Simple Ways to Detox Your System

After a period of indulgent living, many people will feel the need to reset and detoxify their system.

Detoxification is a process of nourishing, resting and cleansing our body from the inside out.

Our body holds the ability to naturally detoxify, however, often may need a little help. If you feel lethargic, bloated, sluggish, have gained weight and/or are having trouble sleeping, a focused effort on detoxifying may help.

Here’s some simple steps you can take on a regular basis to flush out any toxins in your body:

Lemon Water

Adequate hydration is critical to assure your body can flush toxins out of your body. Be sure to get at least 80 ounces of water daily. A simple hack to start your day is to add juice from a half or full lemon to a large glass of water, which will help to cleanse your body.

Drink Tea

Herbal teas have been shown to help detoxify your body. Try green tea, dandelion or a lemon and ginger tea.

Head to Be Well Juice Bar

Detox shots, Celery juice and Powerful Smoothies are all the rage. Drinking 16-ounces of celery juice every day on an empty stomach can help to cleanse your system. A quick shot of lemon, ginger, turmeric and/or apple cider vinegar is a great way to start your day and cleanse. Be Well Juice Bar in downtown Vancouver will make it easy for you to cleanse and detoxify. If you’d prefer to create your drinks from home, here’s a step-by-step approach to making a powerful detoxifying smoothie:

1. Choose your base liquid – You can use water, coconut water, unsweetened almond or hemp milk, fresh apple or orange juice or kombucha
2. Add your Fruit and Veggies – Add 2 cups of fresh or frozen fruits or veggies like berries, apple, melons, pineapple, mango, orange, beets, or cucumber or a ¼ cup of broccoli or cauliflower. Add another 1-2 cups of spinach, kale, romaine etc.
3. Create the creaminess – Add a banana, avocado, unsweetened yogurt, or almond butter
4. Power Boost – Add in one or more of the following. 1 tablespoon of chia, hemp or flax seeds, hemp/flax oil or wheatgrass; ¼ to ½ teaspoon or spirulina or chlorella
5. Add some heat – Add a pinch to 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne, curry, turmeric or ¼ to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ginger. Other options to add parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, lemon or lime juice.
6. Blend! – Toss all your favorite ingredients into your blender on high for 30-60 seconds and enjoy a delicious, smooth and creamy detoxifying smoothie

Increase your Fiber

Increase your intake of organic fruits and vegetables which are excellent detoxifiers.

Minimize or eliminate intake of alcohol, sugar and processed foods

You could commit to minimizing your intake of any foods and drinks containing chemicals and toxins for a set period of time. Some might choose an entire month or a 21-day period. Others might commit to a few days or a week. Others might benefit from a long-term approach that allows certain indulgences only a couple times per week. For example, they might set the goal of having 1-2 glasses of wine on Friday or Saturday night only so they don’t have to give up their indulgences completely.

13 hour Fast

One of the simplest and very effective action steps you can take for optimal health is assure that you go 13 hours without eating every day. So for example, if you have dinner at 6:30pm, you won’t eat anything again until 7:30am the next day. This gives your body the time it needs to digest, cleanse, repair, rejuvenate and do it’s job.

Exercise

Moving your body is key to detoxifying your system. Getting your heart pumping, blood flowing and a sweat going works to flush out the toxins. Think of exercise like an internal shower for your cells.

Meditate & Breathe

Focusing on deep, oxygenated breathing can help to calm the body, mind and spirit, reduce cortisol and stress levels and enable your body to function and cleanse effectively.

Sauna

If you have access to an infrared sauna, use it to sweat out the toxins.

Sleep

Sleep is when our body recovers and repairs so be sure to get the adequate amount that allows you to wake feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan

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