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!

Video: Detoxification Is About Food - Not Pills

No matter what your goals are for detoxing, it's a great way to make your body healthier. This short video gives you a brief overview of our favorite cleanse and detox program - The Total Wellness Cleanse. As he explains in the video, cleansing is about food - not pills! Or at least it should be....

In order to give your body the support it needs to detoxify itself naturally, you need to give it the correct nutrition. The Total Wellness Cleanse is a nutrition program that will teach you how to do just this. No crazy lemon juice diets, weeks where you can only eat soup, or anything like that. This is a program that teaches you how to eat real foods that feed and heal your body, and support all of its detoxification systems. With daily guidance, step-by-step instructions, and delicious recipes and daily menu ideas, this system is the complete package when it comes to natural and gentle detoxification.

Check out the video and you'll see why....



Click Here to Learn More About The Total Wellness Cleanse:

Why Cleanse? Purpose & Benefits

Guest Article By: 
Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN & Amy Coates, RHN, BSc.

We detoxify and cleanse for health, vitality, and rejuvenation. We cleanse our body to clear symptoms, treat disease, and prevent future problems. A cleansing program is an ideal way to help you re-evaluate your life, make changes, or clear abuses and addictions. Withdrawal happens fairly quickly, and as cravings are reduced you can begin a new life without old addictive habits or drugs.

Detoxification is also helpful for weight loss, although this is not the primary purpose. The body stores toxins in fat cells. When you cleanse your body these toxins are more easily released from their fat stores. Since you then become less toxic, your toxin stores (the fat) are not as necessary and, thus, your body can rid itself of excess, unnecessary fat.

Weight loss also occurs on a cleanse simply because there are fewer calories being consumed. Since weight loss boils down to creating a caloric deficit, eating less over time is a simple way of losing weight.

We also detoxify and cleanse to rest and heal our overloaded digestive organs. This is often an overlooked, yet very important, area considering optimal health truly begins with the health of our digestive system.

Aside from the internal health benefits, detoxification can also be a great catalyst for external change. For instance, it can provide a great opportunity to reflect and re-evaluate what’s most important to you. It can serve to help you cleanse your house, your work, your relationships. After a cleanse, you will even feel more organized, more creative, more motivated, more productive, more relaxed, and more mentally focused and clear.

So, if you want more energy, greater vitality, more youthful and radiant skin, and greater health for life, then cleansing should be a regular (annual or semi-annual) part of your life.

Yuri Elkaim is a renowned fitness, nutrition, and weight loss expert. He is a registered holistic nutritionist and the co-creator of the Total Wellness Cleanse - a 30-day food-based cleansing program that has helped thousands of people lose weight, cleanse their bodies of toxic overload, and restore incredible health. For information on the Total Wellness Cleanse visit www.TotalWellnessCleanse.com. 

5 Tips for Managing Detox Side Effects and Symptoms

There is no better time than summer to implement a detox diet. With all the delicious fresh fruits and veggies available, it's easy to find local and organically grown produce in abundance. Detox diets can be great for your health. You can lose weight on a detox diet. You can gain more energy and mental clarity. You can also reduce food sensitivities and allergy symptoms by eliminating foods that cause them. However, many detox programs also come with some challenging side effects, although their severity will depend on how toxic you are to start with.

Here’s how to manage these side effects effectively.

#1. Be prepared.

The most important step to managing detox side effects is to be prepared for them. Know what to expect and then you can plan for it. For example, many detox programs cause:

* Headaches
* Insomnia
* Irritability and mood swings
* Digestion changed including diarrhea and gas
* Fatigue

#2. Plan to relax.

Detoxing during your normal and potentially stressful work week can be extra challenging. It’s better to detox during a time period when you can relax. You can sleep when you need to. You can walk, read and simply treat yourself well. Being able to set hectic life aside and relax while you detox will make managing the symptoms much easier.

#3. Drink plenty of water.

Water will help reduce the detox symptoms. Detoxing can cause you to become dehydrated. This will make the symptoms worse and can actually cause headaches and insomnia as the toxins stored in your tissues make their way into your blood stream. Plan to drink several glasses of water or herbal tea daily to avoid dehydration and its side effects. It’ll also help flush the toxins out of your body more quickly.

#4. Pamper yourself.

Take a detox bath or go to the spa. Pamper yourself with a sauna or a massage. Both actually help facilitate the detox process. They also help you relax and focus on feeling good. If going to the spa isn’t your cup of tea consider enjoying a movie marathon or an afternoon reading and getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine. Do whatever you enjoy doing so you can focus on feeling good, strong and healthy.

#5. Utilize vitamins and supplements.

Make sure you get plenty of nutrition during your detox process. Take a good quality multi-vitamin. Make sure you get enough vitamin D. Also consider taking calcium and an Omega 3 supplement. Many detox plans eliminate most common foods. Even if you’re consuming juice you’re missing out on many of the vitamins you’d otherwise ingest. Taking a supplement can help you feel better during detox and manage symptoms. Also consider taking a detoxification supplement such as milk thistle, which will help cleanse the liver and support organ functions throughout your detox.

Do not drink caffeine or take stimulants during a detox plan. They can significantly worsen your symptoms. If you’re struggling to manage side effects, consider modifying the detox. You can ease into it by slowly eliminating foods over a period of a few days.

Detoxing is challenging for the healthiest of people. Plan ahead, pamper yourself and consider easing into the diet. To your great health!

For a gentle detox diet that works with your body naturally (and really works), check out the resource below - my favorite detox method....