THE WEEKEND DETOX: A GENTLE YET EFFECTIVE DETOX THAT WILL PROVIDE YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM WITH SOME RE
This two-day detox is based on fresh fruit and vegetable dishes and juices. It is a gentle yet effective detox that will provide your digestive system with some rest, allowing it to concentrate on eliminating toxins.
To detoxify, is to clean our internal organs from a toxin or pollution. Toxicity occurs in the body when we consume a substance more than we can utilize it or eliminate it and exposure can come from many sources including the food we eat, the air we breathe, chemicals, pollutants and drugs. (1) They can all compromise our body’s natural balance so it is beneficial from time to time to open our channels of elimination and purge those stored toxins.
Some of the signs that may indicate you are suffering from a toxic overload include:
Feeling constantly tired, fatigued
Problems with skin outbreaks or eczema
Constipation
Abdominal bloating, pain and flatulence
Headaches
Achy joints and muscles not explained by overuse
Sinus problems or allergic type symptoms
Hormonal imbalance
Issues with body odor
Difficulty sleeping
Difficulty concentrating
Mood swings, anxiety or stress
Problems with irritable bowel syndrome
Some of the beneficial outcomes you can expect from detoxification include:
Your digestive system will be flushed of accumulated waste
Your liver, kidneys and blood can be purified.
Possible dependency on habit forming refined sugar, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, or drugs can be relieved as your body chemistry normalizes.
Your stomach can have a chance to normalize in size; aiding in healthy weight management.
You will feel lighter and more energized.
You will feel more mentally alert and more emotionally balanced.
Detoxification is not for everyone. Although it is normal to experience mild symptoms like headaches, achy musles and joints, or some weakness or light headedness it is not normal for these to continue or for the symptoms to be more severe. It is important to stop and gently improve nutrition and slowly decrease exposure to toxins if the milder symptoms persist beyond a couple of days or if you become very weak, dizzy, shaky or nauseas.
If you relate with any of the following you should not engage in a detox as it can be more harmful then helpful:
Anyone who is malnourished
Anyone who has severe candidia
Women who are pregnant
Anyone with hypoglycemia or diabetes
Anyone with ulcers
If you are very thin (underweight)
If you are currently ill or under a great deal of stress
If you have determined a need to detox and would like a method that is not overly invasive but will still support your liver and gently restore your body’s normal processes, the weekend detox may be a great option for you.
Some Important Planning Before Beginning:
Choose a weekend that you know will not be too busy, a weekend free of scheduled plans is best to allow you plenty of time for rest and relaxation. This is a great weekend to book a relaxing massage or other complimentary therapy and book a gentle yoga or tai chi class to help stimulate circulation and metabolism.
The Day Before:
The evening before your weekend detox, have a light vegetarian meal, followed by a fresh fruit dessert.
Unwind in a soothing warm bath and go to bed early to read and relax.
Day One:
Morning
When you wake up, drink a cup of hot water with the juice of ½ a lemon to gently stimulate your liver.
If you like, return to bed to relax or do some simple stretching exercises to stimulate your lymphatic system.
Run a nice warm bath and give yourself a dry skin brush* before soaking, this will help your lymphatic system rid your body of toxins and it will stimulate your circulation.
For breakfast – choose to have fresh juice only (carrot, beet, apple or pear)
Late Morning
Have a massage or reflexology session, or try a relaxation technique such as deep breathing or meditation.
Eat some fruit, such as an apple, a pear or some grapes, and drink a cup of herbal tea.
Enjoy a nice walk before lunchtime.
Lunch
Have vegetable juice, either freshly squeezed or a good quality store bought brand.
Make a large salad with tomatoes, cucumber, fennel, carrots and beets, with a dressing made of olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice.
Afternoon
Relax after lunch.
Try some gentle exercise, such as yoga, tai chi, light stretching, walking or swimming.
Drink plenty of fresh clean water.
