Zoe Palmer-Wright founder of The London Detox

Zoë Palmer-Wright has been a crucial part of my journey into health and nutrition, so in many ways I have her to thank for inspiring me to start The Nutritionista. Zoë is a professional nutritionist and naturopath who regularly lectures on health and nutrition. Zoë was my lecturer for my course at the college of naturopathic medicine, she was a great teacher with such passion for natural healthcare.

Zoë is also a fasting and detoxification expert who has spent years lecturing professionally on the subject as well as guiding her London clients on juice detox programmes, and running juice detox retreats abroad. It was also through Zoë I discovered the joys of juice detoxing, which I am so thankful for because I love juicing and the health benefits that go with it. So I decided to ask her a few questions for The Nutritionista on her own juice detox company The London Detox her expert opinion on juicing and a little bit about her own life and routine. I hope you enjoy what this wonderful lady has to say :)

1. Where did the idea for The London Detox come from?

The idea for the London Detox came about mainly because of my background – studying nutrition and then going on to run my own juice detox retreats abroad and also guiding my London client’s through at-home juice detoxes. From guiding my client’s through successful juice detoxes I started getting lots of requests to do a delivery service. Many of my clients just didn’t have the time to make their own juices everyday. So I began to formulate the idea for The London Detox, I knew I wanted to provide really high quality organic juices that were effective at supporting detoxification and also tasted good and to use environmentally friendly packaging, I decided to use glass bottles to avoid the juices being contaminated with nasty chemicals which can come from storing the juices in plastic bottles. I also knew that an important part of my detox programme would be that the juices would be made fresh everyday! Lots of detoxes available are not fresh. If I was to do it then I had to do something true to my principles. From my experience I knew what was important to ensure the most effective juice detox and I wanted to provide the highest quality juice cleansing service. So The London Detox was born :)

2. Can you explain how detoxing works?

When people ask me the reasons for doing a detox I explain to them that there are thousands of toxic substances that we are exposed to daily – in our air, food, water, body care products etc. that place an additional burden on our natural detoxification pathways. It is primarily our livers job to remove these toxic substances from our body and though it’s true that our bodies are naturally built to detoxify themselves, the liver can get overwhelmed with the many man made toxins that are surrounding us now that it has to process that didn’t even exist 100-200 years ago. The body ends up storing some of these man made chemicals (that it’s unable to process and remove) in tissues. It has been shown that this toxic chemical exposure and accumulation can cause health problems in humans. When you fast and remove food from the equation, you free the body from processing a great many toxins. When you remove food (external source of fuel) the body also then turns to its own internal fuel sources, firstly stored sugars (glycogen) which is normally used within the first 24-36 hours. By day two the body needs another fuel so it turns to fat stores and starts breaking down fat cells, in the process releasing stored toxins from fatty tissues for removal from the body.

3. What are the benefits of a Detox?

A summary of the benefits of juicing from observing my clients over many years (there are so many!) would be raised energy levels, better mental focus, skin looks clearer and younger. Also there is internal renewal and repair as the body goes into a state of rejuvenation. Another side effect which is a pretty nice side effect is fat loss! There are so many documentaries out there which show how amazing juice detoxing really is and some of its potential such as ‘Fat, sick and nearly dead’. Also there are biochemical changes which take place when you do a juice detox – improved cholesterol levels, improved insulin sensitivity, normalisation of liver enzymes (a sign of fatty accumulation in the liver and liver damage) which can be measured and shown by a comparison of blood tests taken before and after fasting. Also another great side effect is that juicing can help to slow the ageing process. There are too many benefits to list them all here but this is just a snapshot as to how juicing can be hugely beneficial.

4. How long would you recommended for a detox?

Every person is very different so it is difficult to put a general recommended timeframe to a juice detox, however as a rule of thumb for your first detox I tend to recommend 3-5 days. If you feel confident then 5 days is fine for your first detox. Longer lengths of time detoxing will give better results/benefits but the longer fasts are better left to when you are more familiar with the process. Also bear in mind that juicing is something you need to plan and make time for. It’s not a great idea to do a juice detox when you are extremely stressed or under a lot of pressure as this will counteract many of the benefits. The body needs to rest and repair while fasting so therefore I advise planning ahead and doing it at a time which suits you best. As for a maximum time again it depends on the person but 7-10 days is technically classed as a longer fast. However ultimately the length of time you do a juice detox is down to you and what feels right – my advice is listen to your body!

