What Does A Natural Detox Program For Kids Look Like?
An ongoing natural detox program consists of three main elements:
- Reduce or Eliminate Exposure to Environmental Toxins (Home)
- Fortify the body with a Foundational Supplement Program
- Reduce or Eliminate Ingested Chemicals (Food)
If we fail to strive for all three parts above, we cut our kids short of the long-term health benefits associated with a daily lifestyle of natural detox. Granted, we will be unable to protect them from every single chemical encounter; however, it’s important to adjust the factors that we do have control over. This mainly takes place in our homes, since 90% of our time is spent indoors.
Toxins enter our kids’ bodies through two main avenues–environment and diet. The diet part will be the hardest to change and will take more time to implement, so it’s best to start with the environmental factors and supplementation first. Then, you can work on the diet changes as you go along.
Step 1: Cleaning Up the Home Environment
Detoxifying your home may seem daunting if you’re new to the concept, but it can be surprisingly simple. This step involves replacing the commercial cleaners and personal care products in your home with a non-toxic counterpart.
Did you know that our skin is the body’s largest organ? That’s right! More importantly, about 60% of the substances that contact our skin enter the bloodstream. So, it becomes important to consider not only harmful airborne substances but also the creams, detergents, and cleansers around our home.
We have discovered a single company that can fully support our natural detox program. This simplifies the detox process and easily transforms your home into a non-toxic environment. Shop our recommended products here.
Not sure which products are toxic? Check out the Household Products Database. Here you will find health and safety information on household products by the US Dept of Health & Human Services. If you like doing your own research, this is a great way to search by ingredients, products or manufacturers.
Some families choose to make their own natural cleaners, but if you are busy parents like us, it’s much easier to check out this cost comparison and find an effective one that will work for you…and save you money!
Step 2: Starting A Foundational Supplement Program
Kids today are consuming way more empty calories than nutrient-rich foods. Without the proper foundation of essential nutrients, our natural detox program will lack the “teeth” needed to get our kids on the right track. Our kids need the extra support.
When starting a supplementation program, consumers must be wise. Nutritional supplements are only effective when you choose the right ones. They need to work, otherwise you are wasting your time and money. Choose a natural, whole food vitamin that is also proven to be effective.
Pediatricians David Dungen and Ann White recommend the following foundational pieces to your child’s daily supplementation:
- Multivitamin/Multimineral (to cover the essentials) (Kids Multivitamin comparison)
- Probiotics (These are the live good bacteria for digestive health & immune support.)
- DHA Support (Omega-3s/Fish Oil for kids to support brain development and concentration)
We personally use all the pieces above in addition to supplemental protein. (I have found that the extra protein helps satisfy our children’s hunger for longer periods of time, so it can even make a great after-school snack.)
Step 3: Cleaning Up the Diet
Again, changing your child’s diet is the hardest step in the detoxification process, so our advice is to focus on the first two steps and then modify diet one piece at a time.
What types of foods do you change?
Think “natural” here. Anything that comes in a wrapper or a box ought to be limited to one per day. Yes. One a day.
That may seem hard at first, but start by replacing one food at a time with a more natural alternative. Processed foods are going to contain the most artificial ingredients and chemical additives.
So for the first week, just focus on adjusting their breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day, so it would be a great starting place. For example, if your child usually has waffles from a box, you can start by preparing your own waffle batter the night before and making them fresh in the morning. Try also using all natural maple syrup instead of the corn-syrup based alternatives.
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Feature photo credit:Lori Elizabeth via Compfight cc
