5 Ways to Prepare for A Natural Detox You Can Do at Home
by Tera Warner
I knew a woman who ate buckets of peanut butter for about a year and a half who swears it brought her relief from depression. I know another woman who, if you breathe peanut butter on her, will collapse in a state of anaphylactic shock.
The example may be extreme, but the point is clear: two people can have very different reactions to the same food. When trying to navigate the best diet and eating plan for your body, one of the most helpful things you can do is complete a simple raw food or whole food detox! These five tips will help.
1. Notice Your Body’s Natural Response to Cleansing
Use your body’s cues as indicators of your progress when you’re doing a natural detox from home. Observe your reactions. Avoid intellectually overstimulating yourself with the latest guru-approved nutritional literature, and pay attention to your energy, mental clarity, digestion, mood, skin health, etc..
Be willing to observe what is actually happening in your body.
You know your body better than anyone, so trust yourself, while you still challenge yourself and push outside of “comfort” boundaries with food.
What at first is uncomfortable–letting go of old habits and unhealthy foods–may turn and become a new state of calm, control and clarity, unlike anything you’ve experienced before. How are you supposed to know if you never try? 😉
2. Make Change Slowly on a Natural Detox
The ‘I’m detoxing next week, so I should eat as much spaghetti and ice cream as I can now’ plan is destined for disaster.
The point of a healthy natural detox is to give your body the opportunity to cleanse and rest and release some of the junk it has been storing up. Don’t double the workload for yourself by eating poorly leading up to it. Take the time to become more aware of your behaviors and attitudes around food.
Move gently toward a healthier diet in preparation for a raw food or whole food detox and your detox will be more comfortable and you’ll get better results.
3. Drink Enough Water & Wait for Real Hunger
Hydrate in the morning with clean, spring water, then wait to eat until you’re hungry.
Observe your body’s reactions to ensure you are really hungry. (If you’re not sure if you’re REALLY hungry, then you’re not.)
Hunger is a natural, pulling, persistent desire–one of the most primary for the survival of the body. Eating without real hunger pulls you away from the skill of being able to honestly apply tip #1 above–observe your body and what’s actually going on.
Headaches, irritation, etc. these aren’t necessarily “hunger.” When you’re doing a detox, these can be evidence that you are eliminating toxins. If you’re not sure, get busy, be productive, and it can take your mind off food. When true hunger kicks in, the message will come in loud and clear and the food will taste so much better for it!
4. Eat Simple, Natural Foods
The age of processed food brought in high levels of sugar, salt and “secret spices” like MSG, which cause us to become unnaturally stimulated by food in a way Nature never intended. When you eliminate highly refined ingredients and overconcentrated flavors, you can rehabilitate your attraction to simple, natural foods.
When you’re choosing colorful food from an abundance of what Nature provides, you feel satisfied and fulfilled because your body has received the nutrition it really needs. By taking some time to Limit the number of ingredients, start to reduce excessive salt and seasoning. This will go a long way in helping restore your inherent appreciation for simple foods and supporting you in a gentle detox.
5. Get Enough Sleep.
As you’re leading up to a detox program, start to give your body the rest it needs and avoid eating late at night. Sometimes we mistake evening fatigue for hunger. If you just go to bed and rest, you’ll wake up feeling much more refreshed!
In our 10-Day Total Life Detox (you can choose from one of two different menu planners, based on your level of comfort and the seasons) we’ll cover many more tips for health and high-energy living.
Take your time this week to put in place the habits and tools that will support you throughout your detox. By simplifying your foods, hydrating first thing in the morning and getting good rest, you’re already going to be well on your way to experiencing some significant improvements in your health and energy.
Love and lots of green juice,
Tera
