Better health is one of the best New Year’s resolutions you can make – and ‘doing a detox’ is a great way to kick-start your commitment. Detoxing doesn’t have to be a major ordeal; you can clean out and get healthier by following a few simple concepts.
1. Minimize your toxic load
You can do this by:
Avoiding foods which you know aren’t good for you! Make a commitment to stay away from caffeine (coffee, tea), alcohol, nicotine, take-away foods and sweets for a defined period of time (e.g. 4 weeks) giving your body a break from foods which over-stimulate your body and require complex processing. This elimination helps to clean out the toxic load which has built up over time.
Substitute with healthier food choices. Choose organic and wholefoods. See our wide range of groceries to make your shopping list easier!
2. Help your body to maximize the elimination of toxins during this time
You can do this by:
Taking supplements which contain natural detoxifying agents. Products similar to Nutra Life’s Gut relief, Ultimate Greens or Vital Greens (perfect nutrient booster for a cleansing body) and Fusions herbal liver tonic are examples of a wonderful place to start.
Drinking lots of water! When your body has the chance to mobilize toxins, its important to stay hydrated in order to flush them out of your system! Drinking good quality water which alkalizes your body and is free from added chemicals is ideal during a detox.
There are a number of wonderful water-filtration products which can make it easier for you to get good quality water into your system…the ones listed below are personal favourites of ours here at Vive as they eliminate chemicals, bacteria and heavy metals such as fluoride:
Fill2Pure Water Filtration Drink Bottle
Alkastream Water Filter
Apart from water, you might like to add one of our favourite drinks which will keep you hydrated, rejuvenated and further gently aid in the elimination process. Try CoCo water from Dr Martins, Weleda’s Birch Juice or maybe a gentle Detox tea by Planet Organics
Juicing is an easy way to get a concentrated hit of vitamins C and A, which are important antioxidants helping your liver in the detoxification process. Check out our awesome juicing machine, the JuicePresso! Most fruit and vegetables naturally contain high amounts of vitamins C and A, but especially good ones to use include celery, parsley, beetroot, carrots, oranges, mango, raspberries, strawberries and grapefruit. During a detox it is especially important to use organic fruit and veges to avoid absorbing chemicals and pesticides which may otherwise be present.
Try this nutrient dense vegetable juice recipe to kick-off your morning detoxing…
1 Beetroot
1/2 Lemon or Lime
1 Kiwi Fruit
1 Medium Carrot
1 Granny Simth Apple
Small slice of ginger
2 leaves of Silverbeet or a tsp of wheat / barley grass powder
What to expect on a detox!
It is common to get detoxification reactions such as increased sweating, skin reactions, headaches, increased bowel motion and urination, sinus discharge (flu-like symptoms); these are simply signs that your body is getting rid of some junk! It is important not to take any form of medication for these reactions; it is a natural manifestation of the body’s elimination processes.
Making the transition back to ‘normal eating’
It is important to transition gently ‘out of a detox’ and not simply go back to eating what you had been before you started the detox. That said, if you are serious about better health, a detox can be a great opportunity to begin better eating habits and to keep that momentum going for the rest of the year! It is not advisable to continue taking liver detoxification supplements on an ongoing basis without professional consultation.
Is Detoxing safe for you?
Doing a detox is not recommended if you are on prescription medications, pregnant or breastfeeding. If you have any questions about your suitability for doing a detox, or about what to take during a detox, our friendly staff and qualified health practitioners at Vive would be happy to assist you.
Wishing you a healthy start to 2012 from all us here at Vive Health!