Late Afternoon/Early Evening:
Between 3:30-6:00pm have a nice cup of your favourite herbal tea and enjoy some quiet relaxation time
Evening:
Between 6 and 8pm, have an evening meal of lightly steamed vegetables of your choice, sprinkled with fresh herbs and lemon juice, accompanied by brown rice. Alternatively, make a vegetable stir-fry or a large salad.
Meditate or practice a relaxation technique, such as visualization.
Have a nice warm Epsom salts bath and retire to bed early.
Drink plenty of water before you go to sleep.
Day Two:
Take it easy, as you may feel tired today.
Repeat the same routine followed on day one, but choose different fruit and vegetable juices.
In the morning give yourself a dry skin brush* and have a bath. Note: do not have an Epsom salts bath today.
In the afternoon try having a sauna or steam, followed by a swim. If this is not possible, try another type of gentle exercise such as yoga or tai chi.
The Day After Detoxifying
Eat simply, avoid animal protein as much as possible and concentrate on consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains and legumes. Avoid alcohol, sugar, and caffeine and over the next few days slowly reintroduce meat, fish, chicken, dairy and eggs.
Continue to treat yourself to relaxing baths and massages.
Exercise daily (walking, swimming, biking, yoga or tai chi)
Incorporate the following strategies to help reduce your consumption of toxins.
Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acid, both have been found to help neutralize the damaging effects of free-radicals (toxins). (2) (3) Vegetables and fruits are the best sources of antioxidants. Cold-water fish, freshly ground flaxseed and walnuts are great sources of omega-3s.
Green drinks will help to alkalize the body, help flush toxins from the body and are high in nutrients (4)
Buy organic foods whenever possible to avoid pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and hormones. Always wash and peel fruits and vegetables, particularly if they are not organic purchases.
Avoid drinking tap water opt for filtered or bottled water instead. Water flushes and cleanses your body so ensure that you are consuming adequate good quality drinking water.
Reduce your intake of processed or packaged foods, and avoid anything artificial. Be sure to read food labels carefully, avoiding chemicals, additivies and other unwanted ingredients.
Eat meat and dairy products in moderation and choose free range, grain-fed or organic products whenever possible
Keep your body at a healthy weight as it has been found that many toxins are stored in body fat (5)
Minimize or eliminate caffeine from your diet, choose herbal tea more often and if you just can’t get away from that coffee choose organic products
Choose non-chemical household cleaners. Vinegar and baking soda make great safe cleaning choices for your home.
Install a filter on your shower head to minimize chlorine
Avoid scented body products and choose products with all natural or organic ingredients
* Tips & Strategies for Dry Skin Brushing
Always dry brush your dry and naked body before your shower or bath.
Always brush toward the heart. Begin with long sweeping strokes starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the torso in an upward direction help drain the lymph back to your heart.
Use light pressure in areas where the skin is thin and harder pressure on places like the soles of the feet.
Skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning. A thorough skin brushing takes about 15 minutes, but any time spent brushing prior to bathing will benefit the body.
Avoid sensitive areas and anywhere the skin is broken such as areas of skin rash, wounds, cuts, and infections. Also, never brush an area affected by poison oak or poison ivy.
Finish up with your regular shower and ending with two hot and cold cycles. That means turning on the water as hot as you can take it for several seconds, then as cold as you can handle it, then hot, then cold for two cycles. End with either hot or cold. This will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bringing more blood to the outer layers of the skin.
After getting out of the shower, dry off vigorously and massage your skin with pure plant oils such as olive, avocado, apricot, almond, sesame, coconut or cocoa butter.
Clean your skin brush using soap and water once a week. After rinsing, dry your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.
The weekend detox is a gentle yet effective detox that will give your digestive system a little rest, support your liver and gently restore your body’s normal processes.
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Sending A Wish Your Way For A Well BALANCED Day
Jenny
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References
(1): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18928826
(2): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12396688
(3): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12848284
(4): http://www.amazon.ca/Acid-Alkaline-Food-Guide-Reference/dp/0757002803/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453770165&sr=8-2&keywords=the+acid+alkaline+food+guide
(5): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26670033
