Benefits of detoxing: How and why to detox

                              Detox 101 : How and why to detox

Hi there,

I have a few friends who have asked about detoxing recently so I figured it would be great to share some basic tips with you as well.

Spring is around the corner and it's a great time to consider doing a detox and do a " Spring cleanse". Detoxing can ideally be done every 3 months, but doing one early Fall/Winter and one early Spring are good times as well.

So below I am  offering some general tips on detoxing that I hope will benefit and inspire you to detox.

There are different kinds of cleanses you can do and if you have never detoxed before a candida cleanse, a colon, liver and kidney cleanse are generally most recommended to free your body from toxins that have affected your health. Some cleanses can be done in 7 days, 14 days, 21 or 30 days. Embracing a healthier lifestyle and eating habits are crucial to further benefit from your detox.

                                                DETOX 101

Written by N'na. All rights reserved 2012.

Disclaimers: The suggestions below are not to replace doctors' advices. If you have certain medical conditions you should consult your doctor before starting a detox program or eliminating some things from your diet or adding to it.

Why should you detox?

We live a very toxic lifestyle and in spite of our best efforts to make healthy choices our surroundings,foods and cosmetics are loaded with toxins.

What are some benefits of detoxing?

• Cleanse your body from toxins
• Give your organs a chance to rest and work better
• Give you more energy
• Naturally heals your body from certain ailments : you get less  headaches, less diseases and sicknesses throughout the year.

• Better skin and complexion
• Give you a clearer sense of thinking and feeling
• More willpower and more positive outlook on life
• Weight loss (detoxing assits with weight loss because your organs working better once you give your body a chance to release toxins, bacteria, fecal matter etc).

                         
Which organs can mostly benefit from a detox?
Your whole body can benefit from a detox but some organs play a major role in the quality of our health such as:

• the kidneys
• the liver
• the colon

There is actually various kind of cleanses:
Candida cleanses, parasite cleanses, kidneys & liver cleanses, colon cleanses, colonics, lung cleanses, total body cleanses etc.  Each one is beneficial to your health and for optimal health it's recommended to do them all especially if you have never detoxed before.

When to detox? At least twice a year such  as Spring and Fall.

Please consider Fasting. Fasting is probably the best way to detox your body and your mind. It’s important to fast often. Fitting a one day fast weekly/biweekly or a 3 days fast in your monthly schedule are all reasonable endeavor. ( Please consult with your physician before embarking in any fast)

Keep in mind that while you are detoxing you might experience some headaches, you will have to take more frequent trips to the bathroom as your body must flush out many toxins, bacteria, fecal matter etc. Do not stop the detox on account of these as it's actually a proof that the detox was much needed but PLEASE if you suffer from any particular health condition consult with your physician before, during and after your detox.

To Jumpstart your detox.

Gradually eliminate or cut down certain foods from your daily diet.

Gradually add more healthy food and drink more water.

Drink every morning a glass of water with apple cider vinegar, freshly squeeze lemon juice and a spoon of honey.

Eat daily one or more grapefruits and/or apple.

Select a detox program and time frame as you can detox for 3 days, 14, 21, 30 days or longer.

Drink plenty of water to allow your body to flush the toxins.

Drink detox or herbal teas.

Foods to avoid when detoxing

Sugar

Dairy products

Wheat

Gluten: rye, wheat, bran, barley,baked goods...

Caffeine: Coffee, Black tea, sodas...

Other foods: yeast, alcohol, food additive and preservatives, chocolate, high fat foods.

Foods to eat when detoxing

Fresh fruits.

Fresh vegetables. Great detox vegetables includes broccoli, cauliflower, garluc, beets red and green vegetables.

Rice: Brown or basmati rice. Rice cakes, rice crackers, rice pasta.

Other grains:  quinoa, flaxseed, millet can be used instead of rice.

Beans:  Lentils are a great option.

Nuts and seeds:  such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds. Avoid peanuts.

Oils:  Extra Virgin Olive oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil.

Condiments: fresh herbs, sea salt, limited amount of honey, 100 % natural fruits and vegetables drinks, rice milk, almond milk.

Beverages: water, lemon water, herbal teas, freshly squeezed fruits or vegetables juices, smoothies .
                         

Herbs you can use daily to help with your detox: Ginger, oregano, cayenne, fennel, turmeric.

 Garlic: Fresh garlic is great to not only strengthen your immunity but it also cleanses your blood.

                                          Detox products on the market


There are many great products on the markets.

Please do your research before selecting a product. When selecting a product take time to ask questions, explain your goals, research the ingredients included and their roles and be aware of the fact that a detox program will not necessarily feel good at first!

