I don't know about you, but with all the craziness in the world right now, I've been feeling pretty stressed. It would be great if my response to this was to go for a run or get some extra sleep, but instead I've been turning to unhealthy coping vices, like tubs of ice cream. (So many tubs!)
Many people think of detox after they have experienced discomfort or liver health problems. In such cases, proper detox is necessary. It is of utmost importance to note that if dealing with any serious health issue and maladies, consulting the doctor before making any changes in diet and performing a detox is a must.
Overall, the planet these days experiences severe pollution that affects the quality of the soil, water, and air, and consequently the quality of the food despite the place of origin.
When a reader emailed to suggest a guest post about how to detox, it sounded like exactly what I need right now.
Cleaning is an important aspect of my life, as I'm sure it is yours. I always believed that living in a clean environment greatly predetermines my optimal health. And by a clean environment, I mean a clean home to live in and a clean bed to sleep in, but much more than that I need a clean mind and body.
How to Detox
(Guest Article)
As a clean external environment is very rare to find nowadays, my internal cleansing has become an important part of my self-care routine as a proper support to my physical and mental health.
My body is my temple. The mind, the soul, everything that makes me who I am as a person is hosted inside a unique set of molecules that I can call myself. Well, I guess I can pretty much change anything in life, but I am not given the opportunity to change bodies. That being said, the thing that I must take the best care of is my precious, irreplaceable body.
Exposed to toxic chemicals in the air, the water and the food, it seems that today more than ever we need to be careful about what we put inside the body and how recently we clean the body from the nasties ingested. With all that in mind, it seemed inevitable for me to execute a proper body cleanse.
When is the proper time to do a detox and what is the best way to execute this daunting task?
All these fads do not work on me, but luckily I’ve discovered that detoxification is a completely different process and an incredible way to support the health and functioning of my body.
Detox or cleanse should refer to a food regime that excludes processed foods that contain harmful substances that not only are not supporting the proper functioning of our body but they can cause serious harm. The consumption of these types of foods that are on the front shelves in every market has become unavoidable, unless you are very mindful of your choice.
Processed foods aside, fresh produce can also bring toxins inside the body. Rarely we all have the choice to buy organic, as in all other cases, chemicals are used in the treatment and cultivation process and they remain in the fruits and vegetables we eat. All these can overwhelm the organs responsible for the cleaning of the body.
Consequently, the organs responsible for cleaning the body from the unneeded and harmful substances and mostly the main purifier of the body, the liver, require additional help. Therefore, I found assisting in relieving the heavy workload of my liver inevitable for my optimal health. Moreover, the liver detoxification I was about to perform was supposed to result in faster body cleanse while supporting the liver’s optimal function.
The body has its own mechanism for self-cleaning and an effective way to dismiss the unneeded and harmful substances. However, the body’s capacity to clean itself is limited and not prepared for the “modern” so-to-say overly toxic food and environment. So I’ve decided that in these circumstances, my body certainly requires proper, additional support for the detoxification process.
My body is my temple. The mind, the soul, everything that makes me who I am as a person is hosted inside a unique set of molecules that I can call myself. Well, I guess I can pretty much change anything in life, but I am not given the opportunity to change bodies. That being said, the thing that I must take the best care of is my precious, irreplaceable body.
Exposed to toxic chemicals in the air, the water and the food, it seems that today more than ever we need to be careful about what we put inside the body and how recently we clean the body from the nasties ingested. With all that in mind, it seemed inevitable for me to execute a proper body cleanse.
When is the proper time to do a detox and what is the best way to execute this daunting task?
What Is a Detox?
Detox has certainly become the health buzzword of the decade, leaving many of us confused about its meaning and ways to perform it. I found that this word is wrongly used for diets that promise fast weight loss and myriad benefits to follow. The safety of these diet plans, though - pretty questionable!All these fads do not work on me, but luckily I’ve discovered that detoxification is a completely different process and an incredible way to support the health and functioning of my body.
