Tired of Calorie-Restrictive Cleanses? Try a Teatox

Excerpt:
Have you tried a hunger-ridden juice cleanse only to break your diet in a midnight snacking frenzy after laying in bed with a rumbling tummy? If calorie-restrictive detoxing just isn’t your thing, maybe some iteration of the celebrity-endorsed Teatox is for you. Teatoxing allows you to cleanse while you eat, since being satisfied is an important part of creating a sustainable diet. “Detoxing is great, it’s just how you do it,” nutritionist and wellness coach Dorit Jaffe of Whole Healthy Glow tells Yahoo Beauty.

“[Juice cleanse programs] tend to be abused. People think if they restrict themselves from food that they will lose fat and keep that weight off.” Teatoxing has none of those negative implications since you can continue to eat. Likewise, teas are anti-inflammatory and water alone flushes toxins out of your system, so the increased intake of water associated with teatoxing will be helpful to relieve bloating and symptoms of toxins in your system. Jaffe finds that cleanses are best when the seasons are in flux — fall and spring — or to get you on the right track for a healthier eating plan. In that case, the day after Thanksgiving is the perfect time to gear up for a teatox.

Get more at Yahoo! Beauty

I Tried a Charcoal-and-Lemon Detox Cleanse For 2 Weeks (And It Didn't Suck)

Excerpt:
I've never been the type of person to try a cleanse. If I can't have a glass of Malbec or copious amounts of cheese, it's pretty much not an option for me. But then I heard about the Dirty Lemon cleanse, a juice that can be added to your usual diet without the need for any other changes. There are no rules, no limitations, no schedule. The only tips the company offers? "It works best on a full stomach. So, drink post-pancakes," the included literature advises. Now that I can handle. And then came another nudge in the right direction: the juice, a blend of water, raw cold-pressed lemon juice, activated charcoal sourced from coconut shells, dandelion root extract, and ginger root extract, is absolutely freakin' delicious. Upon first sip, I knew this was something I could get on board with.

Unlike many sugar-laden juice cleanses, Dirty Lemon contains only one gram of sugar per 16-oz bottle. It tastes like unsweetened lemonade, which, if you're a Sour Patch Kids fiend like me, is code for mouthwateringly addictive. (If you couldn't handle War Heads back in fifth grade, you might not love it; only one of four editor/taste-testers coiled from the pucker-inducing taste.) And though there's something initially off-putting about sipping black liquid, you don't really notice the charcoal. Be sure to give the bottle a good shake before you open it, and you shouldn't notice any grittiness (though, full disclosure, I did sip up a clump of charcoal that had congealed at the bottom once).

Read the rest at Allure

An Attempt at a One-Week Juice Cleanse

Excerpt:
It’s a warm November morning and I’m staying in bed as long as possible to avoid my first of multiple juices that I will be solely sipping on for the next week.

As I drink my beet, apple, carrot, ginger liquid breakfast, I reflect on why I keep falling for health trends and put myself through this misery. Since I can remember, I’ve always worried about my health. I have this weird dynamic where the constant feed of health fads and “treat yo self” come together to form what my diet usually is — not healthy.

We all struggle with our health growing up; I think it’s a vital part of accepting yourself. So here’s the story of how my newest venture went and whether I think it’s worth it for you to follow this path.

Juice cleanses: they’ve been around for a long time in comparison to other health trends that die out in a couple years. Even our little Kingston has multiple juice shops. If people are making a living off of this, there must be something there, right?

Read the rest at The Journal

The Detox Tea Kylie Jenner Swears By…

Excerpt:
She’s known for showing off her trim figure in an array of Instagram posts and now Kylie Jenner has let us into a little secret of how she keeps in shape.

The youngest sister of the Kardashian/Jenner clan revealed yesterday that her enviable flat tummy is all thanks to the Lyfe Tea teatox.

