Detox your body with these simple steps

January 9, 2014

Give your body a boost by doing a simple detox. Giving your body a break is important. With all the stress that our bodies endure from environmental toxins, it’s important from time to time to detox and get rid of the harmful toxins that buildup in our bodies. Detoxing not only helps get rid of toxins, it’s also a time where our bodies can rest and heal.

Here are some steps in conquering your detox:

One week before your detox, start incorporating more raw vegetables in your daily consumption. Start eliminating processed foods, soda, smoking and other unhealthy activities. Also start drinking more water. Water is especially important, you don’t want to get dehydrated. Also start juicing fresh vegetable juice so that you start getting acquainted with different flavors.

Bye-Bye Fat

Stop eating fatty foods, especially foods with trans fat. Toxins are usually stored away in our fat. When you start detoxing and shedding the weight, you are breaking down the fat in your body and essentially getting rid of harmful toxins. Fat especially around your mid waist is dangerous. That’s why detoxing and going on a simple 3 day fast is important because you are cleansing your body from harmful fat and toxins.

Go Organic

During your detox always juice organic vegetables. During this time you are juicing fresh vegetables, and the last thing you want to do is juice vegetables packed with pesticides and other chemicals. When you juice, you body is instantly absorbing vital nutrients, minerals and vitamins, so you want to juice produce that is certified organic. Many people complain about how organic produce is expensive. The way I think of it is that it’s easier to prevent disease that cure it.

Nutrient-Dense Vegetables

Juice nutrient dense vegetables like kale, watercress, and beets. Incorporate dark leafy vegetables (these have the most chlorophyll).

The Alpha Reset includes recipes for the 3-5 day fast.

Watercress

Watercress is really important because they reduce cell oxidization. Cell oxidation leads to cell damage which can lead to cancer, so it’s important to reduce oxidation of cells. Besides reducing cell oxidation, watercress helps cleanse the liver, reduces fluid retention, and is great for kidney and bladder infections.

Norwich Research Centre conducted a study with individuals who were daily smokers. These individuals were given 170 milligrams per day of watercress and they found that these individuals eliminated higher than average amounts of carcinogens in the urine. (1) Watercress is also packed with vitamins B, C, D, E, beta-carotene and folic acid.

Beets

Beets contain betcyanin. Betcyanin is a type of pigment that ranges from dark red to purple. Betacyanin is being studied for it’s anticancer and tumor fighting effects. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that increases the bodies immunity against different aliments. Beet juice is a great way to build immunity.

Beet juice and beets have soluble fiber. This is my favorite type of fiber because soluble fiber delays the emptying of your stomach which could help control weight gain. Soluble fiber also is capable of lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Beets are packed with folate (provides 34% of the Daily Value). Folate is important for pregnant women, since it may prevent birth defects and promote brain development of unborn babies. Folate may also protects us against heart disease and cancer.

Beets may also prevent anemia since it can foster red blood cells due to it’s components iron and folic acid. It’s also a natural blood purifier since it works to push toxins out of the blood.

Beets are packed with nitrates. Many clinical studies have found that supplementing your diet with 2 cups of beet juice per day actually lowers your blood pressure. Besides lowering your blood pressure the nitrates found in beets enhance athletic performance by reducing your body’s need for oxygen during a workout.

Drinking 2 cups of beet juice before a workout is safer and healthier than taking caffeine and workout supplements. Workout supplements often have nitrite which is toxic at high levels.

Lemon and Water

Before, during and after your detox it’s important to drink one cup of warm water and 1/2 lemon each morning. This tonic is great for digestion, vitamin C, pH balance, immune booster and much more.

Vitamin C is probably one of the easiest and fastest ways to boost your immune system. Lemons are packed with vitamin C. Vitamin C also helps neutralize free radicals that are associated with aging and disease. Vitamin C is great for the skin as well. It helps decrease blemishes and acne. Drinking one cup of warm water and lemon everyday will dramatically decrease acne problems and wrinkles as well.

Since lemons are high in vitamins, toxins, unwanted minerals and other substances are pushed out from the body.

Lemons are also high in potassium. Potassium is especially important because it helps regulate blood pressure and is important for nerve function.

Drinking warm water and lemon helps you maintain an alkaline state. Even though lemon juice is acidic, it doesn’t create acidity in your body, it’s actually one of the most alkaline foods.

Lemon juice is amazing for liver function. Lemon juice promotes healthy liver function because it strengthens liver enzymes, regulates carbohydrate levels and increases the production of enzymes. Adding lemon juice (1/2 of a lemon) to warm water and drinking it everyday works as a great liver detoxifier.

Lemons contain vitamin P (bioflavinoids) which prevent internal hemorrhage and thus is another great way to reduce blood pressure.

Lemon juice like most fresh vegetable juices contain pectin fiber. Pectin fiber is a type of water soluble fiber that helps reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Another great thing about pectin is that it keeps you feeling full and reduces cravings.

Lemon juice and warm water also help increase the rate of urination. This is great because toxins and other harmful substances are pushed out of your body, leaving your body in a alkaline state.

Warm water and lemon juice supports the immune system by hydrating and replacing fluids lost by your body. When your body is deprived of water, you can definitely feel the side effects, which include: feeling tired, sluggish, decreased immune function, constipation, lack of energy, low/high blood pressure, lack of sleep, lack of mental clarity and feeling stressed just to name a few.

When you have these symptoms it might mean that your adrenals are “fatigued.” Your adrenals function in secreting necessary hormones, regulating stress response, regulating blood pressure and much more. So keep your adrenals happy by staying hydrated.

Kale

Let’s face it, kale is the new beef.

Kale is packed with beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant which helps to build the body’s immune system. An antioxidant helps neutralize free radicals and helps prevent molecules from oxidizing. One cup of cooked kale has about 5.8 mg of beta-carotene (Barone et. al, 2002). Beat-carotene is also important because it’s a precursor for the production of vitamin A. When we get adequate amounts of vitamin A, we have healthier skin, a stronger immune system, and it helps with vision as well.

According to Organicauthority.com, kale contains more calcium per calorie than milk (90 grams per serving) and is also easier to absorb. Calcium is important in preventing osteoporosis, preventing bone loss, and helps maintain a healthy metabolism. Remember to get enough vitamin D, since it helps with the absorption of calcium.

Kale is dark green so that is a clue that it has high amounts of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a type of pigment that provides kale it’s deep green color. There are many benefits of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll aids in gastrointestinal problems, promotes the formation of hemoglobin and red blood cells, has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, and it also helps with bad breath.

Chlorophyll also aids in absorbing the odor of garlic. So many people don’t like juicing garlic because of the smell and after odor, if you wrap parsley or kale around a garlic clove and then feed it into the juicer, the chlorophyll actually absorbs the odor of the garlic. Chlorophyll is a great detoxifier as well, so add kale and other dark leafy greens to your juice.

Source: Fit Life

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