Detox or cleanse should refer to a food regime that excludes processed foods that contain harmful substances that not only are not supporting the proper functioning of our body but they can cause serious harm. The consumption of these types of foods that are on the front shelves in every market has become unavoidable, unless you are very mindful of your choice.
Processed foods aside, fresh produce can also bring toxins inside the body. Rarely we all have the choice to buy organic, as in all other cases, chemicals are used in the treatment and cultivation process and they remain in the fruits and vegetables we eat. All these can overwhelm the organs responsible for the cleaning of the body.
Consequently, the organs responsible for cleaning the body from the unneeded and harmful substances and mostly the main purifier of the body, the liver, require additional help. Therefore, I found assisting in relieving the heavy workload of my liver inevitable for my optimal health. Moreover, the liver detoxification I was about to perform was supposed to result in faster body cleanse while supporting the liver’s optimal function.
The body has its own mechanism for self-cleaning and an effective way to dismiss the unneeded and harmful substances. However, the body’s capacity to clean itself is limited and not prepared for the “modern” so-to-say overly toxic food and environment. So I’ve decided that in these circumstances, my body certainly requires proper, additional support for the detoxification process.
Do You Need a Detox?
If you consider yourself a person that does regular damage to the body with unhealthy and possibly toxic food, performing a detox once in a while will lower the chances of developing diseases. Toxic chemicals that enter the body through food, water and air, can cause many health problems, however, they mostly attack the organs of the digestive system.Many people think of detox after they have experienced discomfort or liver health problems. In such cases, proper detox is necessary. It is of utmost importance to note that if dealing with any serious health issue and maladies, consulting the doctor before making any changes in diet and performing a detox is a must.
Overall, the planet these days experiences severe pollution that affects the quality of the soil, water, and air, and consequently the quality of the food despite the place of origin.
Modern practices applied on food cultivation and processing almost always include chemicals that are toxic and negatively affect our body if they happen to be trapped inside. Even those that greatly mind what they put in their mouth and carefully select the food they eat, should once in a while support the body’s natural cleaning system with a proper detox formula.
Modern pharmaceutical solutions have recently presented detox formulas as supplements. These supplements are mostly natural and include powerful herbs like dandelion, wormwood, chicory, which have a powerful natural ability to eliminate the toxins. They can only speed up the process, not replace all other aspects that contribute to the cleanse.
When one decides to detox, it should take into consideration all the aspects of life that have an impact on the body. These are the main fuels - food, water and air, plus stress factors. Regardless of your decision to include pharmaceutical formulas or not, the basics of how to detox include:
How to Perform a Detox
The period during which your body undergoes a detox requires changes in all fields of life. It is similar to religious fasting. I’ve found out that in order for the detox to be successful I need to make some arrangements in everyday routine. It is not at all easy to endure and it certainly isn’t a detox formula where you will buy and just take two teaspoons of magical liquid a day.Modern pharmaceutical solutions have recently presented detox formulas as supplements. These supplements are mostly natural and include powerful herbs like dandelion, wormwood, chicory, which have a powerful natural ability to eliminate the toxins. They can only speed up the process, not replace all other aspects that contribute to the cleanse.
When one decides to detox, it should take into consideration all the aspects of life that have an impact on the body. These are the main fuels - food, water and air, plus stress factors. Regardless of your decision to include pharmaceutical formulas or not, the basics of how to detox include:
- Drinking plenty of water, purified and clean of heavy metals
- Exclude all processed food from your diet, including sugar, candy, processed snacks, and sodas
- Include in your diet only organic and clean foods mainly vegetables and fruits, nuts and whole grains
- Limit exposure to any toxins - avoid chemicals in beauty and hygiene products
- Spend time in nature, in places where you can breathe clean air, perform forest bathing
- Get adequate rest, sleep enough and in a clean and relaxing environment
- Exercise daily
- Eat foods that support liver health - carrots and beets, avocados, apples, citrus, green leafy veggies
- Drink teas from herbs and roots that support and naturally perform liver detox: milk thistle, turmeric root, ginger
- Avoid stressful situations and relieve stress with meditation, deep breathing relaxation and spending time in nature