Healthy DetoX
2008/08/31
Free Detox Program You Can Do Yourself
By: Shafir Ahmad
Imagine that your body is a dirty engine and imagine that you feed this toxic body with food. If you are trying to lose weight and eat a more healthy diet, it would therefore be sensible for you to detox your body first. As with any cleansing, once your body is detox you will feel energized and rejuvenated, physically and mentally.
Toxins can impair metabolism and hamper weight loss by affecting your digestion and slowing down bowel function. Your natural metabolism may not work optimally due to an imbalanced body system caused by the harmful substances that enter your body through the air, the foods that you eat and the chemicals and preservatives in the foods. In additions, toxins contribute to a wide range of ailments like immune problems, mental problems and cancer.
You can begin your self-detox program by dedicating one week of control and discipline. Enlist family cooperation so that they understand what you are trying to achieve. When eating out, simply a vegetable salad plate, vegetable soup, or a fruit cup. Skip the sauces, starchy vegetables,grains, fats and protein.
Here are effective ways to 7 days of detoxing your body:
* Drink at least 8 glasses of herbal teas, or mineral water every day, this will help to make you feel full and flush out impurities.
* Eat as many vegetables as you like but limit fruits to 3 servings per day.
* Use spices and herbs that enhance detoxification and allow yourself small amount of salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard and low-sodium soy sauce.
* Avoid fats totally - no oils, butter or margarine
* Eat cleansing foods like banana, lemon juice, green beans, vegetable soup, mixed green salad with mushroom, asparagus, fresh cucumber, papaya, grapefruit, apple, celery, red and yellow pepper.
* You can continue to take multi-vitamins but do not start taking supplements during this detox period because your body is not accustomed to them.
* Plenty of sleep and rest helps with detoxification process. You might feel more tired than usual in the few first days but will soon be energized by the end of the week.
* During this time, do not do strenuous physical activities, go for a walk or swim instead, or do yoga or meditation.
* Drink juice of half a lemon in a warm cup of water each morning, this helps your gallbladder work more efficiently.
To help you overcome hunger pangs during this detox period, eat more vegetables, or drink more fat-free vegetable broth. You can add a very small amount of lean protein for lunch or dinner, like fresh tuna or salmon, lean chicken without the skin, tofu or soya milk.
Take this opportunity also to de-clutter your home or clean a closet, it takes your mind off food. You may also use a fibre supplement to enhance the detox process and is especially recommended if you have problems with bowel movement within the first three days.
So there you have it, the self-detox program which is free and easy to do, all it takes is a determination to eliminate your body of toxins before you begin a long term weight loss program.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
Free Detox Diet
We have to accept the fact that we constantly ingest toxins into our bodies with most consumed through food. We can help our body to get rid of those toxins through a detox diet. A detox diet is a dietary regime involving a change in consumption habits in an attempt to detoxify the body, by removal of toxins and other contaminants. It involves limiting yourself to certain foods for a short period of time. Here is a free detox diet plan that you can follow to detox your body.
For breakfast while on a detox diet, eat fresh fruit like banana or apple. Then continue with 1 to 2 cups of cooked whole grains like brown rice or buckwheat. Cook the grains till tender to make it easier to consume. With your grains, take a multivitamin and additional supplements to prevent nausea that is caused by taking these supplements on empty stomach. As you detox, free radicals are produced and Vitamin C, an antioxidant, neutralizes these free radicals.
For a person on a detox diet, vegetables are undeniably one of the best detox foods. For this detox diet, steam 3-4 cups of raw vegetables for lunch. To ease digestion, steam the vegetables until they are tender. Try to have at least 4 types of vegetables for each meal. An example would be scallions, kale, red bell pepper or broccoli.
A person on a detox diet tends to get hungry real fast as the food consumed are mainly fruits and vegetables. So, it's highly recommended to have a snack in between meals. An afternoon detox diet snack consists of 1 cup of vegetable water. This drink is made of water used to steam vegetables. You can steam 2-3 cups of vegetables and drink the water or you can keep the water used to steam vegetables during lunch to be drink at around 4pm.
For dinner during a detox diet, eat another meal of steamed vegetables. This meal consists of 4 cups of raw vegetables. To add flavor to the raw vegetables, add some seasoning such as a teaspoon of a mixture of oil, butter, olive oil, garlic and vegetable salt. Do remember to save the water used for steaming the vegetables for breakfast the next day.
Repeat this diet for 7 days and you will have a body clean of toxins and contaminants. During detoxification, you may experience some side effect such as headaches. It's advisable to drink a lot of water as it helps to keep the side effects away.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