Yep, apparently it’s no grueling gym workouts for young Kylie, she keeps her tum trim with a little help from the latest celebrity craze detox method. Kylie’s not alone when it comes to trying out a teatox with sister Kourtney also recently trying out Lyfe Tea’s detox, too, and the likes of Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright also known to have jumped on the teatox train and used another brand.

Kylie revealed her secret with a stylish Instagram post flashing the toned tum in question and saying “Morning :) My flat tummy secret is my @lyfe_tea teatox! We need all the help we can get to keep off the holiday pounds. So keeping my @lyfe_tea with me keeps my waistline slim!  Get yours here at  http://bit.ly/kylielyfe #lyfetea#thanksgiving”

Read more at LOOK

Best Detox Retreats Around The World

Excerpt:
Would you like to lose a few kilos, increase your fitness, give your liver a break, de-stress or simply have some "me" time? Find out what we consider the best detox retreats around the world that pride themselves on amazing food, great results and personalized care. Why not make your next holiday a healthy one!

Before you consider a detox holiday, think about what you want to achieve. Would you like to lose a few kilos, increase your fitness, give your liver a break, de-stress or simply have some "me" time?
Destination spas are divided into group or individual retreats.

On a group retreat all the guests arrive and depart on the same day and you may have to share a room or apartment unless you pay a single supplement. Guests dine on the same food together and do most activities together, except spa treatments which are yours alone to enjoy. These retreats are a great option if you're traveling alone and want some social interaction.

Get more tips at Food Matters

Daily Detox: Warm Lemon Water with Turmeric

Excerpt:
For several years now, I’ve been starting the day with warm lemon water because of its long list of health benefits. Lemon water, among many other things, detoxifies the body by giving the digestive system a kick in the morning.

Truth be told, though I need this daily detox after a summer full of travel, I’ve been looking for a way to jazz up the morning ritual and discovered that adding turmeric to lemon water not only offers a different taste, but it adds a number of other health benefits, too.

Health Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric is not only what makes mustard and curries yellow, but it’s an incredibly powerful nutritional supplement.

The Indian spice has chemical compounds called curcuminoids, of which curcumin is the most beneficial. Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory agent (helpful for arthritis among many other conditions) and an antioxidant. It also helps the body to absorb other antioxidants.

Love this? Head over to LaJollaMom for more

Why You Should Start Your Post-Thanksgiving Detox Now

Excerpt:
Thanksgiving may be a food lover’s dream, but that bliss so often turns to regret in the five weeks of parties that follow. So it goes for me: Each holiday season, a devil-may-care approach to gorging on sweetcakes and wine in December lands me in an ineffective, guilt-riddled cleanse come January. Which is why this year, I set out to find a better way to undo the damage (or avoid it entirely) than a cold-turkey New Year’s resolution: This year, I would start my post-Thanksgiving detox before the feasting even started.

The pre-festive cleanse, as it’s called, is about building healthy habits and being proactive, instead of punishing yourself unfairly later and, according to New York nutritionist Dana James, is a well-kept industry secret—the CAP Beauty and Sakara Life girls are all fans. “You start to prime your brain so that by the time Thanksgiving comes around, it’s simply a meal,” she says. “When you’ve established good eating habits, it’s much easier to say, ‘No, I’m going to have one dessert—not five.’ ” James tells me that it takes just seven days to see the effects, and last week, I put that theory to the test—could the pre-festive cleanse change the way I eat this Thanksgiving?

Get the plan at Vouge

7 Day Juice Fast Results

Excerpt:
My 7 day juice fast is complete! While our 7 day detox article has been one of our most popular, I’m really happy to announce I have finished my fast and am THRILLED with the results! Can you believe I made it out alive? Here are my 7 day juice fast results.

Weight-loss: I went from 132 lbs to 125 lbs. I’m 5’6 so a 7lbs weight loss is really noticeable on me. Brought me back to my regular weight (as opposed to me sporting a brand new bod). This is the body I’m used to and the body I feel most comfortable in, and most importantly, it’s the body that gets me to dance my way into the gym. But most of you know, I didn’t do this to lose weight in the first place.