5. What are the benefits of cold pressed juicing?

The process of cold pressed juicing basically means the juicer doesn’t generate heat when the juice is made. Cold pressed juicers are often referred to as masticating juicers. This kind of juicer doesn’t use a fast blade which generates heat. Heat can destroy nutrients, so therefore cold pressing retains the maximum nutrients in the juice.

6. How is the London Detox different from the other detox options available out there?

Firstly The London Detox juices are delivered fresh every single day, also the use of glass bottles like I mentioned above. And we provide our own detox supplement which is a formulation that supports digestion, which is an important part of juice cleansing. The supplement contains psyllium, green tea, garlic, aloe vera, chorella, spirulina, citrus pectin, oregano, grapeseed, fennel and cayenne among many other ingredients which have long been used to support digestive health and cleansing. The supplement also contains some amino acids to help support the liver’s detoxification process. Also I would say that with my background I am approaching juicing from a scientific standpoint so when we design the juices, the fruit and vegetables are chosen for the specific nutrients they contain that help enhance liver function.

7. What’s a typical day in the life of Zoe Palmer Wright?

Everyday is so different for me, I don’t have a specific ‘routine’ however I always start my morning with lemon and warm water. My breakfast can be a variety of things as I like to mix it up a bit so one day I could have organic poached eggs and spinach, another day I could have sprouted wheat free muesli with almond milk and a seed sprinkle or a green juice. In winter I tend to take supplements in the morning as well as a wheatgrass shot and some bee pollen! Then the rest of my day depends of whether I am in my clinic or lecturing or visiting clients at their homes. Lunch I normally have lots of green leaves with some form of protein whether that be oily fish with loads of veggies and alfalfa sprouts, or sushi (with seaweed) but it depends on my schedule as well as the time of year as I try to eat seasonally. I may have something like dark chocolate covered brazil nuts or raw chocolate covered mulberries as a little snack – they are delicious! You have too allow yourself a little treat every now and then! I also always make sure I make some time in my day for some laughter and fun. Love, laughter and friends are very important for me.

8. How did your journey into nutrition come about?

My first degree was in English literature and language and then I had a variety of jobs after this including working as Dive master in Thailand and presenting a TV show in Japan. I’ve travelled extensively and lived in many countries – I have real wanderlust! Through my travels I realised that I wanted to work in natural health, I was so inspired by the natural health traditions of the countries I visited and their amazing foods and my time abroad helped me realise that there were many natural ways to improve your health.That food can be medicine. I studied for another three years in Australia after this and got my Advanced diploma in nutrition and naturopathy. I have found that my travels have influenced my diet a lot, I still eat a lot of Japanese food for example! So all in all I have been in nutrition for 10 years, I have been managing my own practice for 6 years and have been lecturing at the college of naturopathic medicine for 5 years.

9. Have you got any nutritional advice for working girls who are trying to lead a healthy lifestyle?

Here are some common traps/pitfalls to avoid and some tips for what to do to help you lead a healthier lifestyle
• Trap – Skipping breakfast (a bad habit, breakfast is such an important meal and essential for energy and mental focus so don’t skip it!)
• Don’t just go for sandwiches at lunchtime – there are so many more tasty and healthy options which are not wheat-based – be imaginative and include as many vegetables as you can
• Don’t get in a trap of relying on stimulants such as sugar and coffee to get you through the day – it’s a vicious cycle that will only make you more tired
• Give your body nutrients! Plant foods are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants. Whether that be through a green juice or a quick avocado on sourdough bread – fuel your body and you will feel the difference
• Grabbing nuts and fruit is a better option than a bagel and a coffee if you are rushed for time in the morning.
• Get lots of greens in your diet and eat enough protein
• Stay hydrated!! Drink lots of water
• Have access to healthy snacks so you are not tempted to eat lots of sugary stuff (don’t punish yourself if you do have a treat though – guilt around food is not a supportive emotion, it won’t help you behave better next time if you punish yourself this time!)
• Life is all about balance.
• Not eating enough vegetables- really upping the vegetables in your diet can really help to improve someones health and wellbeing

The London Detox