It may shock you to
discover that you could be carrying pounds of undigested food and waste in your
body. The problem is that our digestive
systems are not equipped to handle the typical modern North American diet of
processed, high-fat, high-sodium, low-fiber foods and refined sugar, or all the
chemicals we take in from over-the-counter and prescription medicines.
Over time, these undesirable, often toxic substances build up
in our bodies, causing numerous health issues.
Is it time to
detox your body?
Here are questions you can ask
yourself that may help to identify a need for cleansing. If you answer “yes” to
three or more, you may want to consider a detox cleanse.
- Do you eat a diet high in sugary, alty and/or processed and packaged food?
- Do you take over-the-counter or prescription medicine?
- Do you frequently have gas or upset stomach?
- Do you feel bloated, especially around your belly?
- Do you have oily skin or frequent acne breakouts?
- Do you worry that your breath smells bad?
- Do you smoke and/or drink alcohol?
- Do you often feel sluggish or need caffeine and/or sugar just to get you through your day?
Health benefits of a detox
cleanse
Clearer, brighter skin
Better sleep
Fresher breath
Increased energy
Decrease in gas and bloating
Reduced body fat and water
retention
3 Steps to detoxing
your body
1. Eat foods that aid
digestion, such as fish oils, flax, spirulina, olive oil and green tea. Add
plenty of high-quality fiber to your diet, either by eating vegetables and
whole grains or by supplementing.
2. Reduce “toxic
foods” from your diet, such as white breads, excessive salt, nitrates used
in preservatives and heavy metals like mercury contained in tuna fish.
3. Cleanse your colon
of excess waste. You can find cleanse products online at sites like
GNC.com, VitaminShoppe.com. The best cleanse products will contain some
combination of fiber, cleansing herbs and probiotics. Avoid laxatives as these
will not adequately remove toxins.