Skin: My skin is radiant, soft and completely clear of any pimples or blemishes

Energy: Restored to the max

Misc: I feel satisfied quicker, like my tummy is smaller.

Read more at Indie Chick Magazine

A Beginner's Guide to Getting Started with Juicing

Excerpt:

Think about a healthy beverage. You're probably thinking about juice (since you're reading this), or maybe a smoothie. If anything with the word 'diet' in it just crept into your mind, you better keep reading.

Let's start off with a few things that beginners should know...

Is juice the same thing as a smoothie?
No, these are two very different things. They're both very healthy for you, and one isn't better than the other, necessarily.

A smoothie is made in a blender. It's blended, not juiced. With a smoothie, you retain the pulp (which is insoluble fiber). This can be either gross or good depending on what you're blending. A blended drink yields a lot more because of the pulp, and some people like that, but others find it difficult to drink all of it.

Juice is juiced with a juicer. Juicers 'juice' your produce and separate the pulp (the insoluble fiber) from it. You discard the pulp and drink the juice. You still get fiber in the form of soluble fiber. I know, crazy, right? You just learned something new today.

Inspired? Read more at JuiceRecipes

Super Detox Green Cleansing Smoothie

Excerpt:
If you’re familiar with my site at all, you’ve probably heard me mention My Morning Smoothie about a dozen times at least.

It’s a staple in my new whole foods lifestyle and the most important one at that. And for the past 8 months I haven’t strayed from that recipe- until now.

I don’t know why or really what came over me… but I just felt like I needed to go one step further with my morning smoothies. Get serious. Really dig deep into the potential cleansing power of green smoothies. I looked all over the blogosphere, taking bits and pieces from here and there until I finally came up with one that felt right with me. And what a powerful DETOX smoothie it ended up being!!

My original morning smoothie only had 6 ingredients. This one has 14.

You might be wondering why in the world I would trade-in such a simple recipe for such a complex one. Well, because the complexity of ingredients is what makes this new smoothie SO POWERFUL.

Read more from The Green Forks

Get Back On Track With This End Of Summer 3-Day Detox

Excerpt:
With summer coming to a close and kids heading back to school, now is a good time to sit down and evaluate your health. Maybe you went on a family vacation and strayed from your normal healthy diet, or maybe you got sick of making healthy on-the-go snacks while carting the kids around this summer. Summer has that effect on us: the splurge effect.

Nevertheless, it’s time to detox your body of all the toxins it’s collected this summer and get a jumpstart on your regular old routine. Who’s with us?

Download the End of Summer 3-Day Detox at SkinnyMom.

Summer Cleanse

Excerpt:
The Daily Greens™ Cleanse Philosophy emphasizes the importance of detoxing your cells and nourishing your body gently and naturally. How? By combining Daily Greens™ green juices with an array of raw fruits and vegetables!

Each morning you will begin your day with a glass of water, a cup of green tea and a bottle of Daily Greens™ green juice. This morning mini-fast infuses the body with a huge flush of vital nutrients, while allowing the intestinal tract to continue to cleanse your cells of toxins. Moreover, green juice is the most effective and efficient way for your body to absorb vitamins and minerals.

Throughout the day, you will continue to hydrate your body with two more bottles of Daily Greens™ green juice. If you are feeling a little hungry, it’s okay to snack on raw fruit, which digests quickly and helps maintain a healthy blood sugar and sustained energy levels.

At dinner, it is time to equip your body with fiber and roughage through a large raw vegetable dinner. Fiber prompts the bowels to move and expel the day’s accumulated toxins. So while you continuously flood your body with large quantities of nutrients through green juice, you are simultaneously collecting toxins and getting rid of them!

