Spring is a good time of the year to try a detox.  Reducing your toxic load is a beneficial to long term health.  Our digestive systems spend much of our energy digesting our food.  Eating simple foods for a few days can give the body a chance to unload any toxic waste that the body has taken in.   These can include pesticides, heavy metals, chemicals from cleaning products, air pollution, plastics, medication.  We can breathe these in, take them in eating food, through our skin and dental work, surgical procedures, anaesthetics, vaccines etc. We live in a world which bombards us with toxins, often without us being aware.

Preparing for the detox is important, cutting down on caffeine and sugar before you start.  Then, cut out all processed and convenience foods, alcohol, caffeinated drinks, sugar, meat, wheat and dairy.  Ten days of eating vegetables and fruit, a little vegetable protein, such as pulses and tofu will give the digestive system a break from stimulants and highly processed foods.  Juicing has become a widely publicised health promoter. Juicing vegetables three times a day during detoxing can help us attain the high levels of antioxidants and nutrients our bodies need to help our liver process the toxins as they leave the tissues and enter the blood. You may feel flu like symptoms during the first few days of detoxing. This is normal as the body adjusts to sugar and caffeine withdrawal.  Drinking 8 glasses of filtered water and herbal teas can also enable the liver to process any unpleasant symptoms.  After a few days your energy should return and you should feel revitalised.

JUICING

CARROT

If you are new to juicing and have bought a juicer, try this recipe.  it is a simple and sweet drink.

4 carrots, 1 apple and 1inch ginger (optional)

GREEN

1/2 Romaine lettuce, 1 apple, 2 celery stalks, 3 inches cucumber

No juicer?  but have a nutri bullet or similar? try:

a cup of spinach, 1 1/2 inch of pineapple ring, 1/2 avocado and filtered water or coconut milk to dilute