I want to introduce you to the 4F process - Flush, Feed, Function, & Fast. This 4F step-wise process methodically works through the body systems to give each of them nourishment and repair full body functioning before putting you into a weight loss phase.

Why is detox important? More than 4 billion pounds of chemicals are released into the environment annually. The NIH reports annually on the toxicity in the human body. It’s been documented that over 200 toxins have been found in nearly every man and woman in the U.S.; the majority of which are known to be neuro-endocrine disruptors, which have damaging effects on the metabolism.

The body naturally processes toxins; however, we were never meant to handle the mass amounts of toxins we encounter today! Toxins, poor lifestyle choices, suboptimal nutrition, stress, and genetic mutations create the perfect storm for an overburdened system.

Detox has medicinal impacts:

·      Remove toxins

·      Clear metals

·      Flush lymphatic system

·      Clean out the gut

·      Open the kidney function

·      Improve liver function

·      Reduce oxidation or inflammation

Detox has metabolic impacts:

·      Reduces aldosterone (removes extracellular water)

·      Metabolic amplifier

·      Endocrine upregulator (thyroid/sex hormones)

·      Electrolyte replenisher

·      Glycogen repletion

·      Reduces glucagon & blood sugars

·      Increase leptin and fat metabolism

·      Increases hormone sensitivity

·      Estrogen clearance (prevent estrogen-shaped weight gain)

The Flush phase is focused on full body detoxification to fire up the metabolism. By upregulating liver function and opening up detoxification pathways, we can significantly improve body system communication during this phase. During this time, it’s important to nourish the adrenal glands and thyroid with lots of healthy fats and adequate amounts of carbohydrate. Flush phase removes all common allergens and inflammatory foods, while flushing the body with high levels of micronutrients from whole foods and targeted nutritional supplementation.

The Flush is a modified, short-term elimination program. We eliminate:

·      Processed food, added sugars, chemicals/dyes, BPA, plastics

·      Coffee, caffeine, alcohol

·      Conventional animal products, farm-raised fish

·      Gluten/wheat/dairy/corn/soy

·      Stressors like over-training, go-go-go mentality, undereating, lack of sleep, etc.

WHY are we omitting gluten/wheat/dairy/corn/soy?

·      These are common inflammatory foods, they can aggravate the immune system

·      These foods may be contributing to leaky gut and gut dysbiosis

·      These foods are often MOST processed in our food systems today

Goals of the Flush Phase:

·      Open the liver and enhance detoxification: increase nutrient intake through food while providing liver-supportive herbs and nutrients via supplementation to open detox pathways (this is not a juice or liquid detox, you eat food!)

·      Stimulate the thyroid: increase carbohydrates to directly stimulate the thyroid and to increase overall calories and trigger mTOR (promotes muscle growth)

·      Alkalize the pH: remove toxins through supplement support

·      Stabilize blood sugar: reduce inflammation and increase fiber

·      Flush bad bacteria: prepping the gut by killing off bad bacteria via supplementation

·      Reduce inflammation: incorporating anti-inflammatory foods, increased omega-3 fats, and supplementation

·      Balance adrenals: correct under or over-production by the adrenals via lifestyle and supplementation

·      Balance omega ratio: increase omega-3’s and monounsaturated fats (fatty fish, oils, supplements)

After the flush, you will transition into the feed phase. This is where many foods will be reintroduced as you move into the Dynamic Guide Food Categories (FLT) which is a flexible food exchange system. This keeps you on track while feeding you up to your metabolic potential. It allows your body  time to improve insulin sensitivity and ensure you are carb-adapted while getting calories as high as possible! For someone with more complicated gut issues, you will most likely use this phase as a continuation of the flush phase to finish out their 5R gut protocol before moving into the next phase.

Next, you will move into the function phase. This is where you will optimize hormones and change programming to focus more on body composition and physique. We can’t properly diet someone until they have fully built their metabolism, improved thyroid function, created a healthy gut microbiome, and are better at managing their adrenal response to stress. We will be taking our time in the flush and feed phases to really support those priorities before diving into this physique-focused phase. During the function phase, you may move into more macro-based plans and structured exercise programming.

Lastly, we have our fast phase. Pay close attention, as this may be different from your original impression of the word “fast". The world moves in cycles, or seasons, per se. A great example of this is our food! Without the technology that we are currently exposed to (like GMOs), a lot of foods would not be available to us year-round. Broccoli’s peak season (fall) leads to better nutrient content than broccoli grown during the spring.

Yes, we may dive into dietary fasts, but we will also look at fasting in alternative forms. There are many things we can fast from: sugar/sweets, processed foods, watching TV before bed, social media, supplements, and even certain workouts! If you were to sprint every day of the week and never take a break, your body would stop recovering fully. It would no longer create a positive stimulus. There are times to push and times to pull back. Fasting is simply the idea of abstaining from, or removal of, a specific stimulus for a period of time.

Now remember, the 4F system is a targeted system to improve metabolic function. This process provides a level of diet variation to kickstart cellular cleanup. Diet variation refers to changing eat patterns for a period of time. This can refer to calories, macro composition, or even types of food.

Implementing the Flush phase helps induce hormesis, an adaptive response meant to produce cellular and metabolic feedback. Hormesis improves the body’s overall vitality and ability to lose weight and improve body composition.

This is a 3-6 month program depending on the severity of health issues and diagnosis.

Now off we go to become the best and healthiest version of yourself!