Guest Post by Tom White
While following a detox plan from time to time is a wonderful way to treat your body, maintaining that clean and toxin-free feeling is difficult if you lead a typical, busy lifestyle. The four tips listed here provide a foundation for healthy living by reducing the toxins in your body on a daily basis – try them, and experience a sense of well-being from within.
Start Your Day with a Glass of Warm Water and Lemon
Don’t shock your body first thing in the morning with a glass of cold water, or worse a coffee! Wake up gently with an alkalising warm water and lemon drink.
Quench Your Body’s Thirst for Water
The human body is composed of around 60% water, and every cell in the body relies on water to function properly. Water flushes out toxins, maintains the organs and is involved in the movement of nutrients to where they are needed. As the water we consume is used up by our bodies, it must be replaced – the results of not doing so are dehydration and a build up of toxins.
As part of a daily routine to maintain health, experts recommend that we drink between 1.5 and 3 litres of water a day. This may sound like a lot, but keeping your water consumption at a constant level will make a noticeable difference almost instantly.
When you are well hydrated, symptoms related to dehydration/toxic build up such as lethargy and headaches are less likely to occur. When you wake, start with a large glass of water to kick-start your system and wash away toxins which have built up during the night, then continue to sip throughout the day.
Work Up A Sweat
Therapeutic Sweating is a technique which has been used for at least 1,000 years and in many different cultures. Understood to have a broad range of health benefits, therapeutic sweating improves blood circulation and the process of sweating itself helps to release toxins from the body.
To try therapeutic sweating for yourself, book into your local steam room, sauna or hammam (Turkish bath). Start by relaxing for around five to ten minutes in the heated room, then cool off under the shower, before heading back for more heat. The contrast of hot and cold not only releases tension in your muscles but stimulates the sweat glands.
For those who do not have regular access to a sauna, turn your daily shower into a detox session by changing the water temperature from highest temperature you can bear to the lowest and back again, repeating several times.
Make Healthy Food Choices
The old adage “You are what you eat” holds true, particularly when detoxing. However, the dietary choices you make on a daily basis are those which have the most significance on your long-term health. Take a look at food labels when you shop and avoid any foods which are packed with additives and preservatives. Instead, opt for fresh, natural ingredients such as seasonal fruit and vegetables, fish and lean meats.
Cooking methods should also come into consideration – boiling and deep-frying destroy the properties of even the highest quality ingredients! Try stir-frying, grilling and steaming to preserve the nutritional value of your food and try to add more raw foods to your diet.
Scrape Your Tongue
Cleansing of the tongue by scraping has used in Eastern medicines such as Ayurveda for centuries. The theory behind the practice is that the food residues, bacteria and other unsavoury substances can build up on the tongue, which not only causes bad breath but is also linked to disease and ill-health. Using a tongue scraper each morning removes these nasty traces from your mouth and is part of a healthy oral hygiene routine.
Tongue scrapers can be purchased online and in health stores, but for those of you, who want to give it a try before you invest, use a metal teaspoon. Gently drag the spoon from the back of your tongue to the front, rinse and repeat two or three times to remove those toxins in an instant!
Bio Box
Tom White is the owner of CleansingMatters.com a popular detox advice website. On his website you’ll find a range of useful articles along with information about the Isagenix Cleansing Diet.
