Spring Detox - Simple ways to Shine!

Do you suffer from a sluggish digestion, frequent headaches, recurring sinus infections, itchy eyes, acne or hives? These and many more common conditions may mean your body needs a spring clean and could benefit hugely from a good detox. With a little willpower and some easy steps you might be able to heal some of these annoying conditions on your own! One of the biggest causative factors for a build-up of toxins in the body comes down to the food choices we make for ourselves on an on-going basis. Too many processed foods cause an acidic overload in the body thus disrupting the ideal pH balance our bodies should maintain in order to operate correctly. Too much acidity also causes a build-up of toxins in the body, in Ayurvedic medicine this build-up is referred to as ‘ama’.

Foods to Avoid

Below is a list of foods that can cause a build up of acidity and therefore toxins in the body and should be removed from your diet for the duration of the detox period

All Processed foods/drinks – both sugary and savoury

All red and white meat

All wheat products including bread and pasta

All dairy products – egg, butter, milk, cheese, yoghurt

Alcohol

Caffeine – tea, coffee, cola drinks

Fried food

Shellfish

Foods to include

The foods that you should eat during your detox are those which become alkalinising once they enter the body, restoring the body’s natural balance and therefore promoting good health.

All vegetables except for the nightshade family – potato, aubergine, peppers (bell/chilli/cayenne), tomato and paprika

Brown rice/quinoa/millet Lentils/chickpeas/split peas

Mushrooms

Fruit – except blackberries, cranberries, oranges, bananas

Porridge made on water

Nuts (except cashew, peanut and pecans) - limit to a handful each day

Water/herbal teas – at least two litres per day

Herbs – all herbs especially parsley

Tip! - Apple cider vinegar is excellent for alkalinising – 1 tsp. in 1/3 cup of water.

Typical menu

Morning - Hot water and lemon

30 minutes later - Porridge made on water/ground seeds

Lunch - Vegetable Soup

Dinner Brown - Rice/Quinoa and steamed veg

Snacks - Fruit or some handful of nuts

Or if you have detoxed before and wish to take a more strict approach a possible menu could be

Morning - Hot water and lemon

30 minutes later - detox juice (recipes below)

Lunch - Vegetable broth

Dinner - Vegetable broth and detox juice

Snacks - Fruit

Note: The juices and broths can be taken as required through the day. These menus are suggestive only and can be modified to suits your needs and lifestyle.

Supporting Roles

Bitters - which enhances the function of the main elimination channel; the liver – Milkthistle and Dandelion root are the most gentle of the bitters and therefore ideal for this role.

Carminatives – These boost our digestive function and work in harmony with the bitters – Rosemary, Thyme, Fennel, Black Pepper in food. Chamomile, Fennel and peppermint can be taken as tea also.

Lymphatic cleansers – these help cleanse the lymphatic system where a lot of build-up of toxins tends to occur as the system has no pump of its own and relies instead on the movement of the body itself hence a sedentary lifestyle can slow this elimination channel down. Herbs such as Burdock, Yellow Dock and Figwort are lymphatic cleansers.

Other supporting therapies which boost the body’s detox function

• Body brushing

• Massage

• Sauna

• Hot/cold shower therapy - http://healthfree.com/incurables_program_hydrotherapy.html

• Gentle exercise such as brisk walks and yoga

• Chlorella or Spirulina supplement

Suggestive juice recipes

3 sticks celery

3 carrots

Bunch fresh parsley

Or

Handful of watercress

Bunch of parsley

4 carrots

1 lime

The suggested length of a detox is 3-7 days. You may feel quite fatigued to begin with, experience headaches and a overall woolly feeling which should pass after the first few days, this is the effects of the toxins being released and you should not worry about this, it will pass! DO use the supporting methods mentioned above to open up the bodies channels of elimination – liver, digestion and lymphatic - and drink plenty of good, clean water. (Preferably not unfiltered, tap water). Happy Detoxing!

NB. Always consult with your doctor prior to de toxing.