Let's Detox
Periodically, we need to detox our bodies. Many illnesses can be cured and prevented by detoxing regularly. However, we don’t live in a world that encourages detoxing just medications that help us “tolerate” illnesses. But for the few of you that want to give detoxing a try, let me help make it easy.
There are three important steps to a successful detox fast.
- Sustaining the body
- Suppressing the appetite
- Sweeping the toxins out
Let’s dive into doable ways to accomplish each step.
Easy way to sustain the body during a fast is to drink natural alkaline water and take in minerals. I like to drink Crystal Geyser or Starkey Spring water. And for minerals, my go to is Irish Sea Moss powder. I purchase the powder at my local herbal store (can also be purchased online) and empty size “OO” vegetarian capsules. I simply fill about 30 capsules with the powder and close. I take two capsules per day. Irish Sea Moss has 92 of the 102 minerals the body is made up of, improves digestion, reduce inflammation, and it also suppresses the appetite. So Irish Sea Moss covers 2 out of the 3 important factors for detoxing.
Suppressing the appetite can be done in several ways. I find that black coffee works well both as a stimulant and appetite suppressor. But my favorite is Holy Basil tea and/or Blue Vervain tea. Both teas can be found online (not typical to find in stores). These teas are bitter and should be sipped on throughout the day during a fast. Both teas suppress the appetite through the bitter taste and also have pleasing affects to the mind, relieving anxiety and stress.
Sweeping the toxins out is of course most important. I used the word “sweeping” for step 3 because I wanted to keep the action word in the “s” family. Hahaha! Nonetheless we must get the toxins out of our body and there are countless ways to do so. One way is to fast long enough for the body to do the job on it’s own; which should take around 5-7 days. However, I am a fan of assisted detoxification. There are several herbal teas that will do a wonderful job at detoxifying the system but I am going to suggest an easy route for beginners. Consider using “intestinePro” by Teraputics. Its available to purchase online and is very affordable. It is a 10-day treatment that requires that you eat!
I recommend combining IntestinePro with meals and Intermittent Fasting. Intermittent fasting will allow the body to do its own job of healing and detoxing but also usher newbies into fasting. With intermittent fasting you want to avoid eating any solids for 16 hours each day. You will need to eat within the remaining 8-hour time frame. Sipping on the aforementioned herbal teas and drinking spring water can help alleviate any hunger issues prior to time of eating. What works best for me is to fast from 4pm to 8am. My meal time begins at 8am and ends at 4pm.
What should you eat during a fast? You should eat foods that aid in detox. I’ve included a picture of typical meals I eat during a fast. Yumm! Right?
Breakfast:
Pineapples – Reduces inflammation in the body
Berries – source of fiber to collect toxins
Water – needed to sweep (flush) toxins out
Lunch:
Savory white beans with okra over brown rice.
How to make:
2 cans of northern white beans
2 cups of water
½ cup sliced sweet peppers (red and yellow)
½ cup diced red onion
4 gloves sliced garlic
Dried seasonings of your choice
2 dashes of cayenne pepper
1 cup of frozen okra (sliced)
Brown rice – cooked separately
Bring two cups of water and 2 cans of beans to soft boil, add dried seasoning (oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper) add cup of frozen okra, peppers, onion, and garlic, let simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over 1 cup brown rice and enjoy.
This entire meal is packed full of fiber and is very filling. The cayenne pepper has a host of benefits, here its added for another layer of appetite suppression.
Dinner:
Spring mix Salad with cucumber, onions, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, and cilantro. Dressing I use is avocado oil with dried oregano, basil, and sea salt.
This salad is also fully of fiber and other lovely benefits. Side note: cilantro cleanses the blood and is such a special umph added to the flavor of this salad.
Why salad for dinner instead of beans with rice? Salad, raw veggies, have their own enzymes which alleviate the body’s need to release enzymes to break down food. So having raw veggies for dinner also gives your body a break from using it’s energy to break food down.
So as you can see this detox thing is doable and affordable!
Let’s detox!
