by Amy Trotter
Having your ‘Beach Body’ ready to go is definitely a priority for many people as the dog days of summer approach, but in truth another important aspect of feeling good about what you’ve got is having great skin and plenty of positive vibes radiating from the inside out. Plenty of sweat and hard work will burn the calories you need to slim down, but when it comes to other parts of that equation then a cleanse or similar detox is in order.
Convenience and speediness are always appreciated, and there are in fact ways you can give your insides the rejuvenating treatment and flushing of all the ‘bad stuff’ inside without having to put a whole lot of time or money into it, although there are plenty of affordable whole body cleanse kits that can be purchased at YesWellness or any other of the many Canadian online health and wellness providers.
So let’s have a look at 10 ways to detox just in time for summer, all of which involve no purchases, diet restrictions, or major lifestyle changes. They’re definitely just small things you can do to give your body a timely refreshing, and you should be able to incorporate all of them without too much on your part.
1. Drink More Water
This one may seem elementary, but it’s a fact that the majority of people aren’t as regulated on the insides and at their best due to not drinking enough water. Keep in mind that water makes up %70 of your body, and it takes AT LEAST 6-8 glasses a day to keep it hydrated and flush out toxins effectively. Go ahead and drink more than that, and you’ll see the difference in both your appearance and your energy levels.
2. Cut Back on Booze and Caffeine
This tip is very directly related to the one above, in that both alcohol and caffeine dehydrate you. Drin k more water and less of the suds and coffee if you want to detox more naturally. Some is okay, but excess of either isn’t good for you OR your body.
3. Cut Out Processed Food and Eat Less Red Meat, Dairy, and Sugar
Alright, this one may be a bit onerous for some depending on their eating preferences, but if you can do it will go a long way into giving your body the rejuvenation you’re looking for. The reason is that these foods put an incredible strain on your digestive system to process them (biologically, we’re not designed to eat them – it’s that simple) and a digestive system that’s ‘worn out’ doesn’t do the best job it can in eliminating wastes.
Mikaku and Bodhi love coconuts
4. Eat MUCH More Fresh Fruit & Vegetables
Following this tip with the one preceding it ^ will do wonders for letting your intestines get back to normal and maximizing the rate with which you excrete waste and toxins from the body. Organic fruit and veggies are preferable, but if not follow this process for washing your commercial fruit and veggies. Another important consideration is to NOT drink store-bought fruit juices though, as they will make your blood sugar spike and you’ll experience energy peaks and valleys, which is no good for your overall wellness.
5. Eat Plenty of Cottage Cheese and Probiotic-Infused Yogurt
Not all dairy is equal, and while we advise against consuming a lot of milk or regular cheeses, we believe in cottage cheese and yogurt for the fact they repopulate your bowels with bacteria that aid in digestive health and also add considerable to body’s natural immunity responses. Alternately, you can take probiotic supplements on an empty stomach before meals twice a day.
6. Switch Up Your Protein Sources
Protein is an essential nutrient for all of us, but getting it from sources like lentils, soybeans, tofu, and chickpeas or even chlorella mixed into a nice vegetable soup is preferable to the archaic way of thinking that animal-source protein is the best and most consistent source. There’s zero truth to that, and the lighter and more vegetarian choices are also easier on your digestive system (see #3 above) and much smarter for eating to promote detoxification.
7. Eat Less Salt
Salt is essential to our diets, but again most of us consume far too much of it. Eating less salt to cleanse your body is advisable, as it dehydrates and also can disrupt the balance of the body’s endocrine system. Most of us consume the high levels of salt that we do through processed foods rather than adding to much of it from the shaker into our dishes, so the best way to eat less salt is to avoid processed foods whenever possible.
8. Begin the Day with Hot Water & Lemon
Making yourself a mug of hot, fresh water and adding some freshly-squeezed lemon (ideally from an organic lemon, but packaged lemon juice will also do). The acidity of the juice will be diluted with the water and make the perfect cleansing solution to wash your stomach and intestinal walls clean of any lingering impurities. You don’t need to do this every day, but doing it frequently is very beneficial and combined with all of the other tips you’ll look and feel better by having a quick detox.
9. Try to Sleep on a More Regular Schedule
When you have a soundly established circadian rhythm, your body begins to operate at its most optimal rate and that includes the physiological processes that keep you clean inside – keeping the good and expelling the bad. Try to make it so that you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even if it’s the weekend and you’re not required to be at work. Of course, there will be days that’s not possible, but doing so fairly regularly will dial you into your circadian rhythm much more pronouncedly, and it’ll benefit your body and overall wellness in a big way.
10. Get Moving!
This tip gets the last spot because it’s one of the most important, and also probably one of the most enjoyable ones for anyone to follow. We all have something that we love to do that involves getting our heart rate up and breaking a sweat. When you do, you’re not only burning calories. You’re also promoting your brain to generate BDNF, or brain-derived neurotropic factor, which is essentially fertilizer for your brain and body. It helps you grow and regenerate your body tissues, and that includes skin, hair, eyes, and all the other spots where you see noticeable benefits when detoxing.
Now if you were to pair a handful or all of these easy-to-try tips along with an all-natural herbal body cleanse and detox then you’d likely see BIG TIME improvements in your appearance, energy levels, and overall vitality. And if you do you’ll have any number of people asking you about your secret to looking for refreshed and healthy. Do the right thing, pass along these tips and all your enthusiasm for simple detoxing, and share the wealth of knowledge!
