Detox Day

I'm rather thankful that Christmas is finally over.  I've done all my "post christmas sales" shopping and ended up with clothes, a fridge and various other bits and pieces.  Today was mind and body detox day.  I should have probably waited until after new years but this year I'm not planning on drinking more than a glass of wine or two.

Detox day essentials (in my eyes):

• Sleep - Sleep in so that your body feels completely rested (get your 8 hours +).
  

• Breaky- Eat anything energy boosting (eggs, baked beans, whole grain cereal, Bananas, lupin bread or rye toast) + tea or hot water with lemon.  Today I had 2 oat bricks (like weetbix but with oats) with low fat soy milk and a cup of green tea.
  
  
• Exercise - I did 60-120 minute gym session with cardio and 15 minute circuit.  My brain always needs exercising too to feel good (weird right?) so I like to take something somewhat educational to read at the gym.
  
  
•  Relaxation -  10 minutes steam room followed by shower and then 15 minutes aromatherapy or a massage (if you have $$$) and shower.
  

•  Lunch - Fresh, energy boosting, lots of protein.  I had mini falafal pieces, hommus and salad wrapped in mountain bread + berries and more tea.
  
  
• Nature - Read outside, lounge in the sun in a chair for a while, beach, walk.
  
  
• Grooming - Bath with epsom salts (those things are SO amazing), lavender essential oil burning, loofah, pumice stone, body scrub (I LOVE anything made by "Say yes to carrots" - Body scrub, cleanser, hair mud mask and moisturiser).

• Dinner - Smallest meal packed with veggies and grains (carbs) and our lovely friend protein.  I think I'm going to make a veggie curry with mixed bean and cous cous salad.  As mentioned before do the 1/4, 1/4, 1/2 rule.

Other detox "helpers"

LEMON
lemon is also the only food in the world that carries a negative molecular charge, making it “anionic,” just like the digestive enzymes in our bodies (such as hydrochloric acid). Surprisingly, other citrus fruits aren’t anionic—only fresh lemon.  Lemon’s negative ionic charge, combined with its strongly alkalizing effects, makes it a terrific detoxifier. Dr. Carey A. Reams, in his Biological Theory of Ionization, says that, “All the foods we eat are cationic with the exception of lemon … when it goes into the system it can be converted into some 6 billion different enzymes with less chemical change than any other natural substance known to man.”

Lemon also helps to produce the bile necessary to properly digest food and assimilate nutrients, so it rebuilds the liver.  It is important to remember that the juice must be consumed fresh; The Tao of Detox recommends drinking it mixed with water on an empty stomach!
(www.care2.com/)


BATHS
Baths are wonderfully healing. Hot water draws toxins out of the body to the skin’s surface, and while the water cools it pulls toxins from the skin, according to Naturopath Dr. Hazel Parcells. Epsom salts augment this detoxification by causing you to sweat. Other salts—all highly alkaline and cleansing—used in baths include sea salt, baking soda, clay, and Dead Sea salts. Caution: Do not take hot baths and salt baths (including Epsom salt baths) if you have heart trouble, high blood pressure, or are diabetic.
 
Basic Salt Soak Bath Formula: Minerals and salts make the bath water feel silky and leave your skin cleansed and soft. 1 cup sea salts 2 cups baking soda 1 cup Epsom salts 1 to 2 tablespoons glycerin per bath Combine the sea salts, baking soda, and Epsom salts in a bowl. Stir to blend. Pour 1/4 cup or so into the bath while the tub is filling. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons glycerin to keep your skin from drying out (more for dry skin, less for oily skin) and essential oils of choice.
(www.care2.com/)


TEA
According to Dr. Rudolph Breuss, this tea is the single most effective herbal tea for detoxifying the body and strengthening immunity and resistance on a daily basis.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried St. John’s Wort
1/2 teaspoon peppermint
1. Bring water to a boil in a non-aluminum pot. Lower the heat and add the sage, allowing mixture to simmer for exactly 3 minutes, then remove pan from heat.
2. Add the St. John’s Wort and peppermint, cover with a lid, and let steep exactly 10 minutes. Strain tea into a thermos or bottle, discarding the dregs.
3. Drink about 1/2 cup, 3 to 4 times daily, on an empty stomach.

Adapted from The Tao of Detox, by Daniel Reid (Inner Traditions, 2006).