Whether you want to start out healthy before the year even starts, or you are looking to make plans for January and the start of your new year’s resolutions, detoxifying the body and aiding the digestive system is a good place to start.
Not only does detoxing have a big role to play in the body in terms of digestion, but also has an affect on everything from your mood and emotions to your energy and weight.
This year, start things off right with these simple methods of detoxification:
1. Drink more water
It sounds simple and like it is way too easy, but water is one of the most effective detox aids you can use. It is required for all bodily processes, including liver function, digestion, healthy skin, proper lymphatic functioning and in the gut flora balance to create a healthy digestive system. Even more than that though, as you embark on your weight loss journey for 2017 as part of your new year’s resolution, water will be critical in helping to fill you up and suppress your appetite, as well as in ensuring you release excess water weight which is causing you to feel puffy and bloated. You don't just have to drink water, here are 7 foods packed with water so you can hydrate through eating as well!
2. Cut out Coffee
That’s right, your morning go to has got to go! At least for a couple of weeks . . . Coffee is an acidic product which can have negative affects on our body in terms of the acid alkaline balance, causing problems with digestion and natural detoxification, as well as energy. Our body has a natural set pH (otherwise, our blood would become to acidic and we would die!), and when we consume highly acidic foods, like coffee and sugar, it has to work harder to bring us back to that safe point. The result is lower energy, struggles with digestion and for some, even acid reflux or heartburn. Try eliminating coffee for a couple of weeks and see if you notice a difference in your energy or how you feel.
3. Juice Fast for a Day
One of the best things we can do for our body when it comes to detoxification, is simply ot give our digestive system a break. The digestive system works hard all of the time, and giving it a rest, not only allows it to catch up on any residual detoxification that has been pushed aside, but also allows it to rest so that it can function more optimally. Resting the digestive system requires you to consume no solid food. Juice fasting is a great way to do this, because the body gets nutrients, enzymes and antioxidants, but does not have to work hard to extract them. Start the day with lemon water and then have your first juice 12 hours after your last meal, and aim to consume 1-1.5 L of fresh juice every 3-4 hours for the rest of the day. Don’t forget to also drink lots of water, and then start the next day with a smoothie or smoothie bowl to ease your system back into action!
4. Drink milk thistle tea
This detox option is to target your liver. The liver is a key organ when it comes to detoxification and helping your body cleanse itself of toxins, and in order to do this, it has to be functioning optimally and clean and healthy. Over time, because of the amount of filtering that the liver performs, it can get slightly over burdened and dirty. Observing the detox suggestions in this list, as well as drinking milk thistle tea and eating bitter foods can help offer the cleansing and cleaning up that the liver requires to improve functioning. Check out Drink Me Tea's "Happy Tea" which is packed with premium milk thistle.
By: Laura Peill – (Check out her blog Viand Nutrition & Facebook)
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