The Daily Detox

Are you ready for a detox? Try incorporating these 7 habits into your daily routine.

(1) DRINK

Make water your new best friend! Carry a 1L water bottle around with you so that you can stay hydrated throughout the day. Drinking consistently throughout the day decreases your snacking and helps promote healthy weight loss.

(2) SWEAT

Sweating is one of the ways the body is able to eliminate stored toxins within it. Hot yoga and infrared saunas are two methods of sweating that encourage gentle healing within the body through detoxification.

(3) HOT LEMON WATER + CAYENNE

Start your day off right! Do this first thing in the morning before you eat – squeeze 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a 250 mL cup of hot water. Add in a pinch of cayenne to stimulate the digestive system and prepare if for healthy digestion during the day. The alkalizing properties of warm lemon water help reduce toxins from the body and fight inflammation.

(4) EAT WHOLE FOODS

Load your plate with colorful foods! Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants and provide healthy nutrients for the body. Cooked vegetables are easier for the body to digest and allow for proper nutrient absorption and easier passing of stools. Kale, swiss chard, spinach, arugula, parsley, berries, apples and pears are among the best foods to consume.

(5) RESTRICT SUGAR CONSUMPTION

Beware of sugar! Sugar is hidden in many processed foods and has been found to trigger inflammation within the body. 1 teaspoon of sugar can drop immune function for over 2 hours. Save your sweet tooth cravings for special occasion ONLY and do not consume on a regular basis.

(6) SLEEP

Quality over quantity! Not everyone needs 8 hours of sleep. Ideally we want to decrease the shallower and less restorative, light sleep and increase the amount of deep sleep. Find the average amount of actual sleep per night you get by using a Sleep Diary. This way you can optimize your time spent in bed and decrease the time spent worrying about sleep so that you have more energy during the day. The key to good quality rest is practicing proper sleep hygiene routines. That includes no screens in the bedroom (TVs, cell phones, laptops, iPad’s), avoid napping during the day, reduce clock fixation (remove clocks from the bedroom if need be) and focus on a consistent sleep-wake cycle.

(7) CONTRAST SHOWERS

Improves circulation, relieves pain, increases energy! Alternating hot and cold showers increases the rate of detoxification and moves nutrients around the body. Slowly increase the temperature to a point where it is barely maintainable. Then turn the water temperature down to the coldest tolerable setting. This should be done at a hot/cold ratio of 3:1. Repeat this procedure 3-5 times for the most effective results. Always finish with cold!