What are the benefits to

the Eliminate and Detox program?

There are so many! Here is a list of the most common things I have seen over the years:

• Finding their true energy; people were able to tap into their true energy source through balancing cortisol and their circadian rhythm.

• Being at choice with food; people no longer had cravings and some lost a taste for foods that were not good for them.

• Healing pain and decreasing inflammation; many people were no longer in pain, because they cleared out the toxic overload and figured out what foods were inflaming them.

• Digestive balance; people were able to identify which foods weren’t doing them any favors and could also identify the ones that were! (Decreasing acid reproduction, bloating, etc and increasing perfect, consistent bowel movements)

• Deeper sleep; many, many people reported deeper sleep, the liver’s most active time period is from 11pm-3am, when we lift the burden off the liver it can work optimally and sleep becomes deeper and more replenishing.

• Kicked caffeine; people found they didn’t need it anymore to ‘wake up’ or make it through the day.

• Diminished alcohol use; people found other ways to de-stress and became more aware when they were trying to regulate their mood with alcohol, hence they were able to make a different choice.

• Being present; people said they were able to be more present, by omitting some foods that make our neurotransmitters and brain spin, they were actually able to Be Here Now.
  

All around, there is a total body reset and so much good comes from that.

What Does it Mean to Detox? 

Basically, a detox can be any number of things, and each practitioner or product line differs wildly! Some consist of only juicing or fasting, some only use supplements while not modifying the diet at all, while others like the trendy Master Cleanse will have you drinking Cayenne, Maple Syrup and Lemon Juice all day. This program doesn’t do any of that. No starving, no juicing, nothing flashy, no trendy anything -just a sensible elimination diet, masterful supplementation, expert guidance and life changing results.

Why Should You Care About Detoxing? 

Detoxifying is something that the body is ‘supposed’ to do naturally. However, the body can only detoxify naturally and efficiently when we’re plentiful in whole foods, nutrients, antioxidants and specific enzymes. If that’s lacking, the process of detoxification will be lacking. And to add more insult to injury, we’re drinking caffeine, drinking alcohol, maybe smoking (even second hand smoke), we’re subject to contaminants in our water, eating processed foods or pesticide ridden foods, overeating, under-eating, taking medication, many of us live in a city or metropolitan area, spending any time in traffic increases our toxic load and lastly, having any stress in our bodies whatsoever decreases the ability to detox naturally, we are constantly overwhelming our bodies in general!

It’s important to detoxify the body on a regular basis because an overabundance of toxins leads to stagnation in the liver which can cause issues with energy, sleep, digestion, women’s health, allergies, headaches and acne, to name a few. In addition, an overabundance of toxins also increases the acceleration of free radicals. What are free radicals? Free radicals are incomplete cells (missing an electron) and they are hungry, so they’re on the lookout to steal an electron from other cells. When they steal electrons, it turns those cells into free radicals and into thieves themselves also looking to steal an electron. It’s basically the zombie apocalypse! Then the good guys swoop in to try to save the day (the immune system) but now even they’re getting overwhelmed and they start killing not just the thieves (free radicals) but even the healthy cells as well. It is mayhem!

Why do I care about free radicals? Because they are the doorway to disease and aging. If free radicals overwhelm the body, oxidative stress (similar to the browning you see when you cut open an apple or an avocado) happens which alters lipids, proteins and DNA in the body which then trigger a whole host of diseases, including cancer.

Our Program

The Tao to Wellness Eliminate and Detox program is a blended approach for total Phase 1, 2 and 3 detoxification of the liver and intestines, resetting the body to its original optimal state free of signs and symptoms and a concrete way to identify those foods that aren’t doing you any favors; food sensitivities and intolerances. The program is curated by Christina Martin who has been in practice for 25 years; she is an acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist, wellness coach, maker of magic, fellow of the Acupuncture and TCM Board of Reproductive Medicine and founder of Tao to Wellness in Berkeley, California.

Our program combines the idea of Yin and Yang or two wings of the bird which is necessary for flight. An elimination diet and specific supplementation to support the body so it can reset and release toxins naturally.

The Elimination Diet

The base is an elimination diet (Yin) and is an extremely important part of our program for a few reasons. Basically, foods that you may be allergic, intolerant or sensitive does two things to the body: they either cause a trigger to your immune system or cause unrest in your digestive system. Both of these can result in inflammation and imbalance throughout the body. Imbalances cause signs and symptoms like headaches, fatigue, food coma, allergies, respiratory congestion, muscle pain, menstrual difficulty, infertility, digestive disturbances, to name a few. So the program begins by excluding toxic, intolerant, allergenic, and free radical producing foods so as not to add insult to injury during the process of detoxification.

