DETOXIFICATION IS THE KEY TO HEALING AND true HEALTH
Your body has the amazing capability to heal and regenerate itself. Every second of every day, your cells are working hard to keep you alive. They even work to destroy other cells that would of turned into cancer. What influences the process of dis-ease comes from what we absorb, what we ingest, what we breathe, how much we move, and most of all, what we think. Unfortunately, there are toxins and stressors everywhere in our world. They are found in our food, our water, the air we breathe, the cars that we drive, the products that we use, and even the thoughts that we think. Luckily, our body has a natural system that cleans out toxic waste on a cellular level that builds up over time. Whenever these systems slow down, the body can reabsorb toxic material and dis-ease will begin to manifest. If you drink alcohol or eat processed foods even on occasion, your kidneys, liver, and most importantly, your lymphatic system (the body’s sewer system) may need additional help in filtering out acidic, inorganic waste from your body so it can achieve a more balanced state.
Human cells
Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells and two major fluids, the blood system and the lymphatic system. When we eat, we eliminate waste through our colon, but we tend to forget that our trillions of cells also eat and eliminate waste as well. The blood only makes up about 1/4 of our bodily fluids, but the lymphatic system is 3/4 of our interstitial fluids. The great lymphatic system is our bodies gigantic sewer or immune system. Even the blood dumps into the lymph system what it doesn’t want. It is a lipid based mucousy fluid that lines your mouth, your sinuses, your gut, and your lungs. The hundreds of lymph nodes are like septic tanks which are full of immune cells which take care of any damaged cells and bacteria. What is the role of bacteria in our bodies? To break down sewage. So what happens if your septic tank is full or breaks down? It reabsorbs into our body creating dis-ease within the body.
SIGNS YOU NEED TO DETOX
Constipation/diarrhea
Bloating
Excess gas
Headaches
Fatigue
White tongue
Pain/inflammation
Acne/skin problems
Food cravings
Mood swings
Weight gain and weight loss resistance
Body odor
Dark circles under the eyes
HOW TO DETOX
There are many benefits to detoxifying your body. Not only will you feel better, but your hard working organs will thank you. Over time you will see reduced inflammation, improved digestion, healthier skin, increased energy along with a more balanced weight. Not only will you see an improved physical body but your mental state and emotions will improve. Below are my tips to help you safely and naturally detoxify the body without restriction. Remember that healing comes from a healthy lifestyle followed consistently over time, not a quick 7 day temporary “detox” regime.
GET MORE REST
That’s right. When you rest, you place your body into a deep regenerative state where it can repair organs and tissues on a cellular level. Resting is in the same category as fasting since you are not consuming food. Whenever you fast, you should always be resting and relaxing. If you want to kick start a detox, just get more sleep. It’s really that simple. Healthy adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep, even more if they are sick. Teens need about 9-9 1/2, and babies about 14-17 hours each day. I shoot for at least 8 1/2 hours of horizontal time each day. Most of us do not get enough as it is and this can really impact our health in a negative way. Make sleep a priority as much as you can and over time I guarantee you will see and feel the difference.
DRINK MORE WATER
Water is crucial for the health of your body including all of your main organs and eliminative channels which are responsible for the body’s natural detoxification process. We need water to help transport nutrients and oxygen to our trillions of cells. Water helps us to absorb nutrients and convert food into energy, regulates our body temperature, energizes our muscles, lubricates joints, and helps us remove wastes from the body. Shockingly, 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated and it is one of the most common and preventable medical condition in the world.
Dehydration affects millions in the United States, yet for something so common, most of us are unaware of its many dangers. The overall rule of thumb is to drink 8-10 glasses (8 ounces) of water but I personally drink no less than 3 liters (101 ounces total) of water each day. Check the color of your urine to see if you are hydrated. For optimal detoxification benefits, be sure to drink water on an empty stomach first thing when you wake up, 15 minutes before each meal or at least 45 minutes after a meal. Dehydration can cause fatigue, physical problems, like foggy memory, irritability, anxiety, decreased cognitive function, and can put you at an increased risk for kidney stones. When you are hydrated, your organs work properly, your metabolism is boosted, your skin is hydrated, and you have good energy levels. Throughout the day, check to see if you are properly hydrated. The only time your urine should be darker is first thing in the morning. If your urine is dark throughout the day, you may be dehydrated so it’s time to drink up!
