So it's time for a detox? Feeling sluggish, need to drop those couple of kilos or just need a really good pick me up. So how does detoxifying work?
Detoxifying is a cleansing of your blood and nourishing the body from the inside. Toxins are eliminated and nutrients replaced.
There are a number of things you can do when you detoxify your body but start with the obvious. Eliminate certain items including alcohol, cigarettes, caffine, processed foods saturated fats, refined sugars and cut down on (or give up) meat.
If you are not following a specific programme you should make sure you eat plenty of fibre. Brown rice and organic fresh fruits and vegetables and great.
Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. At least 2 litres a day should really be a normal intake, however, is vitally important during a detox to help flush your system out. Add a little fresh lemon juice.
Drink tea. Not only is it full of antioxidants but great as a thirst quencher. Herbal teas are usually the best option with green tea excellent in a detox.
Juicing is a popular form of detoxifying. Fresh organic fruit and vegetables are recommended. Green vegetable juice is good because they are rich in chlorophyll, which is said to help cleanse and heal the digestive tract.
Other juices good for a juice fast include celery, carrot, cabbage, apple, spinach, beets, and leafy greens. Remember to remove the stones in peaches, apricots, cherries and other fruit, apple seeds, carrot and rhubarb tops, and tough skins of kiwi, pineapple and mangos should be avoided.
Take care of the outside of your body too.
Make sure you exercise and sweat! Sweating is one of the body's natural ways of removing toxins. Whether through exercise or in a sauna you will feel better although be careful with the amount and type of exercise if on a strict detox programme.
Take deep breaths allowing oxygen to circulate throughout your system better.
Yoga is known for it's ability to detox by putting pressure on certain internal organs as well as helping to relieve stress being one of the major causes for needing to detox!
Exfoliating your skin is great to help remove toxins through your pores.
Get more sleep. Relax for at least an hour before you go to bed and drink a cup of camomile tea or other herbal sleep enhancing formula. Take time to relax your mind and try to get at least one extra hour than you normally do.
A massage can often be beneficial such as a Swedish massage, lymphatic drainage, deep tissue massage or Thai massage although do make sure you advise your massage therapist you are on a detox programme.
Other treatments suggested to benefit in a detox include colonics and hydrotherapy showers (5 minute very hot shower running over your back, 30 seconds cold water x 3 times followed by a complete relax in bed for 30 minutes)
However you decide to detox your body, do it carefully, follow the basic rules and you will come out cleansed and feeling like a million dollars!
