Many people decide to do a detox during the spring months but focusing on what’s going in your body is just as important as what’s going out of your body.
During a spring detox, you will most likely be looking at foods or herbs to help you with your detox. What about the other things that you intake? How about the air you breathe, the liquid you drink, and what you put on your skin?
Quality of Air
Everything that comes into our body we must use or shuttle back out. During a detox (and really all the time) it’s another great opportunity to lessen your exposure to toxic chemicals and freshen your air naturally. We are exposed to many chemicals in our regular environment. Try starting at home by eliminating artificial air fresheners and chemical based cleaners. Try essential oils, home cooking, or good old baking soda to help freshen your air. There are also a multitude of green home cleaning suggestions and recipes you can find online.
More research is being conducted that shows us the connection between air pollution and conditions such as asthma, allergies, and even autism. Invest in a high quality air purifier for your home like Blue Air or IQ Air.
Quality of Liquid
During a detox you should still to liquids such as:
- Purified water (not in small pastic bottles)
- 100% fruit or vegetable juice
- Herbal teas
We know that too much pop and sugary drinks are not very nutritious or good for our health. Give your body a break from the junk and drink clean, pure liquids your body knows how to deal with.
The quality of your water is important too. There are different opinions on which type of water is best.
| City Water | Thoroughly tested and treated however contains things like bromine and chlorine which can cause some issues for some sensitive people. Buy a chlorine shower filter for your shower head. |
| Reverse Osmosis | Nothing is left in the water. Very pure, clean tasting. However, some believe the water is “dead” as nothing is left in it. |
| Bottled water – 500ml etc | Quality of water is questionable as they don’t have as strict standards. Plastic leaching into the water is a toxin for your body – drink water in glass, ceramic or stainless steel. |
| Alkaline water | All toxins have been removed and then it is remineralized for your benefit. Some suggest starting slowly to incorporate this into your diet. |
During your detox I would recommend you stick to reverse osmosis water or alkaline water. See your local water suppliers like Aquamart.
Quality of Food
Eat real food – this is a great mantra for your spring detox. Eat things that have one ingredient in the label. For example: carrots, quinoa, chicken. Avoid things in a box or can or prepared with preservatives or other chemicals. You can season your own food and start from scratch.
Should I go organic?
Every year the Environmental Working Group analyzes the fruits and vegetables available in the grocery store. They rank them from the most contaminated with pesticides to the least contaminated. Here are the top 12 aka “The Dirty Dozen of 2014.”
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Celery
- Peaches
- Spinach
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Nectarines
- Cucumbers
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Snap Peas
- Potatoes
Quality of Skin Care
Your skin absorbs the things you put on it. For a true detox, try to limit the products you use on a daily basis. Look at your moisturizers, makeup, shaving cream etc. Women put a multitude of products on our skin, hair, face and nails every day. Take an inventory of the number of products you use and you might be surprised the actual number and the ingredient lists on those containers.
For your detox try to limit what you normally use. Try coconut oil in your hair as a smooth finisher after blow-drying. How about olive oil, coconut oil or almond oil on your skin? If you can eat it, you can also put it on your skin. My personal favourite moisturizer is by Kiss My Face, which you can find at the health food store or in the health food section at big grocery stores.
So, when does your detox start?
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