To Detox Or Not To Detox?

I am well overdue for a good spring detox!! “Why” you ask? Well, most importantly, because my health is important to me! So what exactly is a detox?

Detoxifying is all about cleansing, resting and nourishing. We are exposed to toxins every day, whether it be the chemicals in our food, polluted water and air or emotional stress in our lives. The longer we go without detoxing, the more impurities build up in our blood cells, which can only lead to the body not functioning at it’s optimal potential. The accumulation of toxins may manifest as DISEASE, fatigue, aches and pains, loss of energy, skin and digestive problems, etc. etc… The list goes on and on!

So… how do I feel/know It’s time to detox?

  • Persistant Fatigue
  • Irritated/Inflamed skin
  • Brain Fog
  • Irritability/Mood swings
  • Aches/pains
  • Headaches
  • Soreness/stiffness
  • Intensified food sensitivities/allergies

Lately my diet has been loaded with tons of SUGAR, ALCOHOL and SALT. Like many, I’m an emotional eater and the more stressed I am, the poorer my eating habits become…
Ever hear the expression, “stress is a silent killer“?

There are many different types of detoxes, that cleanse specific organs in your body. I am choosing to ease into a basic detox program by:

1.) Eliminating caffeine, refined sugar and saturated fat from my diet

2.) Reducing my alcohol intake (….obviously eliminating it would be best, but…..)

3.) Minimizing exposure to chemical-based cleaning/beauty products

4.) Relieving stress naturally

I will post a more in depth description of my “detox plan” in a later post (need to get my beauty sleep!), but some of the ways I plan to cleanse my body are:

1.) Drinking plenty of water!

Literally, chug as much as I can without ODing (I kid, i kid… but it can actually happen, google “water intoxication”). At LEAST drinking 8-10 glasses of water, to flush the impurities from my system

2.) Eating a fiber-rich diet

Preeeetty self explanatory, but eating foods rich in dietary fiber will help the body remove toxins quicker and get the digestive track moving. This includes oats, oatmeal, seeds (lots of flax and chia), organically grown fresh fruits and veggies (lots of broccoli, cabbage, berries).

3.) Drink apple cider vinegar

All day. Errreday. (Kidding) but definitely take a shot of this every morning! ACV helps balance the body’s pH level, detoxify the intestinal tract and aid digestion. If you can’t stomach a shot (and want more info on the health benefits of ACV) see my recipe for this Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Drink

4.) Starting the day with warm lemon water

Lemon water not only has an alkalizing effect on our bodies, but stimulates the organs to help boost their ability to detoxify nasty toxins!! See my post on Benefits To Drinking Lemon Water

5.) Deep breathing/meditation

You’d be surprised by how much deep breathing can help you detox! Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces build up of adrenal (or “stress”) hormones, which helps calm us down. Here are two deep breathing exercises to relieve stress

6.) Sweating it out in the sauna

Luckily I have access to a sauna at my gym (and plan to use the sauna 15 min 3x per week), but any form of perspiration will help cleanse! When you sweat, the toxins are released through your body’s largest organ, the skin.

Detoxing does not have to be this arduous task and making small changes each day may help you achieve your detox goals . So… I’m done being a sluggish, cranky bitch and am ready to start my spring detox, are you? 🙂