCK! The reason so many people have trouble getting rid of fat in certain places is because the fat cells can’t be burned while they are holding a toxin inside.

 

A detox or cleanse program helps by letting your liver activate those toxins that are stuck in your belly fat and other fat cells throughout your body. Once those toxins are re-activated they move into the blood stream to be dumped out of the body.


This is great because the toxin is being removed from your system, AND your body is now able to burn up the fat cell that has been storing the toxin. It is a double win.

 

Finally, and this is actually the reason that I think is the most important, and that is a detox or a cleanse can re-set your eating habits. 

 

Have you ever noticed how once you start eating junk it is really easy to let yourself continue eating junk? It’s like when you have something not so great at breakfast, then at lunch you think, well, I’ve already ruined the day so I might as well keep going. 


Why is that? Why does that seem like such a good idea? Then you promise yourself that you are going to start a diet the next morning, and before you know it you are buying stock in McDonald’s because you’re eating there every other day. 


If you have EVER caught yourself doing something like that, then a simple detox could be a really good idea for you to get back on track with your eating habits.

 

It’s something I do on a fairly regular basis – half-yearly to quarterly – to help me up my game when it comes to what I’m putting in my body. And it’s something I am extra sure to be aware of as I am heading into the long holiday season and cold and dark winter when sweet treats and fatty foods are more tempting than ever.


Top Three Mistakes People Make

Now, let’s talk about the three mistakes people make the most, especially those that are detox beginners. 

 

The funny thing about these mistakes people make are that they are not your fault! In fact, when I made these mistakes, I was doing something that detox and cleanse experts were telling me to do.


The reality is that their models just didn’t work for me. The real learning here is for you to allow yourself to make the choice about detoxing that’s right for YOU, no matter what any expert, including myself, tells you. 


Mistake #1 - Doing A Detox That Is Too Complex

So, I’m one of those people who want to be good at everything they try – now! That’s natural for many of us.


Super Foods. https://www.wocdetox.com/mistakes-people-make.html

With detoxing, this gets a little tricky. Most of us have really complex relationships with food. The challenge with food is that we can’t avoid it – we need to eat several times a day to stay nourished and healthy. For many emotional and addictive eaters, this is where the problem lies: you can’t give up the thing that is soothing your pain.

 

A detox is an incredible opportunity to look at your eating habits from an analytical perspective. Most of us have attachments to certain foods, whether it is sugar, or potato chips, or a glass of wine or cocktail at the end of the day. 

 

Many detox programs require you to give up a LOT of foods at once. Some even require that you give up food altogether and live on just juice for weeks.


The reality is that most of us don’t have the opportunity to take a week or ten days on a regular basis where someone cooks all our food for us or gives us a massage a day. That does not mean you can’t detox anyway! There are plenty of one, three- and five-day detox programs that are quick to administer and deliver REAL results.

 

Even better, there are plenty of detox programs out there that take a lot of the work out of it for you. In fact, I no longer will do detox programs that don’t help me out by giving me lots of ideas for what to eat and tips and checklists to make my detox program easier. 

 

I remember I once did a program that lasted 7 days and I only got three sample recipes! What? I remember being so confused about what to eat and gave up halfway through because I just couldn’t figure out what was allowed and what wasn’t. 

 

The moral of these mistakes people make are that when you’re searching for a detox program, be sure to choose one that gives you more information than you ever think you’ll need so that you aren’t left feeling frustrated and stuck.


Mistake #2 - Going It Alone

Have you ever tried to use willpower to get yourself to do something? How did it go? Were you able to get what you thought you needed or did you end up in worse shape than when you started off?


Mature Woman. https://www.wocdetox.com/mistakes-people-make.html

Oh man. I’ve soooo done this one! I’ve tried to do detoxes all on my own and it never ends well. When I rely on my willpower and my attempts to ‘force’ myself to stick to a diet, I end up just feeling frustrated, alone, and ticked off. 

 

When you really think about it, it’s kind of silly, but for me food is about inclusion and friendship and relaxation.  When I have detoxed all on my own before, it felt like a jail sentence that I couldn’t wait to have end. It really stinks to be eating food that is totally different from what your friends and family are eating!

 

The solution: NOW, I’ve figured out that it is really important to get a few buddies together so we can support each other as we detox. Or, more often, I join a group detox where there’s a leader and where I’m able to connect with other detoxers. 

 

Considering the amount of connectivity we have these days with our smart phones and laptops, you’re able to find a group detox no matter whether you live in a really densely populated city or if you’re out in the country. 

 

Even if it’s just you and your spouse or you and your best friend agreeing to do the detox together, having a support system in place increases your chances of success so much! You’re so much less likely to ‘cheat’ if you know that you’ve got someone on your side.


And it’s even easier to stick to a detox if you’re using an easy to follow program with real food, with connection to a group, and with the chance to connect with some kind of leader. 

 

Regardless of what kind of detox feels right for you, give yourself the benefit of having a cheer section to help you keep going when the going gets tough.