How to choose the right type of water?
Your options for water include tap water, filtered water (carbon filters), reverse osmosis, spring water, or distilled water. Alkaline and/or kangen water machines are expensive and completely unnecessary for consumption or detoxification especially since they change the chemical structure of the water. Tap water is extremely dangerous since it is treated with disinfectant chemicals like chlorine & chloramine to reduce microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Tap water also contains lead, chromium 6, and of course, fluoride to help prevent tooth decay when in turn it creates far more health issues than benefits. I do not recommend drinking tap water without using a proper filter.
I drink reverse osmosis water that I fill up at my favorite water store or health food store in my 3 gallon glass container or carboy. I also purchase spring water in glass. It’s important to not use plastic BPA bottles which may leech toxins into the water. Always look on the bottom of your reusable water container. Even if it doesn’t contain BPA, the higher the number it has, the higher the risk of certain plastic parts leeching into your water. The lower the number, the less of the risk. 99% of the time, I drink out of glass to avoid any issues.
EAT More fruit
Some of the best foods to detoxify and regenerate your body are fruits! Melons, citrus and berries are some of the most powerful detoxifying foods that you can eat. Incorporate these fruits into your diet everyday or better yet, swap out your usual breakfast for an all fruit breakfast. It’s the easiest food for our bodies to digest and eliminate with the least amount of metabolic residue left over. It has everything our bodies need: water, sugar, fiber, and even contains protein. Fruit is the only food that grows highest in the sky, has the highest vibration and electricity, is the most nutritionally dense, fastest to digest, fuels trillions of our cells, fights against disease, heals the body and tastes the sweetest. Humans are the most biologically advanced species on Earth. Similarly fruit is the most advanced part of a plant. Fruit, in its strict botanical sense, is the fleshy and ripened ovary of a plant, enclosing the seeds. We’re told by so many that fruit high in sugar so we should limit our intake, however fruit doesn’t really contain any sugar, at least not our conception of it. Man made sugar is not the same as god made sugar we find in nature. One promotes cancer and death, the other, health and vitality. Choose the one that’s sweet and it will only improve your health and your mood.
eat anti-inflammatory alkaline foods
We live in a chemical world. When it comes to the body, there are only two sides to chemistry: Acid and Alkaline. Acids break down and destroy cells and alkalinity brings oxygen to the cells and can help repair them. With that said, there are only two types of foods that we can consume: acid forming foods or alkaline forming foods. Fruits, berries, melons, and most vegetables are alkaline forming. Grains, beans, meats, and processed dairy products are acid/ash forming foods. Cut out or seriously limit these foods and see how much better you feel.
choose organic
If you wouldn’t spray chemicals into your own mouth, why consume foods sprayed with chemicals? Organic may not be perfect, but it’s far better than conventional & genetically modified produce. If you are looking to detoxify your body then it’s essential to lighten the burden which you have been putting on it time and again. Below is a list of the 15 foods with the most pesticide residue so always purchase these foods organic:
Strawberries
Spinach & Leafy Greens
Nectarines
Apple
Peaches
Celery
Cucumbers
Grapes
Pears
Cherries
Tomatoes
Sweet bell peppers
Potatoes
Below are the foods with the least amount of pesticide residue so you don’t always need to purchase these organic:
Sweet corn (non-GMO)
Avocados
Pineapples
Cabbage
Onions
Frozen sweet peas
Papayas
Asparagus
Mangoes
Eggplant
Sweet Potato
Honeydew/Cantaloupe
Kiwifruit
Cauliflower
Grapefruit
DRINK LEMON WATER
When life gives you lemons, you juice them! Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body. The citric acid in lemon juice help aid in detoxification. Lemon juice is similar to the gastric digestive juices found in the stomach which helps the liver create bile. More bile helps food to move smoothly within the gastrointestinal tract. Lemons even alkalize the pH of your body strengthening the immune system. To make lemon water, juice 2-3 lemons (organic if possible) and pour into a glass of purified and warm water. Just a quarter cup of lemon juice contains 31% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C and 3 percent of folate and 2 percent of potassium. A whole raw lemon contains 139% of the recommended daily vitamin C intake.
