10 Signs Your Body Is Screaming at You for a Detox
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The way things are right now it’s either autumn, closing in on winter, or spring nearly summer, and practically everyone is feeling sluggish and doughy. With the winter holidays closing in promising an abundance of carbs and sugar, quite a few people are going to need to detox even before this chemical onslaught begins.
How can you tell if your body may be suffering from toxicity? Here’s a few symptoms:
• Chronic constipation/indigestion, heartburn, bloating
• Excess weight – including water weight
• Poor stress management
• Frequent fatigue
• Being sick – colds and the flu – more often than your peers
• Headaches and joint pain
• Ennui/apathy
• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Depression
• Reduced libido and/or reduced satisfaction in bed
• Mood swings
Now what? Well, experts say that the autumnal cleanse should be focused on the lungs and large intestine. Both alternative and conventional medicine say that these organs are linked to breathing problems and skin problems like eczema, rashes, asthma, and dry skin; all of which plague us during the winter months. We’re trapped indoors with forced heat much of the time, while dry cold weather beats us down when we actually venture outdoors.
If your allergies are really bad, try using local bee pollen to reduce the symptoms. Start with a small amount, only a granule or two, in the morning before breakfast and gradually increase to around half a teaspoon twice a day. This will naturally desensitize your body to the local flora.
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Don’t listen to your sugary, carb-filled cravings — drop refined sugar and corn syrup as quickly as you can. Don’t do a juice cleanse, either. That’s not going to help you and may make you even more sensitive to sugar. Instead, put three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into some water, this will eliminate your craving and increase your mineral intake as well as lowering your glucose, which will lead to less intense cravings, less often.
Some detox diets that are popular also happen to be easy and often don’t require major changes to one’s diet already in place. One such cleanse is called the Lemonade Diet which involves organic maple syrup, fresh squeezed organic lemon juice, spring water, and, interestingly, cayenne pepper. There’s also the Raw Food Diet, which means one can only eat fresh (and raw, obviously) vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, and homemade juice. The Bible Diet, also called Hallelujah Diet, is essentially a vegan version of the Raw Food Diet.
Most detox diets can be done at home, and it’s best to start slowly. A simple diet will remove foods that trigger health problems and avoid commercially and/or chemically processed foods such as canned soups and ready-to-eat meals and sticking to natural, whole foods. One should also consume plenty of water to help flush toxins from the liver and kidneys. No caffeine, alcohol or smoking on any of these diets – instead of coffee, try an herbal tea. Be as balanced as possible, eat like you “should” eat.
After the detox, don’t go immediately back to the lifestyle you had before you did the cleanse. Natural foods should still be a large part of your diet, post-detox, and meditation/yoga/deep breathing exercises will help keep your stress levels in check so you’re less likely to go running for comfort food when things get rough. The most common suggestion is a bit of homemade hydrotherapy, switch up your bathing routine by alternating cold and hot showers three times a week.
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