There’s lots of talk about cleansing and rather than doing a 7 or 14 day cleanse which can be very unrealistic especially this time of year, however, there’s things we can do every day to naturally detox.
Here are some simple things you can add into your daily routine that will help to keep you feeling less bloated, healthier and have more energy which is awesome especially this time of year.
Our bodies are amazing machines that are always trying to flush out the bad – the toxins from the pollutants in the atmosphere, what we put on our skin, second hand smoke, what we ingest – water, food, extra sugar and foreign preservatives we ingest… The list goes on and on. Sometimes we just need a little bit of extra help to remove these foreign substances and to keep them from weighing us down and making us sick.
1. So first, the easiest thing we can do is start our day with a glass of lemon water. Study’s show that lemon helps to remove unwanted toxins in the body. This may not be new to many folks as you could be doing this already, but the key is to use the whole lemon. The juice is important as it has citric acid which helps to move the bowels which is essential when we’re cleansing (and anytime) because we want to get things out.
The lemon peel has essential oil‘s that are good for nausea and digestion plus they have fiber. All of these things are going to be perfect after a Christmas party and should be included in our daily wake up regime.
So simple – zest the peel with a zester (or small cheese grater if you don’t have one) and you’ll see the oils. Just add this right into your water. Alternately, you can just put it in a little tea bag and it’ll filter right into the water oils and all. You’ll have the the juice, the peel, you have it all!
Make sure you wash the lemons really well to get rid of the wax and any chemicals that may have been sprayed. I use a kitchen brush designated just for fruits and vegetables and spray the items using the vinegar and water that I used to clean house!
The lemon water is great for mornings as we discussed as well as before you go to bed at night and in your water during the day!
2. Drink detox water. Use different fruits and vegetables so for example strawberries would be a great ingredient as they’re full of vitamin C and vitamin A which help to neutralize toxins and flush them out of the body. Cucumbers are hydrating and very anti-inflammatory. This is why they are known to be great at putting on your eyes to reduce puffiness. Add lemons and lemon zest for the reasons just discussed. Also add mint and ginger as they’re great for digestion and high in antioxidants. Next we add a shot of mint flavored chlorophyll helps to deodorize the body and also high in antioxidants. Last but not least add activated charcoal – be careful though as it will make the water black and can stain. Wash your hands well after emptying one capsule into the pitcher of water. Activated charcoal acts like a sponge in our body, pulling all the toxins out.
Let the pitcher infuse use for four or five hours or overnight. You can either use a picture with an infuser or one with a lid if you want to filter out the fruits and vegetables or you can just pour them into your glass.
There’s so many benefits to this type of gentle cleansing juice – you may notice clear skin, enhance memory and better digestion.
3. Eat foods high in fibre. Fibre moves through our digestive system and helps remove waste there by detoxifying so if you’re constipated this is really great as it will help to get it out. Foods that are really high in fibre like fruits and vegetables ie. bananas, apples, berries, oranges, sweet potatoes. Remember grains and seeds like Quinoa, nuts, legumes, oats and wild rice. Women ned 25 g of fibre per day and men need 30-38 g.
Unfortunately we are only getting about half of the recommended amount of fibre on average so we really need to be incorporating these foods into our daily diet.
4. Leafy greens naturally detox the body and specific vegetables cleanse specific organs in the body. Eat cruciferous vegetables for example like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and kale at least 3-4 times per week. Roast them in the oven with olive oil, a little sea salt and lots of black pepper. I think you’ll find them they’re very tolerable. If you’ve had bad experiences in the past with these vegetables it’s usually because they’re over cooked/boiled and soggy so try them this way. Also note when they’re cooked, they are less gassy than raw!
Basil and beets help to detox our blood.
Greens like spinach and Swiss chard as well as ground flaxseed help to cleanse the colon.
Apple cider vinegar has acetic acid that helps to remove heavy metals in the body. It also alkalizes the body and improves digestion. There’s so many wonderful benefits to Apple cider vinegar.
5. Detoxing the skin and lymph nodes. Try dry skin brushing. Our skin is our largest organ in the body. It’s also our largest eliminating organ. While there are specific brushes out there, you can just go to a big box store or drugstore and pick up use a long handled natural bristle back brush or a firm, natural body sponge with a handle.
Brush on wet skin in the shower or on dry skin and always brush towards the heart. It helps to improve circulation, exfoliate our skin, remove toxins and flush them out. It even smooths out the appearance of cellulite. This is no miracle cure but it’s all about keeping things moving. Exfoliating gloves which you can even find at the dollar store work great as well in the shower.
6. Last but not least, rebounders and total body vibration training is a great way to get things moving and help to detoxify our systems, specifically the lymphatic system. Our lymphatic system is what helps to flush toxins out of the body. The lymphatic system does not have an actual pump to get the toxins out like other organs and systems in the body. Try a couple of minutes on a rebounder for total body vibration plate, like the one we have at NRG 4 Life, as often as every day. These activities are fun to do and great to incorporate into our daily exercise.