We all know how important our lifestyle is for our health, yet it can still be so difficult to make changes.
No one wants to feel forced, we all want to choose for ourselves and feel free in our decisions, but sometimes this can also prevent us from changing our habits.
We may sometimes need help along the way to change habits, a way to press the "reset button" in the body.
Then a cleanse for the body over a shorter period can help. A time when we change our diet in a way that gives the body space to regenerate itself.
We can call it "detox".
What is detox?
The purpose of a detox is to give the body space to restore and heal itself.
This can often result in the experience of increased energy and joy of life, but the path there isn't always just fun. To give the body this space, we need to break certain habits and limit certain foods that we usually enjoy.
Regardless of your starting point right now, spring can be a good time to let the body rest and adjust before summer.
Whatever you have the opportunity to do, every small step in the right direction is a good step, and your body will thank you.
Why should I do a detox?
A cleansing program can give you new energy and vitality.
People have throughout history used various fasting and cleansing programs to renew their energy and spiritual connection. This is nothing strange or new.
What makes this particularly relevant in our time is the tens of thousands of unnatural substances that we release into the environment and absorb through food, water and air.
Add to this stress and the fact that the nutritional value in food has steadily declined over the past 100 years, and we have a recipe for fatigue, digestive problems, headaches, eczema and chronic diseases.It's said that it takes the body 21-30 days to change its "taste". Once you've truly embarked on a genuinely healthy path, it's hard to stop.
The body becomes accustomed to receiving healthy food and you get used to feeling good. This is a positive spiral that can be created through simple lifestyle changes.
Regularly doing a cleansing program and letting the body rest is a good way to support ourselves in living a healthy and long life.
It's simply a good "longevity" tool.
How do I do a detox?
The body's ability to cleanse and heal itself depends on two things from a nutritional perspective:
Nutrients that support the body's cleansing functions.
Absence of substances and situations that disrupt these functions.
This can be achieved in different ways, but the basic principles are the same for all programs.
What you want to focus on is simply eating and drinking things that are cleansing and supportive while avoiding eating heavy, processed food.
We also need to manage stress and wind down.
A common detox method is to try to increase the total nutrients consumed with as little effort as possible from the digestive system.
This means that we eat very easily digestible and "clean" food for a period.
You can also let the digestive system rest completely by fasting with the help of water, vegetable juice or green powders.
How long should I do my detox?
There is no specific length for a cleansing program.
You can do a detox one day a week, half a day now and then, or for up to one or more weeks based on need.
The most powerful programs involve some type of fasting or semi-fasting, since the body cleanses itself best when it doesn't need to break down food at the same time.
But this isn't a must - a dietary change can provide a very effective but "moderate" cleanse.
How to do a cleansing detox diet
In our time, most experts recommend being careful with complete fasting since the body hasn't had access to sufficient nutrition to handle that type of cleansing.
Children or young adults under 18 years should not do a tough detox or fast. One should also never detox during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
We recommend starting by eating a clean, simple plant-based diet for 1 to 4 weeks.
A detox doesn't have to involve bad-tasting liquids or a laborious fasting program.For most people, a stricter dietary change works very well.
At the same time, it's important to drink clean water and make sure to move your body as well as take time for rest and relaxation.
Beyond that, you can give the body extra support through supplements of cleansing herbs, fibers and other nutrients.
There are countless such supplements and we recommend experimenting and finding those that suit you.
You can read more about how to cleanse the body over a longer period and what is suitable for children.
What to eat during a cleansing diet
Raw organic vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables.
Steamed vegetables or vegetable soup.
Fruit and all types of berries.
Clean water, preferably 2 liters per day. Preferably lemon or lime water.
Green smoothies made from fruit and greens as well as fresh vegetable juices.
Good sources of protein like soaked nuts & seeds, beans, buckwheat, quinoa etc.
Greens like chlorella, spirulina, wheatgrass, barley grass or AFA algae.
To support the body's detoxification, you should avoid:
Refined food in general (processed foods etc).
Refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, white rice, white sugar, candy, etc).
Trans fats (fried and deep-fried food like chips).
Alcohol, tobacco and coffee.
Most animal products like dairy, eggs, meat and fish.
Food heated in microwave.
5 simple tips for a more effective detox
Here are some tips beyond nutrition and herbs that we warmly recommend you make part of your detox process.
1. Movement/Exercise
Moving your body is, according to many experts, one of the best ways to "detox".
Especially if you move outdoors with fresh air.
During a cleansing program, it's extra supportive with walks, yoga, running, dancing etc. Be mindful of your energy level and don't overexert yourself – but move your body every day!
2. Lymphatic Brushing
The lymph vessels that sit just under the skin are one of the body's most important cleansing organs.
By dry brushing the entire body with a skin brush every morning, we can support this system and also give the skin a chance to renew itself.
3. Breathing
Some of the best things we can do for our long-term health is to learn basic breathing exercises and do them every morning or evening during cleansing periods.
Try, for example, some simple Yoga Pranayama exercises.
4. Sauna
Sauna is very beneficial for the body, especially during a cleansing phase as it supports the body's ability to sweat.
We also offer infrared saunas which have their own advantages.
5. Nasal Rinsing
For allergies or problems with the upper respiratory tract, we recommend rinsing the nose with natural sea salt diluted in water in a neti pot in the morning.
This method comes from the yoga tradition and is used to clear out bacteria, waste products and mucus from the nasal passages to free the airways.
Please let us know how it goes and don't hesitate to ask us if you have any questions!
