our body is your temple….
So treat your body like a temple……not the shed!
Do you perceive yourself as a soul having a body or as a body having a soul? Whatever your belief is, play with the thought that your body is the temple of your soul.
Our bodies are the tangible and visible entity we expect to function every second for our entire life. How do you enable your body to be your always functioning servant, to be a beautiful, and healthy temple for your soul?
Our body is constantly working to dispel toxins and unwanted matter from its various systems. Over time, the body gets run down from unhealthy food choices, alcohol, caffeine, drugs, stress, and environmental toxins that are a part of modern day life.
No matter how healthy your diet or lifestyle may be, external factors still require us to give the body a chance to recharge and dispel anything that may be holding us back from experiencing superior health and long lasting vitality.
When our vital organs, particularly our detoxification organs (liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, skin and bowels) are placed under too much pressure and unable to work efficiently, this is when illness and disease can appear.
Taking time to cleanse the body and nurture these vital organs goes a long way in prevention, and also has immediate effects - greater energy, clearer skin, better digestion, mental clarity, and so much more.
Detoxification can be traced back to ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, where herbs, vitamins and minerals were used to eliminate toxins from the inside out. You can help to detoxify your body by making a few, simple lifestyle changes and by incorporating some powerful herbal allies into your diet.
~~~~~~~~~~ LIFESTYLE CHANGES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Increase Your Fibre Intake Fibre acts like a brush, sweeping through the digestive system, removing toxins and build up. Legumes, flaxseeds and whole grains are all excellent sources of fibre, eating fruit and vegetables will also help to boost your fibre levels, particularly broccoli, spinach, kale, bok choy, watercress, radish, cauliflower, beetroot and artichoke.
Eat Organic Eating organic (where possible) ensures you get all the benefits of your fruit and vegetables without any of the lingering nasties. Real, Live FOOD! Additionally, specific foods can assist with deactivating toxins and removing them from the body (specifically heavy metal build-up). Incorporate chlorophyll-rich foods such as wheat grass and barley grass, as well as herbal teas and sea plants such as nori. Coriander, and foods containing citric and malic acid (grapes, oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits) as well as selenium-rich foods (such as Brazil nuts, mushrooms and sunflower seeds), have been shown to assist with the removal of heavy metal build up within the body.
Eat Quality Protein Protein provides important amino acids that are vital for detoxifying your liver, so make sure your body is getting enough.
Use Quality Fats Your body needs fats to function optimally; it’s making sure that you’re incorporating the right fats into your diet that’s important. Avoid animal fats and processed vegetable oils and opt for cold pressed flaxseed oil, olive oil, avocado oil, nuts and seeds instead.
Drink Plenty of Water The more water you drink, the more toxins will be eliminated from your body. The average person needs at least two litres of water a day. If you’re not getting enough water, the toxins will stay in your body, circulating around it through the blood stream, causing all sorts of potential issues.
Avoid loathsome trash foods Ideally avoid or at the very least reduce your intake of alcohol, coffee, non-essential drugs, fried foods, refined sugars, saturated fats, packaged foods, artificial sweeteners, additives, preservatives and artificial colouring. The rule of thumb is to eat as much “real food” as possible and avoid all the stuff that has numbers on the back of the packet. Fresh produce, good fats, home-made meals – that’s what you’re aiming for.
Get Friendly With Fermentation Renowned for their amazing health benefits, fermented foods help to ensure a positive balance of healthy gut flora, and eliminate damaging bacteria. Incorporating yoghurt, kefir, kombucha drinks, kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled vegetables and miso into your diet while detoxing will improve your absorption of nutrients from your other healthy food choices.
Up Your Vitamin C Increasing your Vitamin C intake through foods and supplements helps your body to produce glutathione, an antioxidant that is essential for detoxification
Manage Stress Stress wreaks havoc on your body so eliminating stressful factors or finding ways of coping with them will go a long way on your detox journey.
Look After Your Liver Of all your organs, your liver will be one of the hardest working during your detox. Help support it with milk thistle, burdock, dandelion root, schizandra, globe artichoke, green tea or chlorella.
Get Outside Breathe fresh air into your lungs; receive your daily dose of vitamin D and boost your mood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HERBAL ALLIES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some wonderful plant allies that can aid your body with the overall detoxification process.
Burdock Burdock root is one of the foremost detoxifying herbs in both TCM and Western herbal medicine. Burdock enhances the performance of many of the organs which purify the body and eliminate toxins or waste (like the kidneys, liver, and colon).
Spirulina A blue-green algae that grows wild in alkaline volcanic lakes, spirulina powder is a remarkable source of highly bioavailable protein and essential amino acids, and is also the richest plant source of vitamin B12, so it is a great superfood to add to your diet for overall vitality. Spirulina helps to bind heavy metals, which the body can then excrete making it a powerful detoxifier. The plant also increases the presence of beneficial bacteria.
Milk Thistle One of the most effective liver herbs, milk thistle has a long history of use in the West as a remedy for depression and liver problems. Research has confirmed the plant’s remarkable ability to assist the liver in repair, and also to protect the body from the detrimental effects of alcohol, drugs, toxic foods, and heavy metals. It also dramatically improves liver regeneration in hepatitis, cirrhosis, mushroom poisoning and other diseases of the liver. This is a great herb to ingest before and after consuming alcohol, as well as when in the process of actively eliminating toxins from your body.
Dandelion root Dandy is also one of the most potent liver tonic herbs, making it helpful for inflammation and congestion of the liver. It assists with liver stress from lifestyle factors such as alcohol, coffee and drug use, making it an ideal ingredient in a detoxification remedy. This herb is an effective diuretic that stimulates liver function, aiding the liver in removing toxins from the blood. A daily cup of dandelion tea can be a great addition to cutting back on alcohol or caffeine, speeding up the process of clearing out your system and closer to optimal function.
Looking forward to greater energy, clearer skin, better digestion, mental clarity, and enthusiasm!
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