In addition, when we are constantly eating something that wreaks havoc on the immune and/or digestive system, the body will tackle that before anything else, so baseline detoxification may suffer because the body is too busy taking care of the more urgent issues. By removing the ‘noise’, the body can do what it needs to do and reset itself to its natural, optimal state. Lastly, by avoiding those potential foods during the program, you get to see what you have an intolerance or sensitivity to when you invite that food back into your diet at the end of 3 weeks. This is an extremely valuable and life changing thing to know!

Many of us might think it’s normal to be bloated all day or that we need coffee in order to function; those things are just not true! Keep in mind, there is no starving on our program, we are merely omitting certain foods and focusing on others; people find that they discover new foods and recipes that they didn’t know they liked! And with our new compilation of 70 plus recipes, this will give you a solid foundation in the kitchen to experiment with different foods.

Detox Support with Supplementation

Supplementation (Yang) is introduced to give the body the necessary nutrients, antioxidants and enzymes (specifically P450) to successfully detox. With this support, the liver can transform the fat soluble toxins to water soluble and send them out through the urine, stool and sweat. The toxic load in your body decreases, free radicals get cleaned up, your diet is clean and your body isn’t being triggered by foods that are wreaking havoc on your systems. In other words, you feel amazing! Also, with supplementation, the elimination diet becomes much easier. We use specific formulations to balance blood sugar, stabilize moods and brain chemistry, while supporting your liver and intestines to detox successfully.

What's Included in the Program?

The price of the program is $400, that includes personalized, high quality, time tested supplements (5-6 of them) shipped to you, detailed support videos, a program booklet with food lists, tip on swaps and subs and power foods, a compilation book of 70 + recipes and a 45 minute one on one Zoom call with Christina Martin.

Learn about the process of Detoxification, the most powerful foods, the role dopamine has on the brain, why we crave alcohol and caffeine, how to practice mindful eating, learn about the Liver in Chinese medicine, xenoestrogens and toxins in our cosmetics, tips on Feng Shui, meditation, DIY'ing cleaning products, the art and importance of meditation, topped off with tons of inspiration and so much MORE!

Frequently Asked Questions...

How will I feel on the Program?

It varies wildly, every body is different. Many people have a challenging first week, some have no problem at all, some people have a challenging second week, again some breeze right through, it all depends on how heavy your toxic load is and where you are with your eating habits. For those that have a difficult time, challenges may include; fatigue, headaches, eye blurriness, digestion may feel off, sleep may be difficult and moods might be cranky and grumpy. But remember with whatever you are feeling, you have support. All these challenges are temporary and by the end, everyone is feeling solid, totally balanced, people are reborn in some ways, some are in disbelief that they could feel so good, others are free from foods that they were dependent on for years, sometimes decades.

How long is the Program?

The entire program is 38 days long, 7 days of Prep, 21 days of the Eliminate and Detox and 10 days of Reintroduction.

Can I use my FSA or HSA?

Yes, this is absolutely an eligible expense.

Are your products vegetarian?

Yes, we have vegetarian options. Be sure to include that info in your initial submission form.

Will I lose weight?

This is not a weight loss program, however when we omit certain foods that we do not tolerate well and increase the body’s ability to detox naturally, weight loss can occur, but that is absolutely not the intention of this program. That being said, many people have started their own weight loss plan after the program is complete and have had incredible results. It’s a great place to push off from because it gives you the opportunity to create your own dietary guidelines and get to know your body on a new level.

How can detoxing help my fertility?

For almost 25 years, we’ve been experts in helping couples achieve parenthood. Participating in a detox program, timed right, can provide so many benefits to a woman trying to get pregnant. In addition to all the toxins we mentioned above, excess hormones in the liver and blocked cell receptors, can cause myriad fertility challenges, the biggest issue being hormone imbalance.

By doing a practitioner led elimination and detox, we free up energy in the liver so the uterine environment is more harmonious, cell receptors become unblocked so transport of vital hormones to the reproductive organs occur more efficiently thereby effecting the entire hypothalmic, pituitary ovarian axis, resulting in optimal health of egg quality and the reproductive system overall.

When is the best time detox?

The liver is the main organ system we are supporting in this detox process and Spring is the time of year that the liver (and gall bladder) work to its optimal. So, Spring is the best time of year to do this program, however Fall and Summer and acceptable as well. We do not recommend detoxing in the Winter.

Can anyone do this?

YES! We’ve had many families do it together. Everything is more fun in community and this is no exception. People thrive better in a supportive environment, so invite your partner, your family and/or friends. That being said, this program is not recommended for pregnant mothers, breastfeeding mothers, children under the age of 21 and people that are frail or weak due to a sickness or surgery.