Detox your body, detox your mind
We all feel amazing when our body feels good, our skin is bright and our mind is clear, don’t we?
The 21st century lifestyle unfortunately isn’t the best for our body or our minds though, and so we can often feel tired or sluggish, lacking energy or often get sick. With screen time on the up, takeaway food at the click of a button, lockdowns keeping us at home and fresh air limited, many of us may be feeling under stress or off kilter, which in turn can limit our body’s performance, making us feel worse – it’s a cycle.
The body was designed to be the perfect machine, cleverly ridding itself of toxins, healing and replenishing, however, an increase in preservatives in our food, negative thoughts, stress, lack of exercise and chemicals found in the environment can slow down the body’s natural cleansing process, making our filtering system sluggish which has a detrimental effect on not only our body, but our mind too.
A great way to keep your body healthy is by regularly detoxing. Although, when you hear the word ‘detox’, you may not be entirely sure what is meant by it, so I’ll explain…
We detoxify continuously throughout life, processing food, thoughts, and all sorts of energy. When that flow is continuous and clear, we feel steady and flexible – strong. The trouble is, we actually tend to accumulate more than we can process through, which weighs us down under the ash of slow metabolism and stuck negative emotions.
With this in mind, we sometimes need to give things a little push, systematically moving the energy in our body and mind to help us stay light and revitalised. Detoxes are a wonderful way of helping our body remove all the bad stuff, that has been accumulating over time. Not only will this have physical benefits, but mental and emotional ones too. This is why I personally like to detox at least three times a year, as a way to cleanse and kickstart my whole system. On some months I even like to set aside one da a week for liquids only – in this way my stomach has time to reset itself on a more regular basis.
Some people opt for a “liquid only” cleanse, whereby you don’t consume any solid food – only having liquid forms such as soups, smoothies, green juices and so on. Consuming only liquid food for a few days can be especially beneficial, as it also gives our digestive system a break, allowing it to focus on what I refer to as “maintenance work” to restore our gut health and remove any sticky mucus caused by animal products and processed food in our digestive tract.
Another great way of resetting your body and mind is by simply taking a break from any processed foods, refined sugars, caffeine, alcohol, gluten and animal products. Scaling our diet right back to simple form of fresh fruit and vegetables, pulses and so on. This too will help give your digestive system a break and balancing the alkalinity in your body.
Some scientists stipulate that an alkaline body is a stronger one, because an alkaline ecosystem makes it less attractive for viruses to survive, meaning you’ll get sick less often. But science is still debating heavily on this point. Personally, it agrees very well with my body – be your own scientist and try and see how it feels for you. Don’t rely only on what the new trends tells you or whatever new diet is in fashion, try it out for yourself, as you know your body best.
Personally, I like to think of a detox as a spring cleaning for the body, removing all the unwanted toxins, so you feel good, look radiant, and have a clearer mind too!
Planning for a successful detox
I would never recommend going on a cleanse when you feel out of balance or depleted, as a detox requires commitment and strong willpower. It can take a bit of a toll on your mental state at the time, so you want to be feeling strong when you start one. If your body is under any stress it’s probably not the right time, and you’ll likely struggle to commit to it fully. A detox is a form of prevention, rather than treatment.
“Key in following through with a detox – Prepare your kitchen for success”
– Sandra VOZ
The best way to approach a detox is to prepare your kitchen in advance. Take out any foods that are not part of your detox ie. sweets, bread, animal products, caffeinated drinks, pasta, alcohol and so on, and replace them with healthy alternatives such as nuts and seeds, dried fruits, pulses, green leaf vegetables, fruits and legumes.
On Sundays I like to batch cook a soup, prepare a few healthy snacks, toast some nuts and seeds, oven roast some veggies, prepare a big jug of my favourite dressing, make the base for a salad, and even make a gluten-free pie, so that I can store everything in Tupperware.
This way, I can easily create a delightful dish with the already prepared ingredients in no time at all. It is so difficult having to create every meal from scratch during the week, because most of us are juggling both family and work life. Preparing a selection of recipes all in one go allows me to mix and match throughout the week as the mood takes me – making it easier to not be tempted by unhealthy options! It is so disempowering breaking a pledge to oneself – so prepare your kitchen for success, it’ll make all the difference. I promise!
Going on a detox really is the perfect kickstart to bring your body and mind into your optimal self. If you’d like to try one, I host regular wellness events throughout the year, where I teach new self-loving and healthy habits, including detoxes. See my upcoming events here.