Get your juices at Daily Greens

3 Refreshing Detox Water Recipes for Radiant Skin

Excerpt:

Fountain of Youth Detox Water

– 2 sliced strawberries

– 1 sliced kiwi

How does it work?

Kiwi is packed with vitamins A and E to help prevent free radicals as well as certain types of cancer. The superfruit also flushes out toxins from the colon, which improves your overall health and well being.

Strawberries are amazing for fighting carcinogens plus they contain anti-aging properties like biotin and the antioxidant ellagic acid, which helps prevent sagging skin.

Get more (and buy this fab water bottle) from Blogilates

A 30-Day Deodorant Detox May Be Exactly What Your Armpits Need

Excerpt:

You know when you sit down on the bus or subway and realize you forgot to put on deodorant? Then you get that panicky feeling that makes you squeeze your pits together to avoid your neighbor smelling your body odor. That was my life for 30 days while I attempted to give up deodorant. For a month, I didn't raise my arms above my head, all my t-shirts got additional spot treatments due to sweat stains, and I took double the bathroom breaks to give my underarms a splash.

I wish I could tell you that this particular beauty experiment convinced me to never use antiperspirant again. But that would be a total lie (I definitely applied it this morning). My monthlong experiment turned me into a more self-conscious and sweaty version of myself. But I did come out of it with softer, smoother, easier-to-shave armpits. So was the armpit cleanse worth it? 

Find out at PopSugar

No Cleanses Necessary: 6 Daily Detox Habits

Excerpt:

The concept of detoxing doesn't have to be scary; there's no need to feel deprived, as you're taking care of your body! Incorporate these doable tips into your daily routine to support your health and feel your best every day.

1. Drink hot water with lemon: Make a cup of hot water with fresh lemon juice part of your morning ritual. As you hydrate with H2O, the lemon works to balance your body's pH and aid in healthy digestion.

2. Sweat it out: Beyond weight-loss goals, a quick cardio session at the gym builds sweat, which helps your body eliminate toxins. If you have access to a sauna or steam room at the gym, even better! A little extra time in these facilities after a solid workout will help you sweat, detox, and purify your body double time.

3. Eat more produce: Keeping your diet consistently clean and full of natural, unprocessed foods is one of the most effective ways to detox every day — and a clean diet is full of fresh veggies and fruits. Be sure to incorporate detoxifying produce that supports healthy liver and kidney function like cabbage, beets, and leafy greens.

Read more from POPSUGAR

How to Detox your Body with Tea

Excerpt:

Those pesky toxins are getting into our bodies and making us feel cruddy all day! Unfortunately, few of us take the time to detox ourselves, sitting in years of built-up gunk and metals running wild around our bodies.

Detoxes have been given the image of taking up time and intruding on the daily schedules of our busy selves. However, we drink gallons of it every day and some of us swear by it, yet no one has taken the time to really understand the full power of this everyday substance. I’m talking about tea.

Let’s look at how to detox your body with tea.

Go Green

At one point or another, you’ve probably heard about the magical elixir that is green tea. Filled with endless anti-oxidants, vitamins, and general goodness, it has become a staple part of many gym-goers and health-conscious people’s diets.

Some of the features of Green tea include:

• Helps burn fat: The anti-oxidant features of the tea help speed up your metabolic rate, resulting in energy being burned, even when not active.
• Improves immunity: Fights against flu and colds.
• Super medicine: There have been reports that it can prevent and guard against certain cancers, arthritis, and diabetes.
• Re-hydrates: Going against common beliefs that tea dehydrates you, green tea has been found to have similar re-hydration effects to our old friend H2O.
• Neurological: Has been shown to prevent degenerative and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
• This is only just a small list of the benefits green tea offers, but I’ll focus in on a super, duper food that harnesses 10 times the power of normal green tea.