A great website to check is http://www.drnatura.com/

                                  

Detox hygiene

Avoid beauty products that are harmful and loaded with toxins because your skin is your largest organ. Use organic, green or homemade beauty & cosmetics products.

During the time when you are detoxing avoid if you can and if it's not your workplace places such as Nail shop and Beauty Salon or any environment that would expose you to toxins.

Consider dry skin brushing before taking a shower.

Consider oil cleansing to cleanse your face.

Detoxing is about more than food & the body.

Detoxing is not just about food. There are emotional triggers to the food that we eat and habits strongly influenced or influencing our food choices.

Other things to consider when detoxing:

Rest your mind and body more.

Cut down or temporarily eliminate on TV time especially news and TV shows that cause the body stress. Cut down on activities or interactions that are unpleasant and unnecessary.

Train your mind each morning to expect the best.

Refrain from complaining unnecessarily focusing on negative things create more stress on your body.

Take time to start your day with a stretch as stretching allows trapped energy to be released.

Stretch often throughout the day.
see the benefits of stretching http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/05/benefits-of-exercising-stretching.html
the benefits of exercising http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/05/benefits-of-exercising-introduction.html

Walk more during the day.

Spread more love and do good more good deeds.

Smile and laugh more. ( Being scornful, sarcastic and laughing at the expenses of others is NOT what I recommend).

Keep a journal. Record your emotions, your goals…

Keep a gratitude journal. Make time each day to write things you are grateful for and start and finish each day by expressing verbally or in writing something you are grateful for.

DETOX  your environment.

Make time to go through your home, bathroom, closet, kitchen cabinets, home office and remove everything old, expired, useless etc.

In your closet get rid of everything stained, with holes, old and that no longer fit.

Declutter and cleam your space totally. A messy and dirty environment can also trigger stress and expose you to toxins.

Add some green plants in your home to purify your indoor air.

For more ideas please consider reading the following articles:
"The psychology of weight loss"

http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/11/psychology-of-weight-loss.html

"Pampering yourself is good for your health"

http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/01/pampering-yourself-is-good-for-your.html

If you consider fasting:

Disclaimer: Please consult with your physician before starting a fast.

Days before your fast drink plenty of water and eat more fruits and vegetables that are rich in water such as watermelon and cucumbers.

Determine the length of your fast. A meal, a whole day, a few days. Any  longer fast should be supervised.

The way you break your fast is very important. Eat foods that are light such as a fruit, a bowl of soup, a salad and eat slowly.
                       


There's a lot more to detoxing than the information I just provided. This article is meant to be an introduction and offer you some direction.

Detoxing is essential to your health and organs' cleanses such as the Colon  cleanses can improve your health and even assist with weight loss.

Detoxing has the power to heal, alleviate or prevent some conditions, so do it often and enjoy its many benefits.

I wish you a happy detoxing, a great health journey and if you are new here you are welcome to become a Follower, Like the FB page, subscribe for email updates and let us know about your detoxing experience!!!



N'na

Healthy refreshment : My homemade Punjabi Mango Lassi adaptation!

Last Saturday I was talking to a friend before heading to the salon to get my hair done and I mentioned to her that I would fix some Mango Lassi before going out! She did not know what a Mango Lassi was so I explained it to her before I started telling her about some great Indian spices she could use for health as well as beauty treatment! One spice I told her to shop for is turmeric! A spice I love to add in many things and you can read more about it on my article:  http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/01/benefits-of-turmeric.html
Anyway, since some of you might not be familiar with Lassi I guess I can give you too a little introduction to my Mango Lassi before sharing my version of it! I say my version because I am not sure that there is such a thing as the perfectly authentic Mango Lassi recipe. I think it initially starts with yogurt and mango but who knows how it finishes...

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

Lassi is a popular and traditional Punjabi-yogurt drink from India and Pakistan that is generally enjoyed fresh as a refreshment during hot weather. Punjab is simply a region in North western India and Pakistan, just in case you wonder what's a Punjabi yogurt! Punjab means the land of five rivers "Panj" means "five" and "ab" means "water"! I know I am sharing a recipe here but a little culture is good for you! Might as well feed the intellect too while we are talking recipe!




 So...Lassi  is made by blending yogurt with water or milk and adding some Indian spices. I think Punjab yogurt includes curry and turmeric among their Indian spices.  There are quite a few variations for the drink such as salted lassi, sweet lassi, mango lassi etc. The drink is called different things in different parts of the world! For example, in Turkey, a drink similar to Lassi is called Aryan,  while in Afghanistan and Iran a similar drink is called Doogh!

