Detox For a Week

Your skin is starting to sag, the bags beneath your eyes are glaringly apparent and you’ve started to develop a belly paunch as well?
And oh darn! Is that a double chin? (Gasp!)
No, the weekend is not due anytime soon (and even if it is, those tequila shots aren’t getting you anywhere.)
*Drumrrrolls*
Its time for a detox week!
Make sure your schedule is free of any derailing plans such as weddings, bachelorette parties and hung-over Mondays and plunge into a satisfying 7 day detox! Detoxing can help you more than just returning the prodigal shine to your skin. It can up your metabolism, boost energy levels and rid your body of the few extra kilos. The aim of detox is to take the load of your over taxed organs – the liver, kidney and bowels and better their performance. Here’s what you need to do:
Foods to avoid
Alcohol
Cigarettes
Milk products (except ½ cup unsweetened yoghurt)
Sugar, honey, maple syrup, artificial sweeteners
Coffee
Grains: wheat (bread, biscuits, cakes, pasta), rye, barley, oats, spelt and rice
Dried fruit
Foods to enjoy
Fruit: any and all fresh fruit
Vegetables: any and all fresh vegetables
Fish: fresh, canned in water or olive oil
Lean red meat, chicken (without the skin). Limit to two serves per week.
Legumes: dried or canned, such as kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils
Eggs: preferably organic
Olive oil (preferably extra virgin), Coconut oil (unprocessed)
Nuts: raw unsalted almonds, walnuts, macadamias and cashews
Seeds: raw unsalted sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Green tea, white tea, weak black tea (decaffeinated)
Water: from one to three liters of water per day
How to detox –

Exercise
Gym versus the hospital, which would you love to frequent? The choice is yours. Detoxing calls for a 1 hour exercise session daily. The exercise you choose should be something which makes you huff and puff and pant. So join a zumba class, or sprint your way along the beach, but don’t stop until you’ve gone that extra mile. This’ll increase the lymph circulation, and help you sweat out the toxins.
Morning lemon juice

This golden rule never fails to work. Squeeze half a lemon, mix some honey and drink it first thing in the morning, before breakfast.

Raw food
Processed food tend to lose out a lot in their nutrients as they are cooked and canned . It’s better to imbibe the fruits/foods which are closer to their raw state. Add fresh sprouts and other food which you can eat in the raw state, to your diet.

The call of meditation
While you’re detoxing your mind, it’s a good idea to detox your mind at the same time, too. Practice meditation, for 10-15 minutes daily. Start by placing hands palm down on your lower belly. Breathe in through your nose, counting slowly to 3 or 4 counts. Feel your tummy rise with the breath. Breathe out just as slowly, allowing the belly to drop. Do this for 15 minutes daily.

Drink a pint – of water!
Make it a habit to imbibe three liters of fluid daily. This will flush out the toxins and help the lymph and kidney detoxify.

Note: Don’t detox if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, elderly, have high blood pressure, are underweight or against your health practitioner’s recommendation.

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