The process of cleansing is about taking time out for rest to restore your body to a relaxed state. However, detoxing the body means to flush out toxicity and restore you to a natural balanced, healthy state. Both are beneficial to reducing the toxicity in your life and important in your healing cycle.
While the most common way we know for a cleanse and detox is to visit a natural health spa or weekend retreat. However, there are ways you can create your own health and wellbeing retreat at home.
Disclaimer: before starting a home cleanse or detox please consult your doctor to discuss a program that is right for you.
Start with a cleanse
A cleanse generally involves cutting out foods of the western diet in order to reduce the toxicity in your body. Foods you might cut out could include wheat, gluten, dairy, alcohol, sugar and caffeine. You would then replace those items with fresh fruit and vegetables.
During the cleanse you also start the process of healing activities such as mindful breathing, gentle exercise like yoga, relaxation and sleep to reduce the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. A cleanse like this is about reducing the toxic substances that have built up inside your body and restore it to a natural, healthy and relaxed state.
Cleanses work as a temporary measure and depending on your intention, can run for either 24-48 hours, a weekend, or for as long as a month.
Fad diets come and go, but the best is to adopt a simple, nutritionally, balanced one full of
A simple and nutritionally balanced cleansing program will offer all natural, nutrient dense ingredients that maximises the body’s opportunity to cleanse, heal and repair.
Add a detox
Maintaining a detox habit is beneficial to adopt as a regular practise after your cleansing ritual. The following practises are three examples of natural detoxes, supported by medical evidence, and that you can do at home.
Apple cider vinegar
As I wrote in a previous post, apple cider vinegar is used to help boost your digestive system. Mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water to help flush out harmful toxins from your body.
Exercise
Free and available to everyone, exercise is one of the best detoxification activities as it naturally flushes out harmful toxins through perspiration through the rising temperature in the body. In addition, exercise also oxygenates, circulates the blood and enhances your digestive and immune system. During exercise, your body heat increases, and your circulation system pulls in more oxygen to the muscles. This is important to the removal of lymphatic waste which functions best when the body is in exercise mode.
Bathing
Relaxing in a hot or cold bath to change your body temperature works to stimulate the circulation of the blood and lymph system. Bathing has been around since the Roman era and the use of thermarium (hot baths) and frigidarium (cold baths), has transformed into modern hydrotherapy practices. One such practice developed by Bavarian Monk Father Sebastian Kneipp in the 1890s, is the following simple technique. A person stands with their feet I a shallow hot water bath and then stepping into a shallow cold water. You would repeat this several times.