Detox is vital in this toxic world. For so many years as a board certified Holistic Nutritional Therapist, I focused simply on digestion because I do believe that good digestion leads to a healthy life. But then one day, I realized that in order to have good digestion, you must be detoxing properly. The light went off in my head. Detox contributes to better digestion; good digestion leads to less inflammation and less inflammation leads to less disease. Let me say it again: decrease the inflammation and prevent disease.
Hippocrates said it best, “All disease begins in the gut.”
So, if this is true and disease begins in the gut, aka your digestive system, then having a healthy & strong digestion is key. But let me share one secret: when the body is toxic, your digestive system is weak. Even if you eat “clean” and only buy organic and hormone-free foods, you are still breathing toxicity in this world.
We live, eat, and breathe toxicity every day. Look around your home and think of the paint on the walls, the rugs, the pesticides sprayed on your green grass, the exterminator to get rid of the bugs, and, even if you are chemical-free in your home, is your makeup chemical-free?
Even if you are totally chemical-free and using makeup that is aluminum-free plus other non-toxic chemicals, you’re still simply living and that means eating, breathing, and sleeping in a toxic environment.
Unless you feel that you are ready to live in a bubble or a hyperbaric chamber, then it is time to wake up to what I call “daily detox”. Detox is not a curse word or anything to be scared about; instead, it is exciting to think about your body & cells actually functioning properly. I do not tell people detox has to be living on juices, water only, smoothies, or just salad or soup. Detox is about lessening the toxic load in your body. As I say, “Taking out the trash.”
You see, when we are toxic our body cannot perform its job. The body cannot metabolize properly, detox properly, absorb nutrients and minerals, or stay hydrated. It can be a vicious cycle. Detox is necessary to be healthy, happy, & free of disease. We all have some low-level inflammation because, again, we breathe, but even more, we have stress in this busy world.
So, every time we experience stress, we create acid in our body, and our body is forced to pull minerals to buffer the acid waste, and then our liver, lymph, and kidneys begin to work hard to filter out the toxic load, but what happens when the body is tired and clogged?
When your digestive system is not working and cannot break down these foods, it cannot focus on getting RID of TOXINS, and that means you cannot get rid of bloat and fat and skin breakouts and all that jazz that keeps you tired.
TOXINS => INFLAMMATION => WEAK DIGESTION =>
- Difficult weight management
- Constipation/Diarrhea
- Gas/Bloating
- Headaches
- Low energy
- Low sex drive
- Bad skin
- Heartburn/Reflux
- Moodiness/Depression
Get where I am going with all of this?
By detoxing, YOU will improve digestion and therefore free your body of inflammation and toxins.
The foundation of this detox is to NOT ever feel deprived or starved. The goal is to help YOU do what I have learned to do in my own life: learn how to EAT CLEAN and learn what foods are IRRITATING your body.
Eating clean is a way of life, not a diet.
So, we begin to eat whole foods that promote detox in a safe and natural way. You do not have to drink juices, or soups, or smoothies alone, or go on a grapefruit-eating-only diet; instead, you need to eat foods that are not irritating to your digestive system and clogging it up.
Is this making sense?
So here are my tips for staying healthy & detoxing naturally:
- Upon waking, drink warm or room water with lemon and 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar (if tolerated) and add a dash of cinnamon or cayenne. You can add a bit of stevia for sweetness if you want.
- Start your day by being positive. Find a daily affirmation that gets you fired up. I love Louise Hay, Geneen Roth, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Marianne Williamson.
- Try getting quiet without yourself, even just for one minute, and say, “I release what does not serve me.” Hold your heart as you say this out loud and scream it if you want. Own that power.
- Drink fresh, green juices or make your own green juice with 1 tbsp chlorophyll and lemon and lime and water.
- Aim for one meal that is super easy on your digestion per day. Try a smoothie, green juice, or soup to give that digestion a rest.
- Get moving & shaking. Yes, exercise is one of the best ways to detox your body. Sitting is the new smoking. Find a place where you can work standing up for a large part of your work day if possible.
- Drink plenty of water & add lemon, lime, or grapefruit to flush the toxicity.
- Skin brushing is my favorite way to support the liver and get rid of those toxins
- Tongue scraping.
- BE Happy & grateful for life.
The Spring Detox begins May 25th. Check out the PROGRAM HERE.
To your Health,
Patti
