Detox Time

Well, living in London is great! It's AWESOME! But good god, there is so much pollution that when I cycle or walk along the busy roads I feel like I'm smoking ten cigarettes per second. Well, not that I know what cigarette smoking actually feels like, but I can imagine ugh. So, I've come to a point where I feel the need to do regular detox sessions, it just makes me feel cleaner inside out and healthier. So here I am sharing them detox secrets :)

Our bodies have an incredible ability to detoxify and excrete unwanted and potentially harmful substances from the system.

Naturally, this process works very efficiently and does an excellent job. However, our environment has changed quite dramatically and more than ever we are exposed to exogenous and endogenous toxins that can have a negative effect on our health. By following a few simple guidelines you can support your body’s detoxification capability making sure your body is clean and healthy.


Reduce the amount of toxins you ingest as a first measure. That means, avoid processed foods that can be alternated and fortified with chemicals unnatural to your body, reduce the amount of stimulants such as alcohol, coffee and cigarettes that can be extremely harsh on your liver - your most important detoxification organ! Also, have as much fresh air as possible - avoid polluted streets, opt for quiet roads and parks wherever possible.


Do a detox for at least a week every couple of months. And that doesn't mean having only lemon infused water which can be a way of detoxing too, but mostly not necessary. Since your body and especially your liver depends on many cofactors to be able to do its job properly, these should actually be ingested while detoxing. The following guidelines can help plan a detox:

• Start with two days of eating only raw. That means you need to eliminate anything that is cooked, cured, smoked, steamed, baked etc. including coffee. This mostly consists of raw vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts. Do not eat more than two servings of fruit on these two days, the rest should be veggies. Drink at least 2.5 litres of water, plus herbal teas (green tea, mint, dandelion, chamomile, fennel, nettle). Hydration is key to flush the system.
• Then do a single day of only vegetable broth (made with vegetables (no potatoes), salt, pepper, other spices but no stock, coconut oil). Again drink at least 2.5 litres of water and herbal teas
• From day four to seven you can have a diet that consists of mainly vegetables - raw where possible, but also cooked, no more than 2 servings of fruit, oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines, nuts, seeds. No grains, pulses, dairy, meat, eggs, coffee, sugar, processed foods.
• To support your detox plan you can add extra boosters such as chlorella, dandelion root coffee and turmeric - all extremely beneficial for your liver
  

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​Other rules to follow on a day to day basis include

• starting the day with warm lemon water
• have as many liver supporting foods as possible. They include brassica vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, mustard greens, brussels sprouts, but also spices such as turmeric and cinnamon, leafy greens such as spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, watercress and green and dandelion root tea.
• exercise daily or as much as you can and visit the sauna once a week. Sweating is another one of the body’s channel to eliminate toxins and is extremely important