So sorry for the hiatus in my posts! I am just back from vacationing in Florida where the weather was a balmy 80 degrees (more or less) every day and absolutely perfect! We had such a fun trip, exploring the beaches, restaurants, and local parks. We saw tons of wild life including SO many gorgeous birds. We watched the sun set into the Gulf of Mexico to the sounds of Native American flute music played on the beach. We walked and swam and canoed and hiked and then walked some more. But we also ate out. A lot! And you might be able to guess what this means...
Yes. I did gain a few pounds. You might think with all that moving around I would be able to relax about my diet. But you would be wrong! I ate grains which always means instant weight gain for me.
So now that I am home again, I am starting a spring cleansing regimen. I have written previous posts about The Detox Diet and specific foods which are great for detoxifying your system. I am not going to repeat myself (I hope!) so if you want that list of foods, please see my post called Detoxifying.
Here's how I plan to do my cleansing:
1) Drink LOTS of water! Water flushes out all the impurities through your skin (when you sweat) and through your digestive system. How much is lots? At least 3 liters per day. If you are a large person, exercising a lot, or in a hot, dry environment, a full gallon will not be too much. I realize you will be peeing constantly. This is exactly what you want. Let it flow!
2) Sweat it out! Move the body! Whatever kind of movement calls to you is fine. This morning, I began with a brisk 45 minute walk with our dogs. Then I did an hour of Zumba to practice for my upcoming classes. I will soon take a hot bath to induce more sweating. Can you sweat too much? Of course! I have only run into trouble in the summer, on a day over 100 degrees, after running 10 miles. That day I was saved by drinking Gatorade in a cold bath. Please do use your common sense (unlike me!) and replace minerals lost through excessive sweating along with your water.
3) Consume mostly fruit and veggies. I am drinking a strawberry/orange/Greek yogurt shake with chia seeds in it as I type this. All fresh fruits and veggies contain fiber. This is such an important factor in cleansing. Some people might want to avoid dairy while cleansing. I believe the probiotics in yogurt and kefir are worth keeping as part of my cleansing regimen.
4) Scrub the skin! You can use a loofah or a natural fiber brush. Either in the shower or bath, give yourself a good scrubbing all over the body. The bottoms of the feet are particularly important. The skin is a major organ for detoxifying so you want to remove all the old, dead skin cells, dirt, oil, and anything clogging up your pores. You can make a sugar scrub (great use for that white sugar just sitting around in your cabinet since you are no longer eating it!) with a half cup of white sugar and a tablespoon of olive oil. You can use almond, sesame, or peanut oil, also. Rub the paste anywhere, allow it to sit for a few minutes, and then rinse with warm water. If you want to make it smell lovely, you can add just a drop of lavender (or your favorite) essential oil.
5) Rest. Take a nap or practice yoga. Sit and meditate for ten minutes. Take some time to allow your system to calm down and come into balance. Alternate nostril breathing is great for calming and balancing the two halves to the brain. Cover one nostril and inhale through that side. Switch sides and exhale. Then inhale through that nostril, switch sides to exhale. You get the idea? Don't worry about doing it perfectly. Just get into a rhythm and enjoy the peace and tranquility you create.
I wish you a very restful and relaxing day of cleansing. Peace!
Yes. I did gain a few pounds. You might think with all that moving around I would be able to relax about my diet. But you would be wrong! I ate grains which always means instant weight gain for me.
So now that I am home again, I am starting a spring cleansing regimen. I have written previous posts about The Detox Diet and specific foods which are great for detoxifying your system. I am not going to repeat myself (I hope!) so if you want that list of foods, please see my post called Detoxifying.
Here's how I plan to do my cleansing:
1) Drink LOTS of water! Water flushes out all the impurities through your skin (when you sweat) and through your digestive system. How much is lots? At least 3 liters per day. If you are a large person, exercising a lot, or in a hot, dry environment, a full gallon will not be too much. I realize you will be peeing constantly. This is exactly what you want. Let it flow!
2) Sweat it out! Move the body! Whatever kind of movement calls to you is fine. This morning, I began with a brisk 45 minute walk with our dogs. Then I did an hour of Zumba to practice for my upcoming classes. I will soon take a hot bath to induce more sweating. Can you sweat too much? Of course! I have only run into trouble in the summer, on a day over 100 degrees, after running 10 miles. That day I was saved by drinking Gatorade in a cold bath. Please do use your common sense (unlike me!) and replace minerals lost through excessive sweating along with your water.
3) Consume mostly fruit and veggies. I am drinking a strawberry/orange/Greek yogurt shake with chia seeds in it as I type this. All fresh fruits and veggies contain fiber. This is such an important factor in cleansing. Some people might want to avoid dairy while cleansing. I believe the probiotics in yogurt and kefir are worth keeping as part of my cleansing regimen.
4) Scrub the skin! You can use a loofah or a natural fiber brush. Either in the shower or bath, give yourself a good scrubbing all over the body. The bottoms of the feet are particularly important. The skin is a major organ for detoxifying so you want to remove all the old, dead skin cells, dirt, oil, and anything clogging up your pores. You can make a sugar scrub (great use for that white sugar just sitting around in your cabinet since you are no longer eating it!) with a half cup of white sugar and a tablespoon of olive oil. You can use almond, sesame, or peanut oil, also. Rub the paste anywhere, allow it to sit for a few minutes, and then rinse with warm water. If you want to make it smell lovely, you can add just a drop of lavender (or your favorite) essential oil.
5) Rest. Take a nap or practice yoga. Sit and meditate for ten minutes. Take some time to allow your system to calm down and come into balance. Alternate nostril breathing is great for calming and balancing the two halves to the brain. Cover one nostril and inhale through that side. Switch sides and exhale. Then inhale through that nostril, switch sides to exhale. You get the idea? Don't worry about doing it perfectly. Just get into a rhythm and enjoy the peace and tranquility you create.
I wish you a very restful and relaxing day of cleansing. Peace!
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