Choosing to detox your body is not about denial and starvation! Detoxification is about resting, cleansing and nourishing your body from the inside out. Understanding what detox is, accepting your fear of change, and following a few simple, clean eating tips will give your health an incredible boost and vitality. Let me explain.
While removing toxins and providing your body with healthy nutrients, a good cleansing can help protect against disease and renew your ability to maintain optimal health. A good detox program can literally be the start of a new life and an essential first step on the path to long-term wellness!
But many of us fear detox. Whether it's the fear of failure or the fear of not being able to 'cope' without wine, coffee or chocolate (choose one or all). Or the fear that it is putting too much strain on our lifestyle. But if that's stopping you from spring cleaning your body… you're fooling yourself. It's about feeling perfect. Don't you think that's a much better feeling than fear?
The word detox has taken a huge hit in the past few years, with more negative connotations and myths associated with it. Reducing your toxin intake doesn’t have to be a painful or ‘scary’ task. Why would we eat food processed in a lab when there is so much fresh food available to us? Simply cutting back on processed foods and eating fresh produce can significantly improve your health and productivity.
There is so much misinformation out there that it can be difficult to understand proper nutrition. I advocate for seasonal, local, organic, whole foods, prepared with love and eaten slowly. Food that comes in a bag and can keep in your cupboard for months is really stretching the definition of food! I say eat Low HI. It is a food product with little human intervention (HI).
I've condensed my philosophy into 10 simple, clean eating tips that will introduce you to the amazing benefits of detox without fear of sacrifice or negativity.
1. Avoid grain-based carbohydrates for 4 weeks. This includes flour, breakfast cereals, pasta, bread and all forms of sugar. If this is too difficult, add small amounts of whole grains such as brown rice, oats, rye bread, oats or spelled, quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat.
2. Eat plenty of fresh (preferably organic) fruits and vegetables every day. Non-starchy vegetables will be your main carbohydrate source for the next four weeks. If you feel tired, add a small amount above.
3. Eat at least one large, colorful salad every day. Make it as colorful as possible and add fresh herbs to liven it up. Sprinkle some good protein (nuts, seeds, lean chicken, fish, eggs or tofu) on top and voila!
4. Cut out soft drinks, packaged fruit juices, cordials and alcohol. If you must drink wine occasionally, keep it to no more than two glasses of high-quality wine and enjoy it no more than once a week. If you can make it through four weeks, it's worth it.
5. Use cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, hazelnut oil, and flaxseed oil in salads. For cooking, use butter (yes, a hard, natural ingredient), coconut oil, or olive oil (which does not convert to trans fat when heated like many vegetable oils).
6. Choose raw, unsalted nuts, seeds, free-range eggs, and non-GMO soy products as protein sources. For non-vegetarians, choose oily fish (no more than three times a week), free-range chicken and turkey, and lean meats.
7. Stay away from margarine as much as possible (Includes products with added plant sterols that reduce cholesterol). Also avoid processed, highly hydrogenated vegetable oils and sauces or dressings containing them. Make your own salad dressing using natural ingredients, fresh herbs, cold-pressed oils (above), and good balsamic vinegar. Remember low HI. This applies to all food choices.
8. Remove all sugar; These include malt extract, corn syrup and especially the artificial ones (which should be banned along with all 'diet' drinks containing them)! If you need sweetener, use Manuka honey, Grade A maple syrup, or stevia (an extremely sweet herb grown in South America).
9. Drink 2 liters of water every day. If coffee is a must, limit it to one cup a day and drink it unsweetened black. The same goes for tea. If you drink black tea or coffee, drink two more glasses of water to compensate for the diuretic effect.
10. Don’t beat yourself up or feel guilty if you give in to temptation. Put it aside and get back on track. Don't use this as an excuse to throw in the towel. Applying even six of these tips is better than applying none. Rethink why you do what you do, and keep doing it.
If you want to try Detox without rejection, you can get a free copy of my Spa Inspired 7-Day Detox here. Created with the help of some of the best Detox Spa Retreats around the world that you can do at home.
Written by Kris Abbey, Founder of Spa & Wellness. Learn more about Chris here.
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