Spring and autumn are the best time for a detox or cleanse. According to natural medicine our bodies have natural cleansing cycles when they need a lighter diet and greater elimination than intake.
This occurs in yearly cycles during seasonal changes as spring and autumn, which are times of stress when we may need to listen to the way our inner world mirrors the natural events.
As a holistic nutrition expert, I advice my clients to do at least a yearly detox to ensure optimal health and vitality.
Why cleanse or detox?
The same way as you need a holiday from work, your body needs a break from time to time, especially when you are feeling tired, sick or heavy. Our self cleansing system is overloaded by our unhealthy lifestyle and exposure to environmental toxins.
Our chemical laden diet with an overabundance of animal protein, too much saturated fat, processed food and caffeine can alter our internal echo system and causes our bodies to be acidic and toxic.
Even if your diet is good, a cleanse or detox can restore your immune system and protect you against environmental toxins.
Just think how many showers a year you take in a year to clean the outside of your body and then how many cleanses you do a year to clean the inside of your body?
Here are some possible symptoms of a toxic body:
Fatigue, irritability, fuzzy thinking, headaches, sinus congestion, nausea, indigestion, bloating, constipation, insomnia, hives, skin rashes, acne, joint pains backache, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, chest pain, allergy like responses, cysts, fatty lumps (lipomas). Check out how many you have.
Research shows a troubling link between the impaired ability to detoxify and a number of diseases, including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue/immune dysfunction syndrome.
But many other conditions are also related to toxicity in the body: thyroid dysfunction, arthritis, heart disease, eczema, allergies, asthma, cirrhosis, fibrocystic breasts, gastritis, pancreatitis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease… and the list goes on.
What are the sources of toxins?
- Food that is over processed and grown with pesticides
- Stress
- Contaminated drinking water
- Poor air quality and exposure to polluted environments
- Smoking cigarettes or exposure to second hand smoke
- Alcohol consumption
- Over medication
- Body care products and cosmetics
What changes can be made to reduce toxins?
5 Simple Holistic nutrition tips to help you cleanse your body
- Drink pure water: Make sure to drink at least 8-10 cups of pure filtered water daily.
- Deep breathing: Try to breathe through your abdomen. A deep breath supplies your body with oxygen and helps in releasing toxins
- Exercise: gentle aerobic exercise and yoga help us release endorphins, relieve stress and detoxify.
- Sauna: infrared sauna helps release of toxins through opening of skin pores and sweating.
- Juicing: Juicing once or twice a day provides you with concentrated nutrients that get absorbed directly into your body. Make sure to drink your juice immediately.
Back to You
The value of a detox/cleanse is so great that every person should try it at least once a year. If you have any chronic health issues, it’s advisable start a detox/cleanse program under the supervision of a professional nutritionist to avoid any unwanted side effects or withdrawal reactions.
We offer tele-health coaching via Zoom, so we can help you if you are out of area. If you need help with your health and nutrition, sign up for a 15 Min Discovery Call with Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Life Coach, Maha Nasr to discuss your current goals and concerns and ask how we she can help you.
If you find this information useful, please feel free to share with your family or friends.
