4 Simple & Effective Detoxing Methods

Some of you may know that my husband and I are in the process of buying a house. We closed on Monday, and are in the process of moving, so for the next couple of weeks, we will only be posting once a week on this blog until we get settled in. So be sure to check back on Wednesdays for helpful info on how to live a cleaner, greener, and healthier life! And remember to visit our main blog at http://www.newholisticliving.com/blog.html for more healthy living topics and resources for natural living.

And now on to this week's topic - how to cleanse and detox without disrupting your life!

It can feel a bit intimidating to hear about other people's detoxification efforts.  Perhaps you know of people who have paid large sums of money, and spent weeks in detox "camps" where their diets are strictly regulated.  Maybe you know of people who have received enemas, gone on very restrictive diets, have felt terribly ill, or otherwise have had to take large amounts of time out of their lives to detox.

Most of us cannot just stop our lives in order to do a hard-core detox.

If you want to detoxify while still getting on with your life, here are some gentle but effective methods:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Raw Vegetables and Fruits

In this kind of detox, you simply eat only raw fruits and vegetables for two or three days, and drink only water, herbal teas, or diluted fruit juice.  All foods consumed in this detox diet need to be organic.  Much of the principle behind this type of detoxification is to reduce the intake of toxins, as well as flushing them from the system.

2. Meditation

Many proponents of detoxification claim that meditation helps cleanse the mind and body.  Because meditation relaxes the body and brings focus, it makes sense that it would be a healthy means of personal cleansing.  Some practitioners of meditation use visualization and energy channeling to move toxins out of the body.  Meditation can easily be worked into your schedule, either performed every day or just a few times a week.

3. Smoothies

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This can be a very tasty, creative detox!  As long as the ingredients are fresh and organic and based on fruits and vegetables, you can mix all sorts of smoothies for your daily meals. 

Some foods to consider in your smoothies are: kale, broccoli, spinach, apples (unpeeled), berries, citrus fruits, pears, peaches, and so forth.

Another advantage of the smoothie detox is that you can add any supplements you want to take, such as probiotics, organic whey protein, or fiber, to the smoothie ingredients before mixing them in the blender.

4. Overall Lifestyle

Instead of a temporary detox diet, you can simply make some long-term simple lifestyle changes to detoxify your body and keep it that way.

Some ways to do that include:

• Switch to organic, whole, fresh foods rather than conventionally grown, processed, or prepackaged foods.

• Exercise regularly - it keeps things moving in the body, and induces sweating, another form of detox your body naturally employs.

• Use only natural, toxin-free cleaners to clean your home. (Visit our website for some suggestions.)

• Use only natural, toxin-free soaps, shampoos, deodorants, and styling products. (Visit our website for some good options.)

• Eat meat only a couple of times a week, and switch to organic, grass-fed, free-range meats.

• Cut back on dairy products and eat only organic products.

• Eliminate or reduce your refined sugar intake and, when you do need a sweetener, consider raw, unfiltered honey, maple syrup, or the calorie-free herb, stevia.

• Drink plenty of water.

Above, you have been provided with several simple ideas on how to incorporate detoxification into your life, without disrupting your life and health, or undertaking an arduous cleansing regimen. Living a cleaner, healthier lifestyle can result in a life filled with increased health and wellness.  

For more suggestions about how to reduce toxins in your home, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/reducing-your-toxic-load.html and be sure to download your FREE Home Checklist!