It’s the end of a decade as we head into a new one with 2020. What would you like to let go of and leave behind? What do you need to put wind in your sails for this new year? Is now the time to become laser-focused? Or are you ready for a new direction, don’t know what it is yet, and need some open-ended soul-searching, daydreaming and exploring to create fertile ground in your imagination for something new to arise? Big questions!
Even though the turning over of the calendar to a new month, new year and new decade is largely arbitrary and symbolic, the structure helps create a rhythm of newness and novelty, of turning over a new leaf. So many people make new year’s resolutions: save money, get in shape, eat healthier, quit smoking, read more, learn a new skill or hobby, level up their sex life/romance. The truth is that only about 8% of people accomplish these goals.
To set yourself up for success, think about and connect emotionally with why you want to make this change. You’re not likely to follow through unless you connect with and internalize a strong desire and drive for it by understanding why it’s important to you. Dividing the goal up into smaller steps with measurable successes and aligning yourself with like-minded friends, family or co-workers who are also committed to your resolution can also help a lot.
What I’ve noticed over the past year in the cultural landscape is a shift towards two things:
- Reconnecting with a simpler, more streamlined lifestyle and state of being
- Paying more attention to our health on all levels: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional
It feels like a natural response to the exponentially, ever-increasing pace of life, the intense drama on the world stage, and being bombarded with screens and information.
A sampling of wellness buzzwords and trends from 2019 reflect the retreat from all this:
- Gratitude
- Authenticity
- Zero waste
- Minimalism
- Mindfulness
- Media fasts
- Dopamine fasts (admittedly one of the sillier Silicon Valley re-branding efforts)
- Neuroplasticity
- Bio-hacking
- Re-wilding
- Cold therapy
- Ketogenic diet
- Microbiome
- Sound baths
- Forest bathing
- Cellular anti-aging
- Cellular cleansing
Many of these involve simple, accessible practices and concepts that support health on multiple levels. When we replenish our reserves of physical, mental, and spiritual health, all other goals and plans and resolutions become that much easier to achieve. If nothing else, a new year’s resolution to replenish our energy reserves is a great place to start. Supporting our body’s efforts in cleansing and detoxifying and supporting healthy cellular functioning is one way we can do this and is a great way to revitalize for the year ahead.
What does cleansing at the cellular level mean? Essentially all cleansing starts with the cell neutralizing toxins and free radicals, removing waste products, and accepting nutrients. Liver hepatocytes are the major cells for detoxification in the liver, for example. They need to metabolize and detoxify wastes, toxins, and other compounds in the bloodstream using a variety of detoxification enzymes supported by key nutrients like amino acids, B and C vitamins, zinc, selenium, iron, and sulfur.
Flor•Essence® is an herbal tea formula that supports cleansing and protection at the cellular level by supplying a wide variety of phytonutrients from its eight herbs.* Some of these include:
- Caffeic and chlorogenic acid from burdock root: antioxidants that support cellular ATP production and cleansing neurons of amyloid plaque proteins
- Quercetin from red clover & luteolin from sheep sorrel: antioxidants that promote sirtuin* activity in cells, reduces histamine levels, and support brain health with its neuroprotective effects
- Emodin from Turkish rhubarb root: an antioxidant with antimicrobial and liver-protective effects
- Indole-3-carbinol and other sulphur containing glucosinolates from watercress: antioxidants that support liver detox and reduce high estrogen levels
Generally, the body wants to avoid increasing the rate of detoxification to prevent overwhelming its systems and creating any side effects or cellular damage. The eight herbs in Flor•Essence® support cellular cleansing throughout the body—the liver, intestines, kidneys, lymphatic system, and brain—in a gentle way that supports the body’s systems and natural functioning.* Try combining this cleansing herbal tea regimen for several weeks with other practices like an infra-red sauna, yoga, and journaling for a fresh start to a new year!
* A family of proteins that regulate cell health, DNA repair, cellular stress resistance, detoxification, energy metabolism and gene expression
Robert Dadd is a Master Herbalist (Dominion Herbal College) with a BA in Communications from Simon Fraser University. His areas of research include adaptogens, probiotics, and essential fatty acids. He is currently the Product Information Supervisor for Flora Manufacturing and Distributing.
References:
Rahnasto-Rilla, M., Tyni, J., Huovinen, M. et al. Natural polyphenols as sirtuin 6 modulators. Sci Rep 8, 4163 (2018) doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22388-5.
Kim A, Lee W, Yun JM. Luteolin and fisetin suppress oxidative stress by modulating sirtuins and forkhead box O3a expression under in vitro diabetic conditions. Nutr Res Pract. 2017;11(5):430–434.
Auborn KJ, et al. Indole-3-carbinol is a negative regulator of estrogen. J Nutr. 2003 Jul;133(7 Suppl):2470S-2475S.
Costa LG, et al. Mechanisms of Neuroprotection by Quercetin: Counteracting Oxidative Stress and More. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016:2986796.
Kong D, et al. Chlorogenic acid prevents paraquat-induced apoptosis via Sirt1-mediated regulation of redox and mitochondrial function. Free Radic Res. 2019 Jun;53(6):680-693.
Tsai, T.-H., et al. Protective Effect of Caffeic Acid Derivatives on tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide-Induced Oxidative Hepato-Toxicity and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in HepG2 Cells. Molecules 2017, 22, 702.
