Top Tips For Cleansing Your Body

Why cleanse your body?

It is quite necessary for us to take good care of our bodies. But with the amount of processed and refined foods we love to eat, this can be hard. It has been recommended that we cleanse our bodies at least once a year to push out all of the toxins we’ve been harboring.

If you’ve been feeling down or generally unwell, it might be a good idea to detoxify your body with healthy foods. Not only will it leave you feeling in better health, but it could also help to change your diet for good.

Many people find that their cravings for sugary snacks change after cleansing their body, and they are able to eat healthier diets.

Your Diet

What we put into our bodies is extremely important. Often we eat what we crave rather than what we actually need, and this usually causes more damage that good.

Below is a list of what you need to cut out and what you need to eat while cleansing your body:

Cut out alcohol, tobacco and caffeine – It might be hard, but dropping these addictive items will really help you to cleanse your body, as they only add more toxins. Try cutting down your intake first if you feel you need to slowly make this change.

Cut out white flour and sugar – These are refined, and can lead to obesity as well as tooth decay. They also contain addictive properties, which is why it can be so hard to cut these foods out of your diet. Instead of white flour, try whole grain options which have more fibre and leave you full up for longer. Brown rice, oats, quinoa and buckwheat are all other good options.

Cut out processed foods – Processed foods have little to no nutritional value, are full of additives and leave you feeling hungry and craving more. Take the time to prepare a filling, healthy meal rather than reaching for a microwave box-meal or lunch meats. Not only will you be doing wonders for your health, but you will also be learning how to make great healthy dishes!

Reduce meat intake – Meats will slow down detoxification in the body, and diets that are high in meat have been linked to heart disease and cancer, so it’s good to start cutting down on the amount of meat you eat. If you need some meat, those of the leaner kind such as turkey, chicken or fish are always the better options over beef and pork.

Only a small amount of these meats should be eaten, and it is advisable to take a break from meat for a a few days even up to a week if possible in order to allow your body to rest and clean itself out. For other sources of protein, try eating lentils, chickpeas, or dried beans.

Cut out milk and soda – Milk should not be consumed while you cleanse you body, nor should soy milk. Sodas are full of sugar and therefore should also be left out. For a sweet drink, try fresh fruit juices – but these should be consumed in small quantities.

Increase fibre intake – Eat lots of vegetables, particularly those of the green variety. However, nightshade vegetables such as potatoes and tomatoes should be avoided. Apples are a great choice of fruit for cleansing the body, as are lemons and limes. Other than lemons and limes, however, no other citrus fruits should be consumed, and due to the sugars in fruit your intake should be limited.

Spice it up – If you dislike the taste of certain vegetables, try cooking them in herbs and spices. Cumin, garlic, ginger, rosemary, oregano, turmeric and basil are just some of the options you can try, all of which have health benefits of their own.

Increase water intake – Water is incredibly important for cleansing the body and flushing out toxins. If you can’t stomach the taste of water, try adding lemon – which is also great for detoxifying. You could also drink herbal teas such as green tea, dandelion tea or burdock root tea. These drinks will help to cleanse the liver. You should try to drink 12-16 glasses of water a day if possible. Your digestion, overall health and skin should improve greatly as you increase your water intake.

Lifestyle

Exercise – Alongside a cleansing diet, it is best to do some exercise.

Exercising improves the metabolism and therefore with detoxifying the body. Yoga is a great way to exercise, as it combines stretching with meditating.

Stretching helps circulation, relieves stress and is great for your muscles. Alternatively, you could also walk for 20 to 30 minutes everyday if you feel yoga is not right for you.

The aim is to get your body moving everyday; this will also help to lighten your mood and leave you feeling great! Try using a boar bristle brush on your skin afterwards to remove all of the toxins that have been sweated out.

Sleep well – Sleeping is just as important as what we do while we are awake.

We need to get eight hours of sleep every night, and this should be good quality sleep. If you feel the need to rest during the day, take a nap or set aside some time to rest peacefully.

Breathe deep – If you can find the chance, try taking deep, calming breaths.

These help spread oxygen through the body which will balance your pH levels. Ideally spend 15 minutes per day doing this if you can.

Don’t give up

While your body cleans itself, you may find yourself feeling a bit off – symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, headaches and irritability. This will occur as your body tries to push out all of the toxins it had been storing.

It might be hard, especially if it is your first time cleansing, but it is worth it; after a while these symptoms will stop and you will no longer have cravings for junk food.

Health by choice, not by chance.

-Dav id Aston