An Interview with Ashley Koff, RD and author of The Road Trip to Better Health.
August is the month for last minute weekend getaways or for summer’s much anticipated week-long vacation. Families squeeze in a quick trip before the first day of school for many kids throughout the U.S. It may be easy to think you can splurge on salt, sugar and processed foods while you’re on the go, but your body shouldn’t be sacrificed just because you’re away from home. Just like any other day, you need to optimize your body’s systems, including its detox system.
The TrueBroc® team sat down with its scientific advisory board member, Ashley Koff RD, to learn how to detox while on the go.
TB: Everyone is talking about detoxification – how is it different from cleansing or a quick detox product you see at the store?
AK: Our bodies have a lot to handle these days – stress, environmental pollutants, toxins, hormones – thankfully, the body comes equipped with a detoxification system that, given the right resources, can typically handle this workload.
A cleanse doesn’t have an actual definition. For some it’s reducing sugar or skipping alcohol, for others it’s only organic green juices and alkaline water for days or week(s) at a time. The idea of cleansing can involve removing or reducing offenders and perhaps adding certain foods or nutrients to help clean the body. Short and long-term effects depend on whether the cleanse matches a person’s body and the body’s needs.
Quick detox products run the gamut from unsafe to unhelpful most of the time, with a few exceptions. Quality detox products include nutrients that support the body’s detoxification system. That said, anything that says “quick detox” misses the fact that we should be detoxing daily to give our body the resources the detoxification system needs to do its job.
TB: If my body is detoxing every day, how can I best support it?
AK: Look for broccoli or broccoli sprouts to get a quality dose of glucoraphanin. That said, the amount you get of this long-lasting antioxidant that supports detoxification will vary based on the batch of broccoli and how you prepare it. So eat your broccoli but if you seek consistent detoxification support add a supplemental dose of glucoraphanin like TrueBroc.
Prioritize Better Digestion. No detoxification efforts can be fully effective if your digestive system isn’t working better, not perfect, more often. Assess your digestion, then do the Digestive Tune It Up (as needed).
TB: How can I help support my detox system if I’m traveling or on the go constantly?
AK: There are three easy steps that I share with my patients and practice myself.
- Get in enough water throughout the day. What’s the right amount for you? Take the Better Water Evaluation.
- Optimize digestion (see the tips I share in the Digestive Tune Up).
- Order broccoli and pack Brassica® Tea or Coffee, which provides a standardized dose of TrueBroc and is easy to enjoy wherever you go – just add hot water (which helps with tip #1).
TB: Should I detox differently if I’m traveling to different climates – e.g. cold, tropical, humid/rainy, etc.?
AK: While the detoxification system doesn’t have different needs, the environment will impact your body’s resource needs.
Cold climate: Warm up with broccoli roasted in olive oil, a bowl of soup and a hot cup of tea.
Tropical climate: enjoy the local flavors, adding pineapple, lemon, grapefruit and other citrus, as well as enjoying coconut water, which can make your perfect tropical Arnold Palmer (replace the lemonade with coconut water in your iced Brassica Tea).
TB: What’s in your travel bag?
AK: I bring along my own arsenal to help aid my detox system…including Natural Calm magnesium, Sulforaclear® (supplement with TrueBroc) or Brassica Tea, and my Beauty Counter cleansing balm.
ce Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at Johns Hopkins, discovered the ability of sulforaphane, a compound produced by cruciferous vegetables, to induce the production of enzymes that help eliminate toxic metabolites from the body. After a number of additional studies evaluating the properties of broccoli extracts, Paul Talalay founded Brassica Protection Products with his colleague Jed Fahey, ScD and his son Tony Talalay. One year later, the Hopkins group published findings on sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables and its potential health benefits, paving the way for subsequent clinical studies.