Read more from Lifehack

Tried And Tested: The Lemon Detox Diet, As Followed By Naomi Campbell

Excerpt:

I’m always up for a challenge, especially one that promises to improve my skin, help me sleep, feel lighter on my feet and an all-round rejuvenation sensation, so when I was offered the chance to carry out the Lemon Detox Diet, I jumped.

Fasting intermittently has been proven to boost your health and promote longevity and the Lemon Detox has been developed by Swiss health practitioner Dr K A Beyer.

It's simply a fasting programme but with a nutrient rich formula to support the body in the process, namely a rich syrup - Madal Bal Natural Tree Syrup - apparently standard maple syrup won't do the same work, so it's important to stick to the one provided.

There are different levels at which you can engage in this regime. You can opt for the undiluted version, which means fasting for 5 to 8 days, with only the syrup for sustenance. Or you can choose for the 'relaxed' version', ie. introducing a light evening meal into the programme. Before this all sounds a bit too Lara Croft, I should add that Naomi Campbell apparently once continued for 18 days. The supermodel speaks very favourably of this detox, does it three times a year, most recently after a romantic breakup. But back to us less disciplined types... 

So, I started it on a Friday, and it was very straightforward. I prepared some of the special syrup. You can drink it hot or cold, with lemon or without. I opted for hot, and with a slice of lemon. Organic, naturally. Delicious, and you can taste that's it packed to bursting with antioxidants and vitamins. I brewed up a veritable vat in one go, and filled a couple of flasks.

Read more from The Huffington Post UK

A Cleanse That's Good for You

Excerpt:

Looking to lighten up before summer kicks off? Our healthy detox helps you lose a fast 5—without starvation!

Unlike those no-eating cleanses that leave you hungry and headachey, ours does the trick without deprivation. The secret? Yummy foods that are loaded with Resistant Starch (RS), a metabolism-boosting carb that keeps you feeling full longer. This CarbLovers "cleanse" gives you about 1,230 calories a day, including a Fat-Flushing Cooler that may help you burn an extra 80 calories daily.

Stick with this plan for five days, and lose up to five pounds. (You can do it for up to seven days, max.)

Fat-Flushing Cooler

In a large pitcher, combine 2 quarts brewed green tea (8 cups) with slices of orange, lemon, and lime to give it a citrusy-sweet punch. Enjoy up to 1 pitcher a day. Serve over ice (or drink hot); refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Read more from Health.com

5 Ayurvedic Detox Tips for Spring

Excerpt:

Spring and fall are important times of the year to detoxify, according to Ayurveda. A spring detox is especially important as an antidote for the excesses of the winter (think holidays).

To maintain health and balance in the long run, however, Ayurveda also recommends a daily detox protocol. If you don’t yet have one, spring is the best time to put one in place. Incorporate these five detox tips into your daily life to feel lighter and energized as you head into the warmer months.

Scrape Your Tongue

Use a tongue scraper first thing in the morning, before you brush your teeth. Ayurveda recommends tongue scraping to help boost the health of the oral cavity, including the teeth and sinuses, and to aid digestion. Digestion begins in the mouth as saliva mixes with the food and breaks it down. An excessively thick coating indicates the presence of Ama or toxins in the digestive system. Use a high-quality U- or V-shaped stainless steel or copper tongue scraper.

Read more from The Chopra Center

8 Tips for a Successful Spring Detox

Excerpt:

Spring! This is the season of renewal and rebirth. Spring is not only a time to clean out your home, but also your body. Mother nature provides us with naturally detoxifying foods in the springtime, so it is a perfect time to try a detoxifying cleanse. The best programs are the ones that include self-care and nutrition education as part of the detox – a detox of the whole body, rather than just diet.

1. Prepare Your Body

Take 3-5 days to prepare your body for a detox. That means eliminating toxins from your diet, like dairy, sugar, chemical sweeteners, alcohol. The more you can eliminate ahead of time, the less likely you will experience headaches and fatigue during your detox program.

