Detoxing has taken on a whole new meaning as our awareness of the toxins we are regularly exposed to has increased. If you had asked me 20 years ago if I had toxins in my body I would have said no! I eat healthy, exercise, don’t smoke, rarely drink and don’t live near any toxic waste areas. Little did I know, I am exposed to toxins every single day.
An average person can be exposed to nearly 200 toxins daily! There can be toxins in our tap water, our food (especially if not organic), our skin products, off-gassing from our furniture/cars/etc, our air…. Do you really want me to continue? The good news is our bodies are really masterfully created to process most of this and eliminate it but we get in the way of our own healing capabilities. When we eat poorly, drink too much, smoke or make other bad health choices our detox organs can’t keep up. This is the main reason we should all take a week or two at least once a year to detox!
Besides the obvious of giving our bodies a break, there are some surprising benefits to detoxing. READ ON to learn more (hint…one of them is better sex)…..
Now is the perfect time to take control of your health!!
A real detox should give your body a break from a lot of foods that are hard to process or are turned to sugar in our bodies. This is why good detoxes encourage you to eliminate animal protein like red meat and dairy. Fish, chicken and eggs are usually allowed. Alcohol, caffeine, starchy foods like potatoes and rice are to be avoided. Most detoxes like for you to eliminate all grains but some allow quinoa or other plant based grains. You are encouraged to eat tons of veggies, good fruits like berries, lean proteins like fish and chicken, good fats (avocados, nuts & seeds) and tons of water. This is obviously not a comprehensive list but it gives you the idea.
The worse your diet is the more you need to detox. When you do cut out all those foods many people can go thru quite a rough withdrawal period. Good news is this doesn’t last long and when you get on the other side you will be amazed how good you feel!
Here are some benefits to detoxing..
1. You feel better. Mental fog, achiness, joint pain, headaches and energy often improve. Instead you can feel more alive, more vibrant and ready to go.
2. You might just conquer your cravings! Sugar is one of the most addictive substances (8 times more than cocaine). No wonder the food industry hires craving experts to make sure their foods are on your crave list! When you finally commit to eliminating it your cravings will disappear.
3. You can identify any food sensitivities. Most people don’t connect what they eat to how they feel. When you clear out the junk in your diet and start feeling better you will discover there are some foods that you used to love are just not your friend when you reintroduce them! The longer you have a food out of your diet the easier it will be for you to tell if that food is a problem for you.
4. You have better sex! When our bodies are pumped full of alcohol, nicotine, sugar, etc our body will release some hormones to counteract all of our libido hormones. Add on a little stress and it is double trouble! Many people report improved sexual performance while on a detox for this reason.
The most important step in a detox is committing to do it! Cue Nike’s logo….Just do it!
To your health,
Laura
