Back in 2004 I felt very low on energy feeling lethargic and numb pretty much all the time. I'd spent a lot of time with doctors and consultants, but each time was told that there was nothing medically wrong with me.
I finally went to see an alternative health therapist one day who advised me that I would likely benefit from a detox diet, and take some time to learn how to detox and understand the impact of toxins on my health. I didn't know the first thing about detoxing, so figured it was a worthy investment of my time to at least check it out, and why so many alternative and complementary health practitioners advocate following a detox diet and recommend starting with the 7 day detox diet so strongly.
She also hinted to me to try a relaxing foot detox. I now use a foot spa about twice a week, but if you don't have one of those, the detox patches can work just as well - but doing it this way you miss out on the relaxing foot massage at the same time
So here's my top tips about how to detox your body.
Herbal teas are just as good as water
One of the most important things you need to is drink lots of water while you are following a detox diet as it helps to eliminate water-soluble toxins from your body. There's lots of other health reasons to drink water as it helps prevent constipation, stops water retention (believe it or not), and encourage clear skin. Your goal should be to drink about 8 glasses (or 2 liters) of water each day, but increase that when the weather is hot.
As a rough guide, aim to drink an extra half liter of water for every hour you exercise. The healthiest type of water is filtered tap water. Ideally drink water that is at room temperature. If the thought of drinking that much water is overbearing, try herbal teas as well - preferably loose leaf rather than tea bags. Green tea, horsetail, camomile and roibosch (or redbush) are especially great in a detox as their hidden ingredients assist in the detox process. Green tea and redbush has extra punch as it is rich in antioxidants.
How Can I Possibly Drink So Much?
That may seem like a lot of water to drink but it's a lot easier than it first looks. Prepare a glass with a little freshly squeezed lemon juice or root ginger when you rise - this is a great way to activate your digestive system and bowel then have more water whenever you take a coffee break.
Each time you eat something have a glass then, if you make tea of coffee during the day drink water as well, another glass when you get home from work and a final glass before you retire to bed for the night. As I mentioned above, you can replace some glasses of water with herbal teas.
Fresher Food Is More Nutritious
Try buying farm fresh food and juice or blend them for maximum benefit or just eat them raw, for example as snacks, crudites, salads, and juices. Raw food is full of vital nutrients, phytochemicals and enzymes. If the food stays in the fridge or on the shelf for long periods, or when it is heated and cooked, it loses a lot of its nutritional value.
Try to buy your fruits and veg locally, preferably from farm shops and local markets - imported produce is usually harvested under ripe (so it won't have created all the nutrition of a fully ripened plant) and a lot of nutrition is lost during the journey to the stores.
Is Organic Better
When detoxing, there's no need to go completely organic, as organic produce is normally higher priced than non organic equivalents, but if you can manage one or two organic foods that would be great.
If you can't find or afford organic fruits and veggies, it's not a problem. All you need to worry about is eating enough fresh foods regardless of them being organic or not, instead of eating too few of them. However, there are some good reasons for concentrating on organic food on a healthy detox diet.
Artificial fertilizers and pesticides are banned from production of organic foods, and therefore they are much healthier being free from toxins and man made chemicals. It's also a very controversial subject as there's a lot of evidence that the build up of these pesticides may be related to a lot of the serious health issues we face today.
There is a lot less processing of organic produce on its journey to your kitchen. The end result being that organic foods are free from artificial additives and hydrogenated fats. And you may notice that organic foods also taste better and have much deeper flavors.
By following one of the many 3 or 7 day detox diets every few months you will be improving lots of different areas of your health and body that it will make your head spin. A healthier looking complexion, younger looking skin, healthy weight loss and even an improvement in your sex life. Get the latest natural detox tips and get started today.
