It’s less painful than you think!
The human body is amazing – it is designed to ‘detox’ every minute of the day! It does this for survival. But, because we live in a toxic world and environment, our body is often overloaded and everything slows down to try and deal with this overload of toxins.
Nothing can create dread and panic in someone more than the thought of a detox!! One thing humans can’t face is any kind of suffering. The good news is that when you start a cleanse, it can be gentle and effective without the suffering. The secret to cleansing on a cellular level is to introduce habits and rituals that become part of your lifestyle so that you are able to cleanse continuously moving forward! We all lead busy lifestyles these days and many people work, therefore it isn’t realistic to introduce too many cleansing rituals into our routines all at once.
Here are some things you may want to consider, that will help your body cleanse on a cellular level. You can introduce them slowly if you feel your body is quite toxic, or you can introduce them all at once if you’re a pro! When you cleanse or detox too quickly, your body releases toxins rapidly and they cannot be expelled quickly enough through your elimination system (organs and bowels), therefore it can get reabsorbed into your organs and cells and your body produces a reaction called ‘The Herxheimer reaction’! Some of the most common symptoms of this reaction are:
Headaches,
Nausea
Tiredness and no energy
Feeling down/depressed
GREEN JUICE OR GREEN SMOOTHIE
A green drink on an empty stomach is a great way to introduce nutrients by flooding the cells of the body with essential vitamins and minerals that will not only nourish but alkalise the body and create a healthy environment in your gut, tissues, cells and organs! This should be part of your daily routine, as it packs a powerful punch in terms of cleansing.
INTERMITTENT FASTING
This has become very popular lately, but this ritual has been around for centuries! It is an excellent way to give your digestive system, liver and pancreas a break and will help to start clearing the mucous, sludge and toxins from these essential organs. The best way to fast is to have your last meal before 8 pm and have your first meal, juice or smoothie at 10/11am the next morning. This takes a bit of getting used to, but the gap can be filled with a coffee or if you prefer tea, in the morning to stave off the hunger. Ideally, you will get to the stage where you don’t need or want the caffeine to give you a kickstart. On a side note, I don’t encourage eating fruit any other time than in the morning BEFORE you have consumed any solid food, as eating the fruit after a meal, will cause the food to ferment in your gut and will disturb your digestion, causing bloating, gas and indigestion. If you have tried Fasting and you’re not a fan, then consume your green juice or green smoothie first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
WATER
It is imperative that you drink at least 8 glasses of filtered water per day, especially if you live in a hot climate like Singapore. If your cells are releasing toxins, you will need to wash these toxins out of your system and the water will help assist your kidneys and digestive system in this clearing process. It will also help prevent constipation!
GREENS
Greens are important, not only in the form of a juice or smoothie but should be included with every meal. You can incorporate them into your lunch by using fresh, raw, leafy greens such as spinach, rocket or romaine lettuce and you can steam or cook greens at night to enjoy with your dinner. Bok Choi, broccoli, cabbage, or any cruciferous vegetables are excellent for cleansing the liver of excess oestrogen.
CLEAN FOOD – NO WHITE FOOD
What is ‘clean food’? It is food free of pesticides and insecticides, it is fresh and unprocessed and sourced from ethical producers offering free range, antibiotic and grass-fed animals. While you’re cleansing and as part of your lifestyle, try and focus on reducing the amount of white processed food you consume, such as White Flour, White Sugar, White Potatoes and mainstream Dairy sources (often laden with growth hormone, contains antibiotics and is pasteurised and homogenised and comes from A1 cows. A2 is a better source for dairy, as well as Organic Milk or raw cheese.
FIBRE
When your body starts cleansing on a cellular level and toxins are released, it can cause your small and large intestine to be overloaded with toxins and waste and if you are not excreting this waste, the toxins will be reabsorbed into your cells. Therefore, it is very important to eat enough fibre in the form of fresh fruit and vegetables, but beware not to introduce too much raw food into your diet too soon, as your body will release too many toxins for it to be able to handle.
COFFEE ENEMAS
On the same note, the use of daily coffee enemas, which can be done in the comfort of your own home is very beneficial in clearing the bowels and liver of waste and toxins, as they’re being released from the cells. Many people swear by this method and others are not interested at all. It’s a personal choice.
BODY BRUSHING
Our lymphatic system runs alongside our cardiovascular system (heart, arteries and veins), but unlike the cardiovascular system, it does not have the heart to pump the fluid through the vessels. Therefore, the lymphatic system can become stagnant and because the main purpose is to filter and detoxify the body through a complex system of vessels and nodes, it is imperative to use exercise or movement to help circulate this system. Body brushing is a simple and effective way to move the lymph in your tissues (as it is very superficial) from the vessels to the nodes in the various parts of your body. When using a body brush, one should brush along the skin in the direction towards your heart.
OIL PULLING
Oil pulling is an age-old remedy in Ayurvedic medicine to clean the toxins from your teeth and mouth. I recently watched a documentary on Netflix called ‘ROOT CAUSE’, which gives scientific evidence about how our teeth and dental work affect every part of our body and can be the cause of our illnesses or disease. The majority of illnesses begin in the mouth, so it is important to cleanse/detox our mouth and one of the holistic ways of doing this is to swirl coconut oil around the mouth swishing it through the teeth for about 5 minutes before spitting it out.
If you are able to introduce even a few of these cleansing methods into your routine, it will help you to feel less tired and drained initially and will hopefully encourage you to start introducing more ways to help cleanse and support your body, thereby helping you feel more energetic and positive. It will have the added bonus of preventing illness by strengthening your immune system, slowing down the ageing process and will give you the glow you’ve always wanted and deserve!
Happy Cleansing!