consume GINGEr AND TURMERIC ROOT
Ginger and turmeric root are rhizomes, or root stalks which are two of the most powerful culinary roots in the world. When you consume them together, you boost your bodies anti-inflammatory response which and can even reduce pain. I consume a juice tonic of lemon, ginger, and turmeric almost every morning and this helps me enjoy clear skin and healthy digestion.
INCORPORATE WILDCRAFTED HERBS
Stinging Nettle
“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed: to you it shall be for food.”
Herbs have been used for ages to help humans and even animals for the treatment of disease as well as nutrition. Dr. Morse calls them “God’s herbs” since God created herbs to remedy everything from bone growth to nerve regeneration. Where chemical medications suppress and hold toxins in the body, herbs pull and clean these toxins out as well as strengthening the cell. The restorative principles in herbs help enhance, cleanse, and even provide nutrition to cell and tissues. Herbs also increase the blood and lymphatic flow within tissues which in turn increases nutrition to cells allowing them to eliminate and flush waste from the body. Many medicinal herbs can be found right outside your door and in the garden!
Lemon Balm
The best herbs to use for detoxification include: Mint, Rosemary, Dandelion, Parsley, Coriander, Cayenne Pepper, Stinging Nettle, Red Clover, Burdock, Milk Thistle, Chaparral Herb, Plantain Leaf, Cleaver's Herb, Echinacea Root, Red Root, White Oak Bark, Prickly Ash Bark, Burdock Root, Graviola Fruit, Pau D'Arco Bark, Fenugreek Seed, Blood Root, Juniper Berry, Vervain Leaf, Culver's Root, Sweet Violet Leaf, Chickweed Herb, Bayberry Root, Sheep Sorrel, Rhodiola Root, Chaste Tree Berry, Saw Palmetto Berry, Eleuthero Root, and Ho Shou Wu Root… just to name a few! inal tract.
“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food.”
Herbs are actually food. They are made of proteins (amino acids), carbohydrates (starches and sugars), and fats. They also have fiber (cellulose) which is vital for the health of the intestinal tract. Below are some of the herbal companies I use, trust, and recommend to my clients and family members.
Always consult an herbalist or professional before you start taking herbs. If you are interested in a personalized herbal protocol, contact me for a coaching session appointment so we can find the right herbal protocol to use for you.
stretch your body
Sometimes we get stuck in a sedentary lifestyle when we excessively sit down in our cars, sit at our jobs, and sit on the couch for entertainment. Break the cycle of always sitting down. Before a long flight, I’m always last to board and stretch as much as I can before getting on the airplane. When you limiting your sitting time to less than three hours a day, you can increase your life expectancy by an average of 0.2 years - or more than two months. That’s something to stand up for! Look into standing desks or make it a priority to get up every two to three hours and stretch whenever you are working. If you have to sit down for 8-9 hours a day for your job, sign up for a yoga class before or after work. It will work wonders on your spine and the flexibility of your body.
move your body
The largest system in our body is the great lymphatic system. Be sure to get this moving through movement and sweat. Move your body for at least 30-45 minutes each day. If you can break a sweat, even better! Go barefoot and ground yourself with the earth. Hike up a mountain. Walk on the beach. Swim in the ocean. Visit waterfalls and surround yourself with negative ions. This increases your serotonin levels. Don’t believe me? Try it out. Annals of Internal Medicine found that the risk of poor health "is more pronounced at lower levels of physical activity than at higher levels." Those who engage in regular physical activity but still spend a large proportion of their day in sedentary activity were found, on average, to be 30% less likely to die of any cause in a given period than were those who get little to no exercise. But even those who punctuate a long day of sitting with a vigorous workout were estimated to be 16% more likely to die of any cause in a given time than were those who do not sit for long.
remove stress from your life
One of the biggest stresses we create in our lives is caring what other people think. Keeping up with the Jones’ is simply a waste of time. Who are these Jones’ anyways and why do we care so much about them? Whether it’s physical or emotional stress, experiencing these will definitely impact your health in a negative way. Below are some tips on how to reduce the stress in your life so you can not only detoxify your body, but your mental and emotional health as well:
Follow my steps on how to detoxify your body.
