Recently I was asked about detoxing especially after a major surgery. Here's my advice for anyone trying to detox their body of unwanted toxins, or in this case, after strong pain medications and antibiotics.
A diet focused on probiotic containing foods, fruits and vegetables is always a safe, effective way to help your body take a break.
Start by drinking 60 oz of water every day, then include two servings of probiotic containing foods like kombucha, kefir and yogurt.
Try eating vegan as much as possible (if so desired, adding clean and lean meats) and increasing healthy fat intake from avocado and extra virgin olive oil (or equally clean fats.)
Really, the most benefit is derived from LOTS of greens, not just in salads or raw but sautéed or in smoothies or juicing. You can't go wrong with it unless you are on blood thinners.
A note on the infamous celery juice. Its just juice people. Sans all fiber. While it does contain some electrolytes, you would also might just be feeling good because you drank a lot of fluid first thing in the morning. You'd be better off chewing on two celery sticks and drinking a full glass of water due to the additional plant-based fibers you'd get from eating the whole plant.
Other foods like cabbage, celery, many Asian vegetables would be beneficial as well for detoxifying the liver. These foods have also high amounts of fiber which can help relieve the constipation related to higher doses of pain medication. They are also rich in iron, calcium as well as B vitamins and magnesium which can help replete losses.
Adding in lots of spices such as cinnamon and fresh ginger or turmeric to your food choices as well as lemon or grapefruit into your drinks can really 'flush' your body with anti-inflammatory antioxidants.
In addition, I highly recommend Juice Plus, which is a whole food supplement that isn't even classified as a "vitamin" because it is highly concentrated fruits and vegetables that promote high levels of antioxidants in the body tissue. At $30 a month, it's cheaper (and a better form of) health insurance than buying one "juice" a week.
Lastly I highly recommend yoga or therapeutic stretching (if your doctor okays it) to get all that muscle stiffness associated with surgery or stress out of your body. I did that this spring when I was trying to recover from writing our book and needed to rejuvenate my system.
As always consult with a dietitian or doctor to confirm what would be best for your body.
And choose to do something worth it--even if its just cutting back on sugar and eating two vegetables for dinner, you will still be making strides towards a healthier, stronger body.
If you have more question about helping your body get a healthy gut microbiome or detoxing, please reach out to me via email: contact@norashank.com
Take care,
Nora