2. Pick the Right Detox or Cleanse

Not all programs are created equally – do your research on who is running it and what is included. Most detoxes are between 1 and 5 weeks long. There are detoxes that are food-based only, and others that include coaching, self-care, and nutrition education. It is extremely helpful if you are able to find a holistic health coach who runs a detox program and can actually provide you with a consultation beforehand to help you decide what length is best for you.

Read more from the Epoch Times

A Cleanse That's Good for You

Excerpt:

Looking to lighten up before summer kicks off? Our healthy detox helps you lose a fast 5—without starvation!

Unlike those no-eating cleanses that leave you hungry and headachey, ours does the trick without deprivation. The secret? Yummy foods that are loaded with Resistant Starch (RS), a metabolism-boosting carb that keeps you feeling full longer. This CarbLovers "cleanse" gives you about 1,230 calories a day, including a Fat-Flushing Cooler that may help you burn an extra 80 calories daily.

Stick with this plan for five days, and lose up to five pounds. (You can do it for up to seven days, max.)

Read more at Health

How To Go Vegan In One Week: A 7-Day Detox Plan

Excerpt:

You can’t miss all of the media hoopla surrounding the dangers of commercially-raised meats and seafood and the health benefits of going without animal products in your diet. It’s also impossible not to hear about the latest, healthy-looking celeb whose gone vegan and loves it. However, the idea of going vegan yourself can be hugely intimidating. No meat, no butter, no milk, no fish? What about my tacos, my stir-fry, my favorite sandwiches? Here's some truths about going vegan:

1. Going vegan can seem intimidating. 

Let’s be straight and upfront about it: going vegan means giving up certain foods, but it doesn’t mean giving up great meals or going hungry all the time. In fact, there are thousands of fantastic recipes out there for vegan meals, everything from savory, exotic curries to decadent burgers and yes, even some amazing tacos.

The key to going vegan without going crazy or feeling deprived is to take it one step at a time: clean out your pantry, stock up on plenty of vegan options, and collect some fab recipes.

Read the rest at YourTango

The Top 5 Reasons Your Body Loves a Detox

Excerpt:

There are a million reasons to detox – and probably a million different ways to go about it. But, what must one look for, what’s the best way?

I’ve seen from my years in practice that to be completely effective, a detox program needs to contain the following key components:

• fiber to scrub the gut, bind toxins and promote their elimination
• anti-microbial herbs to kill bad bugs in the gut and maintain healthy flora
• targeted nutrients to boost the liver and prevent the accumulation of toxins
• digestive enzymes to help the body break down food and assist digestion
• a balanced blend of vitamins & minerals to safely support you during detox
• a dietary plan that eliminates problem foods, but doesn’t leave you feeling hungry

An effective detox must not only address the toxins we eat, drink, breath and put on our bodies every day – but just as important – it MUST contain the specific ingredients needed to neutralize or eliminate the internal toxins the body creates as it performs it’s normal everyday functions.

Without these targeted nutrients to clear out the bodies own biochemical and cellular waste, your body won’t be getting the cleanse it really needs.

Read more from The Epoch Times

Detox Water Tasty Soda Replacement

Excerpt:

Sodas are so essential to meals and all-nighters that the negative side effects are often overlooked. Despite evidence linking soda to diabetes, tissue damage and harming the immune system, the sugary drinks are so addictive it is hard for many to imagine a diet without them. Detox waters, flavored with fruits offering a variety of health benefits, provide a tasty alternative that can also cleanse vital organs such as the liver and kidneys.

Featured on “Dr. Oz,” the apple cinnamon detox water contains two popular flavors and is packed with vitamins. Apples have been shown to reduce the risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s because they increase the strength of antioxidants in the brain. It also reduces the buildup of cholesterol, resulting in a healthier heart. Cinnamon can help stimulate internal organs to cleanse themselves of toxins. Most cinnamon apple recipes have an even cinnamon stick to apple ratio, but it is up to the dieter and his or her flavor preference.