Cut out caffeine and alcohol.
Stop caring what other people think.
Meditate daily even if it’s just 5 or 10 minutes.
Practice deep breathing techniques.
Journal your thoughts or focus on a creative project.
Nurture yourself by taking time out for yourself to take a walk, getting a massage, or listen to your favorite music.
Manage your time so you can focus on doing more of what you love instead of what stresses you out.
Ask for help! Don’t be afraid to communicate your needs to others. Learn how to express yourself and transmute stressful feelings in a positive way.
Spend more time with people who love and support you.
Watch a funny movie and just laugh! Laughing helps us to let go and release stress.
meditation & breathwork
Breathe in, breathe out. We do this about 23,040 times a day. Choose to focus on a handful of your breaths in a more controlled way. Follow the breathing simulation below to bring your awareness back to the present moment…
Deep conscious and controlled breathing automatically relaxes the body and puts us in a state of clam. Not only does it oxygenate our cells but it is a natural pain reliever, improves our blood flow, aids in digestion, increases our energy, improves our posture, and even reduces inflammation. Most importantly, deep breathing stimulates the lymphatic system and also helps to detoxify the body.
colonics & enemas
If you are not moving your bowels on a consistent basis, then where is the waste going? We already have enough crap going on in our lives, so we need to make sure you are eliminating waste every single day, better yet, after every meal. If you are having trouble going to the bathroom, focus on foods that are high in water content and fiber. If you are eating healthy, high fiber, plant foods but still not going on a consistent basis, they you may need to resort to herbs or colonics (hydrotherapy) or enemas. As someone who has suffered with chronic constipation her entire life prior to going vegan, hydrotherapy was a god send to me until I figured out that I needed to change my diet completely. These tools should be in every single hospital and urgent care facility because so many people are backed up in their colon. These modalities are not something that should be used every single day, week or even month since we do not want to imbalance our microbiome (gut flora), but they are certainly useful in emergency situations anytime you need a little help, which we all do at times.
After receiving a colonic or enema, be sure to eat probiotic rich foods such as coconut kiefer sauerkraut or take a probiotic supplement temporarily to build up a healthy colony of bacteria in your gut. Most people are dealing with and overgrowth of bad bacteria, even fermentation or Candida. The first steps in fixing any gut issues, you must focus on removing any acidic or irritating foods, replace them with easy to digest, healing, alkaline foods, repair your intestines, and reinoculate your gut’s microflora through a healthy food and a healthy lifestyle.
DRY BRUSHING
Stimulate yourself! Dry brushing helps to stimulate the your blood vessels, the organs, and most importantly, your lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is our bodies great sewer system. When this turns stagnant, dis-ease ensues. Not only does dry brushing help smooth your skin, but increasing the circulation helps you to both feel and look better too.
REBOUND
Playtime is essential at any age! Jumping up and for an extended period of time is not only fun but can also stimulate your lymphatic system. Be careful though. You want to be sure your main elminatative channels are open including getting your kidneys to filter before you do any long, intense rebounding exercises. A couple of minutes per day is all you need to shake up things and get your system moving. Be sure to smile when you jump too :)
EPSOM SALT BATHS
Who doesn’t like to soak in a warm bath of Epsom salts and essential oils? By including Epsom salts in a bath, you can help to reduce inflammation all throughout your body. The anti-inflammatory properties of salt baths have also shown to have positive effects on people suffering from metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes. Below are even more benefits to an Epsom salt bath:
Relieve pain
Soothe irritated skin
Improve your quality of sleep
Relieve cold & flu like symptoms
Reduce your blood pressure
Burn calories through sweat
cold therapy
Have you ever heard of “The Iceman”? Wim Hof has put a number of extraordinary achievements to his name, including 21 Guinness World Records. Extensive training enables him to control his breathing, heart rate, and blood circulation and to withstand extreme temperatures. Listed below are some of his most memorable achievements.
