I just love to turn on the TV and see how internal cleansing and detoxification is making its way into American homes. Last week, the Dr. Oz Show concentrated on cleansing and the importance of supplements in helping to repair and detoxify the gut.

The big topic on the show, and for so many of us, was energy. We are a nation addicted to junk food, sugar, and energy drinks simply in an effort to normalize our energy levels. We aren’t even taking in these toxic substances to pump up our energy to higher than normal levels—we’re just trying to get through the day!

Cleansing and Detoxing is one of the fastest ways to reclaim your natural energy.

Toxins build up in fat cells and along the intestinal walls amid the collection of bacteria and mucus there. We take in toxins every day in the foods we eat and in the beverages and unpurified water we drink. Your body even sees certain foods as toxins, which is why you want your gut defense system in good working order.

Supplement ingredients that fortify your gut defenses:

• The big supplement fortifier for gut defense and health is a potent, multi-strain probiotic. Experts are recommending tens of billions of multiple probiotic cultures each day in your supplement, so making sure your probiotic contains at least 50 billion multistrain cultures is important to seeing the best benefits. Probiotics help replenish the good bacteria in the gut. These bacteria produce nutrients, help you digest your food, and help crowd out potentially harmful bacteria.
• Add prebiotic foods to your daily diet (flax, bananas, garlic, onions, leeks, artichoke, asparagus, chicory root, and more) to “feed” the stores of beneficial bacteria you’re building up in your gut. Prebiotics are also available in certain supplements as FOS (fructooligosaccharides) and inulin.
• L-glutamine, an amino acid, helps provide energy for the cells of the intestinal lining, in turn supporting the healthy integrity of a strong gut lining. Poor diet, certain medications, stress, and aging can all compromise our gut lining, leading to a condition known as leaky gut which increases inflammation around the body. By keeping your gut lining strong against leakage of macronutrients and toxins into the body, you’re helping the digestive system rid your body of what it doesn’t need before it can spread.

Cleansing has seen a surge of popularity in recent years thanks to celebrity attention, but the best news is that anyone can do it. Internal cleanses that feature a variety of herbs and ingredients, plus potent probiotics to boost beneficial bacteria levels and gut-strengthening ingredients like L-glutamine are readily available. Look for supplement cleanses that don’t contain anything but the active ingredients that will help you detox, and make sure you’re cutting down on (or better yet—removing) your gluten, dairy, and sugar intake when you cleanse,  and minimizing toxin exposure. You won’t believe your energy levels after your cleanse or how well a cleanse helps support your weight loss goals!