Clean It Up: From the Inside Out

Practiced for centuries by many cultures around the world - detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health.

For the next 6 weeks, I've decided to clean up my act.  I'm already a firm believer that a plant-based, whole-foods diet is the smart alternative from both a personal and environmental standpoint.  And I exercise regularly.  But I am human.  I like coffee, Sun Chips, carrot cake with lots of cream cheese frosting, wine + beer, aged gouda, and a whole host of other food items that are not only not providing good nutrition to my body, but actually detracting from the other good things.  

After considerable research, I've opted to follow a version of a liver detox diet incorporating Ayurvedic, Raw and Macrobiotic principles (also quite similar to what's recommended in "Eat Right 4 Your Type" for type A blood).  Why this one?  It makes sense.  I was looking for a detox plan that cleanses your colon and liver, the body's main filtering organs.  I also like that it has an elimination component so you can also check yourself for any allergies (wheat and dairy) and addictions (sugar, caffeine and alcohol).  To begin,

There are 10 critical habits to break:

1.   Wheat
2.   Dairy
3.   Caffeine
4.   Alcohol
5.   Bad Fats  
6.   Sugar
7.   Eating out of season  
8.   Meat
9.   All GMO Foods  
10. Preservatives

There are 5 habits to make:

1.   Drink 8 glasses of water daily
2.   Eat 5 big superfoods each day
3.   Maximize intake of antioxidants
4.   Consume detoxifying minerals
5.   Do detox exercises every day

Details and explanations for much of this can be found in the book "The 9-Day Liver Detox Diet" by Patrick Holford.  I was able to find it at my local library. Though Holford gives meal plans for entire program, I'm taking the philosophy a step further.  I plan on making my own meal plan, so I'll share some easy, taste-tested  recipes and overall meal structure in the coming weeks.

Consider incorporating as many of these extra detoxification habits into your routine as possible.  Not only now - they're great on a regular basis to improve overall health.

• Detoxifying your home - switch to natural cleaners
• Reduce stress - spend more time outdoors and try to meditate for at least 10 minutes every day when you first wake
• Take 10 minutes of your morning to do 2 sets of Sun Salutations (hatha style - holding each pose for 30 seconds).  It's a great way to stretch your muscles, loosen joints, and set your intention for the day.
• Exercise 30-60 minutes a day - Yoga is particularly good, or other aerobic activity
• Beware of electromagnetic pollution - don't keep your phone on your body
• Clean your air - open windows to clear out carbon dioxide build-up
• Start your day with a large glass of hot water with juice of half an organic lemon
• Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system - I find this particularly good to do right before meditating to help me focus. Try a yogic alternate nostril breathing exercise like "Nadi Sodhana"
• Get 8 hours of sleep every night
• Take Glutamine, a liver compound that drives away toxins (available in powder form)
• Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea
• Don't eat 3 hours before bedtime (giving yourself a 12-16 hour break of not eating) so your body can heal itself and not simply work to digest food.  Check out the great interview on "Forum".
• Get a massage - it physically stimulates your body’s natural elimination system, helping to move the garbage out
• Sweat in a sauna, or bathe in epsom salts, so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration
• Incorporate hot & cold hydrotherapy to speed up the elimination process
• Dry-brush your skin every morning or evening, or scrub your body with a hot, moist towel, to remove toxins through the pores

Maintaining and improving health is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves.  Love yourself, and clean up your act!