Running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle, barefoot only wearing shorts
Swimming underneath ice for 66 meters
Hanging on one finger at an altitude of 2,000 meters
Climbing the highest mountains in the world while wearing shorts
Running a full marathon in the Namib Desert without drinking
Standing in a container while covered in ice cubes for extended periods of time
Over time, we as humans have developed a different attitude towards nature and we've forgotten about our inner power. This is the ability of our body to adapt to extreme temperature and survive within our natural environment. The Wim Hof Method is based on this principle. Because we wear clothes and artificially control the temperatures at home and at work, we've greatly reduced the natural stimulation of our bodies, atrophying the age-old mechanisms related to our survival and basic function. Because these deeper physiological layers are no longer triggered, our bodies are no longer in touch with this inner power. The inner power is a powerful force that can be reawakened by stimulating these physiological processes through the Wim Hof Method.
sauna/steam rooms
Sweat it out! Heat therapy has been around for thousands of years and can really help kick start your internal detoxification systems. Since our skin is our largest organ, it is essential that we sweat almost daily to release toxic build up within our lymphatic system. Below are a few benefits to saunas. Both dry and infrared can help with detoxification:
Stress reliever
Endorphin booster
Pain reducer
Decreased risk for high blood pressure and heart disease (as long as you don’t over do it)
Softer, smoother, clearer skin
Improved sleep
Decrease in muscle soreness
AFFIRMATIONS
Our spoken word is very powerful and when we affirm something, we cast a spell. Lets talk more about what we want instead of what we fear or what we don’t want. Use the following affirmations to inspire health and healing on a mental and emotional level.
A healthy body and life is my divine right.
I have full control over the health of my body and my entire life.
I give myself full permission to heal.
I now release the pattern responsible for creating my illness.
I am willing to forgive myself and others.
I let go of any perceived pain that I have.
I am willing to see things differently.
I let go of the need to always be right.
I accept the lesson that my pain is offering me.
Out of this situation, only good will come.
i love and approve of myself
www.rawveganginger.com
Affirmative statements that go beyond your current reality into a hopeful future help to manifest a happy and prosperous life similar to planting seeds in fertile soil. It is always important to say affirmations in present tense such as I am or I have then express gratitude and praise for receiving. God/Universe takes your thoughts and words literally to give you exactly what you ask for. This is another reason to always keep a happy and positive mental atmosphere.
The thoughts you think in the words you speak create your entire life. If you are not happy with the outcomes in your life, then simply change your thoughts. What is appending outside of our life is a mirror of our own inner belief system and thinking. Affirmations help you create miracles in your life so be patient with them and most importantly, have fun! First state the affirmation whether silently to yourself or out loud. Bonus points if you say these looking in the mirror!
water fasting
I saved water fasting as the last step because it should always be used as the last resort when detoxifying the body. Someone who is eating a standard American junk food type diet may not benefit jumping right into water fasting as this may shock the body and/or create a serious imbalance. Focus on changing your diet and lifestyle first before attempting fasting or any kind. Not all bodies are healthy enough to fast so it is not a modality to recommend to everyone. A short 24-72 hour fast would be ideal to start out if your health professional clears you to fast. A long extended water fast (anything over 3 days), should be done under the supervision of a professional, in my opinion. To learn more about water fasting and my personal experience with it, check out my blog post here.
a final word
Detoxification is an art. It will always differ for each person based on their current lifestyle and health histories. We all have different sets of goals, priorities, lifestyles, and thought patterns which means we will all achieve different results. My best advice with starting the detoxification process is to always keep it simple. There is no need to jump into extreme protocols in the hopes of rushing the process. You must take your time with it. Follow the pyramid of detoxification below and do not skip any steps. Fasting is not the goal but at the top of the list because the other modalities are recommended first.
When it comes to health and healing, there are no quick fixes. We have to put in the work day in and day out consistently if we want long lasting results. If you are interested in a personalized protocol, please reach out to me to schedule a coaching session. I am living proof that you CAN heal and you CAN achieve the body of your dreams!