 Here on the left is a picture I found online of an Ayran drink, it's a yogurt and mint drinkThis one is a picture I found online representing a Doogh drink.


Anyway, to fix some Mango Lassi you mainly need Mango and Yogurt! I used plain Vanilla Yogurt. Don't worry,by the time I add some spices of my choices it will not be that plain.... I can guarantee that!!!!
In addition to Mango and Yogurt you add water or milk!
I personally would not add dairy milk to mine (having Yogurt is enough for me) I would suggest you add coconut milk, I think it's more tropical (smiles)...well that's my humble opinion...
Alright...what else..? Well...  let's  just use the pictures as a guide since they say a picture is worth a thousand words I will use them to save me some typing...

N'na's own: Mango Lassi in progress

I don't think that the recipe would specify to use some frozen mangoes but my version does! I am using some frozen mangoes as well as fresh mangoes. I always keep a stash of frozen fruits because it adds more texture to my drinks and I can benefit from them already being cold! I do my best to avoid crushing or adding ice simply because I want to take advantage of my blends full flavors and not 'water down the taste'.

In trying to decide what to add I am turning to my special 'natural medicine cabinet"! I call  this kitchen cabinet my 'natural medicine cabinet' because I use most of the things in there for their health benefits! More on that later.

Having to choose between water or milk I actually opted for coconut juice. I figured plain water would be boring to my taste buds and I was not in the mood for coconut milk! Coconut juice was a great compromise! I used about 1/4 of the can. (Next time I will try my Lassi with rosewater and let you know how it turns out)

Well... I know I said it's a Mango Lassi but it's my drink so I can add whatever I desire...I was thinking that the taste of pineapple juice and some pineapple could add extra flavors to my drink. You know...take it to the next level!!! I love flavors! So I used a couple of slices and blended them with a little bit of pineapple juice.

I sweetened with a little bit of honey this is truly optional, and figured I could make use of some spices from my ' natural medicine cabinet'! After all a Lassi include Indian spices... so I selected my own spices Ginger, Caraway, Fennel and a little bit of turmeric! I was actually hoping to add some Cardamon as one of my main spices but I did not have any left! I could have used other spices too but I figured my first selections were alright. I only added a few pinches of  my chosen spices.

I poured my mixture to my glass, decorated with some fresh mint from my garden and topped my drink with some crushed pineapple and mangoes. Why add the crushed pineapple and mangoes? I just felt that my promising refreshment could handle some extra 'texture' and hmm was I right! It was so good.... 

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

I did refrigerate my drink just a few minutes until I was ready to savour it!
I poured some in a glass and saved the rest for later enjoyment!
Keep in mind that the drink should be refrigerated before drinking, it's meant to be chilled and served as a refreshment for a hot day! I was able to enjoy mine without a long refrigeration simply because I have used some frozen mangoes in addition to the fresh ones!

Doesn't it look good????Now...you knoooow it tastes good! If it has mango alone it tastes good! Add all those other ingredients and it taste GREAT! Hey that's N'na's Mango Lassi! Taking a simple drink to the next level!That's the kind of things you drink and you smile for not apparent reasons...so..soooo....gooood!!!

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

 The leftover was a delicious treat later on in the day...

N'na's own: Mango Lassi

Voila, N'na's own version of a delicious refreshment! Mango and Pineapple Lassi! To be honest I haven't heard of pineapple Lassi, it's always Mango Lassi that I hear about but nobody said I could not come up with my personal variation! So from coconut juice to pineapple and some unexpected ingredients like Caraway and Fennel, my Lassi was not just delicious it turned out to be a very healthy refreshment!

Now, I have read that one variation of Lassi make people drowsy, that might explain why I yawned so much when I was at the salon getting my hair done! Who knows? I probably should blame the fact that I went to bed really late the night before (making a face)!

 If you have never tried a Mango Lassi it's worth trying, I guess any kind of Lassi is worth trying, but I can only recommend what I know for sure to be very tasty! Mangoes are delicious and are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat! It's also a great fruit for skin care and hair care treatments....if you want to know more about that you will just have to come back another time! Stay tuned! Become a Follower by joining this blog if you are new here, Like the facebook page Healthy can be done and Follow Goodhealthdiva on twitter as well! Alright that's it for today, hope you enjoyed learning about my adaption to Mango Lassi.
 I don't mess with alcoholic beverages so for a hot weather refreshment packed with health benefits I greatly recommend that you give the Mango Lassi a try!

Are you a Lassi drinker? If yes, what kind of Lassi do you drink? What's your favorite (healthy) hot weather refreshment?