An effective Detox will result in, feeling clear headed and relaxed, having easy digestion with regular bowel movements – with a fully functional and healthy digestive system you can remain physically fit and mentally active for your entire life, sleep soundly and wake up feeling refreshed, and of course weight loss.For any detox program to be effective you must take at least three days of rest and relaxation for the main part of the Detox, which is how long it takes for the body’s internal cleansing and healing mechanisms to shift into full gear. Seven days is even better, because it takes seven days of complete rest and clean living to purify the blood stream and cleanse the internal organs and lymphatic system. Remember to set a date: Make sure that you plan ahead and consult your diary. Try to choose a period of relative calm in your life when you attempt the Detox, like a weekend. Try not to complete a Detox when you have a busy patch at work.
Avoid all processed foods, sugar, wheat, dairy, hydrogenated oils, carbonated soft drinks, coffee and alcohol which contribute to the acidosis of the blood
The following cleansing and rejuvenating regimen detoxifies the system, purifies the bodily tissues, and strengthens the immune system. The following recommendations may be included in a 3 day, 7 day, or 12 day Detox programme:
The basic dietary strategy for effective Detox is to eliminate all acid forming foods and beverages and imbibe only a few simple alkalising foods. What you don’t eat is actually more important than what you do eat.
FOODS TO AVOID:
All processed foods, sugar, wheat, dairy, hydrogenated oils, carbonated soft drinks, coffee and alcohol which contribute to the acidosis of the blood must be excluded form your diet. If you are a coffee fiend try to reduce the amount of coffee you take in the days leading up to your Detox start date!The cornerstones of the detox diet are fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. There are various companies that will deliver to your door, or try your local fruit & veg market or farmers market. The best choice in vegetables are the ones that actively heal and cleanse the body, including sweet potatoes , yams, squash, pumpkin, carrot, beetroot, cabbage, asparagus, celery, parsley, and all dark leafy greens. Garlic and ginger may also be included in the detox to spice up the taste of the vegetables.
Vegetables maybe prepared as a broth of boiled vegetables, fresh-cut vegetables cooked by steaming, stewing, or stir-frying or as freshly extracted raw vegetable juice. For seasoning spices such as ginger, cumin, fennel, pepper, and turmeric help increase metabolism.
Raw Juice:
Raw juice retains all of the most active enzymes from the vegetables, and can be made from any combination of the following: carrots, beetroot, broccoli, apples, celery, parsley, parsnips, wheat-grass juice.
Fruits:
The best choices for fruits are semi sweet fruits from temperate climates such as apples, pears, watermelons, black cherries, and black grapes. Tropical fruits, such as mangos, pineapples, bananas, have a very high sugar content and tend to overheat the system. The exception is papaya.
Water:
Drink 2-3 litres per day of pure, preferably alkaline water to flush away the large amounts of acids and other toxic wastes that the detox process empties from the body.
Sipping hot water with lemon is a good idea, sage tea is excellent too.
Exercise
A daily asana and pranayama practice is a must! During Detox, Yoga can aid the body in the detoxification process by encouraging lymph drainage and increasing blood flow, thus facilitating the elimination of metabolic toxins through the excretory pathways of the body like the liver, kidney, skin and lungs. Practice in conjunction with slow, deep, rhythmic breathing that fully engages the diaphragm. The combination of slow stretching and loosening drives blood and lymph through the body like a strong pump.
I recommend a combination of twists, backbends, and supported shoulder stands, which help to drain lymph from the legs. Twists increase peristalsis and clear stagnation, while Ardha Matsyendrasana increases agni (digestive fibre) and helps to send blood through the liver. Follow your asana practice with energising pranayama practices like bhastrika and Kapalabhati. Deep diaphragmatic breathing saturates the bloodstream with fresh supplies of oxygen, while purging it of carbon dioxide, thus accelerating the detox process.
Massage
The deep pressure of massage stimulates various vital points along the nadis and dislodges toxic deposits in the tissues. The massaging action scatters the released toxins and facilitates their drainage through the blood and nymph. Always drink at least one or tow large glasses of pure alkaline water immediately following a therapeutic massage!
Walking and Swimming
Try fitting in 20 minutes of walking during the week into your usual routine. Build this up to 45 minutes during the week. This can be taken in the form of 3 x 15 minute short walks. Swimming is also excellent.
Meditation
Meditation helps to bring a balance of mind, body and spirit that aids the process of detoxification of both and body. True detoxification is multifaceted; it means not just isolating the body but also taking your mental and emotional state into account.
Supplements
Psyllium Seed or Psyllium husk is by far the most effective way of dredging the bowels of impacted faeces, mucoid plaque and putrefied food residues that have festered there for years. The Psyllium sweeps like a broom through the entire digestive tract and speeds up the entire detox process. One or two doses a day on an empty stomach is sufficient.
Lactobacteria
These are the so called “friendly” flora of the bowels. Psyllium does the job of dredging, and acidopholus, bifudus does the job of reintroducing beneficial lactobateria back into the intestines.
Body Brushing and Streaming
Skin is the largest organ in the human body. Skin brushing assists the lymph system to cleanse itself of the toxins that collect below the skin. Use a natural fibre brush with a long handle – remember to skin brush towards the heart!
The steam and heat help to promote the excretion of toxins through the skin. If you do not have access to a steam room, take a hot bath, add some of your favourite essential oil or some mineral salts, lie back and relax!
Neti Pot
Using a neti pot (Nasal Irrigation) can alleviate sneezing, a runny nose and itching eyes. A neti counters nasal congestion, sinus allergies, headaches and other health problems. Users report sharpened mental and sensory acuity, increased breathing capacity and more vitality.
For most people following a Detox programme will be perhaps the most powerfully purifying endeavour of their life and a truly life changing experience. On a physical level, when the blood and tissues of the body have been purged of poisons, degeneration is arrested, germs cannot attack, and the body’s natural healing mechanisms repair the damage and restore optimal health to the whole system. The effects on other levels of our being are even more profound. Our mental faculties generally improve greatly. Emotionally we are able to let go of a huge amount of baggage as we let go of its physical counterpart. Our energetic and pranic levels change and we encourage and attract greater positivity into our lives.
Two 7-12 day Detoxes a year is recommended, while taking care of your diet inbetween. Almost anyone is capable of completing a seven day / twelve day fast, but for those who have never tried it, a few three-day mini fasts may be tried first as a warm-up. A min-fast is a good way of working your way up to a full seven day fast, as well as being an excellent form of maintenance between longer therapeutic fasts. I fast for one day every week, taking nothing but pure alkaline water. This gives the digestive system a rest. And allows the body a brief rest to restore and rejuvenate.