Read more from The Alchemist

Everything You Need to Know About Detoxing With Charcoal

Excerpt:

There have been plenty of crazy detox trends over the years, but drinking charcoal might top the list.

While most of us equate charcoal with firing up the grill in the summer, it’s now making its ways into trendy detox drinks, and into the aisles of health food stores as charcoal tablets—and plenty of people are swearing by its benefits.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle site Goop recently called out charcoal lemonade as one of the “best juice cleanses” around. Beauty blogger Annie Atkinson of She’s In the Glow is a fan of charcoal juicing for the beauty benefits of it (like clear skin). And actress and blogger Shiva Rose swears by placing charcoal capsules into a glass of water to calm her stomach during long trips or after a big meal.

The ingredient that everyone is going gaga for in particular is activated charcoal. It’s made by burning a source of carbon (wood, debris, coconut shells) at a high temperature, which removes oxygen. Fans claim that activated charcoal essentially becomes a natural magnet for toxins in your digestive tract (things like pesticides, dioxins on fish from contaminated waters, and even neurotoxins from breathing mold).

Get the full scoop at StyleCaster

7 Detoxifying Breakfasts You Can Grab on the Way to Work

Excerpt:

Sometimes—despite our best efforts—we are so busy spending our mornings scrambling to get out the door, there's no way we have time to also scramble an egg. But if one of these restaurants is on your route to work or school, you can turn to these to-go breakfast options—each has ingredients that can fuel you up, give your immune system a boost, and even help flush out toxins.

1: Get Up and Goji Smoothie, Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Goji berries are rich in vitamin C, fiber, and protein, and contain essential amino acids. This smoothie also has nonfat yogurt (more protein, plus calcium), bananas, peaches, and oranges.

Get the rest of the breakfast ideas from Glamour.

Natural Spring Detox: Cleanse

With the arrival of spring, it is time again to get rid of all your clutter, fix that peeling paint on the outside of your house and do a little bit of cleaning. In addition to fixing up things around your home, this is also a perfect time to do a little cleaning on the inside. In this four-part series, you will discover the basics of how to cleanse, boost metabolism, optimize digestion and eat to lose weight and boost energy.

Part 1: Cleansing

I am often asked about the benefits of fasting in order to improve health, reduce inflammation and optimize digestion. For the majority of people, I am not an advocate of fasting. Most people do not have the proper blood sugar control to fast and end up feeling dizzy, hungry and may even find it difficult to participate in everyday activities. Part one of the natural spring detox series focuses on cleansing, not fasting. Why cleanse you ask? In essence, digestion is one of the major keys to health and wellness. By following a cleanse filled with high fibre and nutrient-dense foods, you give your body the opportunity to “clean out the pipes.” When thinking of doing a cleanse or a detox, I recommend a five-day period from Monday to Friday. Weekends are often a more difficult time to make nutritional changes. If following the recommendations properly, you should not feel hungry or deprived while cleansing. There will be enough selection of low glycemic index, high-fibre foods to fill you up and keep you going.

Get the key steps for the five-day cleanse outlined in The Natural Makeover Diet (Wiley, 2005) from Canadian Living.

Detox Foods: 15 Most Powerful Detoxing Foods

If you're hoping to embark on a natural detox that doesn't involve washing down kale chips and grapefruit with lemon water or wheatgrass smoothies, you're in luck. Plenty of deliciously satisfying foods have surprising detox-friendly properties that will help you boost your energy levels and cleanse your body at the same time.

Working just a few of these nutritional powerhouses into your regular diet is a better bet than starving your body with extreme detox regimens that can do more harm than good. The best part? There are no special diet books or trips to the health food store required. All of these tasty foods can be found at your local grocery store.

So get ready to say goodbye, cabbage soup, and hello, cinnamon apples!

Read the full article from Huffington Post