 

I’m also going to be sharing with you how you can get a really great supportive program after we talk about mistake #3.


Mistake #3 - Punishing Yourself

I have had so many people tell me that they are nervous about what’s going to happen to them if they detox. They worry about being hungry, or getting too tired, or frankly of spending too much time in the bathroom. Let’s be really clear about one thing: detoxing has a negative connotation in some circles that doesn’t have to be there.


It is absolutely NOT necessary to do a hard core cleanse or detox that forces you to suffer to get a benefit from detoxing. Many detoxes are in my opinion, actually far more dangerous and damaging for most people than effective.  


Gentle and whole food based detoxes are incredibly effective and they are more likely to help you make a lasting change that impacts your health over the looong term.


Lemon. https://www.wocdetox.com/mistakes-people-make.html

Because seriously, what’s the point of doing a lemon juice cleanse if you’re so miserable halfway through that you just give up and dive into a bag of cookies? This is actually one of the worst things you can do because with the lemon juice cleanse you’ve pushed your body into believing you are starving. 

 

And guess what happens when you eat something when your body thinks you’re starving? That’s right – your body stores that food as fat immediately to protect you from impending starvation and death. Ugh! SO frustrating! 

 

Another thing I want to mention with regard to punishment is that I encourage you to choose a detox that you WANT to do. Not one that you SHOULD do or your FRIEND did or your mentor did. Choose one that feels right to you and your needs. 


Allow yourself the opportunity to work up to a bigger cleanse or detox program. Listen, very few people are capable of taking on difficult physical challenges like running a marathon without a lot of TRAINING AND LEARNING. Let your detox experience be the same, and I promise you won’t feel like you’re deprived and suffering. 


Before I recap the three mistakes people make, I wanted to take a quick intermission to talk about what I mentioned earlier and that is how you can go deeper into a super supportive, gentle, and effective detox program I offer.

 

You may already know that I’m uniquely qualified to talk about what beginners need to do to detox because I’ve had many clients who had never tried a detox program before successfully complete my detox program. 

 

I have to tell you, it’s been fun! I remember what it felt like to start my first detox – I was worried I wouldn’t be able to stick to the diet, wondering what on earth I would eat, and frankly, I knew in the back of my head that I was very likely to cheat. And we all know how that turned out. Ha ha. 

 

If your curiosity is piqued about detoxes now but you’re nervous about trying your first one on your own, then definitely keep listening. I’d like to invite you all to join me for anyone of my Five Day Detox for Beginners. 


The 5-Day Detox for beginners is different because it focuses on real, whole foods. You won’t be forced to make huge leaps in your diet (unless you really want to!) and you’ll be able to use these recipes again and again.

 

It’s also important to me to keep your budget in mind, which is why the supplements on the 5-Day detox are completely optional. Yes, they definitely will help you detox on a deeper level, but I’ve created a really cool ‘priorities’ list so you can see which supplements are the most important and which ones are beneficial but not necessary.


The 5-Day Detox for Beginners also includes tons of support. As I’ve already mentioned, this is one of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started out – going it alone.


Although this works for some people, I just happen to be one of those people who does better when I’m held accountable and when I have a place I can go to get support and ask questions when I’m stuck. 

 

If you happen to be on your computer right now, you can go ahead and go the registration page for (according to whatever season we are in) anyone of my seasonal 5-Day detox for beginners. 

 

As you can see, there’s a LOT of information on this page, but I want to make sure I quickly share a couple of important facts.

 

OPTIONAL: Now, one thing that’s NOT on this page is a really awesome bonus when you sign up. As a special bonus, I’ve put together a Make it Last Post-Detox Handbook just for you that details the exact strategies I use to make my post-detox glow last as long as possible. 

 

You’ll get the Make It Last Handbook when you sign up for my 5-Day Detox by midnight. 

 

A lot of my clients understand that transitioning back into the ‘real’ world post-detox is often the toughest part because they feel so great and don’t want to take any steps backward! I’ve created an action plan for you which you’ll get as part of the Make It Last Handbook when you register for the 5-Day Detox. 

 

To register, just go to anyone of the following according to the season we are in:

 

My Spring 5 day body detox plan is for beginners, and it also means it's time for us to lighten up and clean out. 

 

Summer is when the farmers market is overflowing with fruits, vegetables and flowers harvested from the ground – there is no better way to get to know your foods from seed to table.

 

Fall Its time for eating tasty delicious winter squash, herbs are dried, the canning of tomatoes, pumpkin carving along with hayrides, and the time to do apple picking. Eating a more hearty warming meal that helps you to transform into the darker colder months ahead.


Winter eating a heartier warming meal prepares you for the transformation into the darker colder months ahead. It is the time for warming soups, stews, casseroles, roasted roots and sautéed greens that continue the work of detoxifying the body. The days are short and cold with everyone looking forward to spring when we can shed the layers of clothing and start the renewal process again.

 

So let us do a quick detox mistakes recap and frequently asked question here.


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