It’s the beginning of a brand new year so, it’s a great time to talk about a little spring cleaning for your body, or DETOX.
I went online to see what the current trend is with this and was shocked, amazed and angered at what I saw. There is certainly no shortage of ways, methods, programs and suggestions on how to do this thing called DETOX. I saw everything from 3 day packets with 18 drinks for a mere $114 to 2 week in patient detox programs costing in the hundreds.
One of my pet peeves with natural medicine and methodologies is too many people have the almighty dollar as the main motivation for their assistance. I sincerely want people to get better and so many of you out there are making it almost impossible! So please STOP IT! It doesn’t have to be this difficult!
Our bodies are Fearfully & Wonderfully Made, and given the right ingredients, know exactly what to do to achieve homeostasis or balance.
It doesn’t take magic potions, or formulas you can only get for hundreds of dollars or your first born male child. I truly believe that more people would embrace the natural lifestyle if we didn’t try to make it so hard. Yes, there are times when a special formula or product might be needed. But most of the time, we can help our bodies gently. But just adding a few healthy additions to our foods.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, you ARE what you EAT. And diet is one of the most critical, yet easiest way to effect real change in your health. I shared information on fasting with you a couple of weeks ago. Now I’m going to share some ingredients you can add to your everyday life that will help your body to process and detox.
First on the list is turmeric. Now, if you are a hot constitution, you probably want to avoid this one because it won’t work well with your body. If you don’t know or if you are a cold constitution, give it a shot. Add it to your food. Learn about curry and use turmeric in your cooking. Be sure to add black pepper to the recipe. It activates turmeric. If turmeric is the bullet, black pepper is the trigger, so remember to add it to your spices. Make a nice curry chicken salad, or curry beef for dinner!
Next is garlic. Garlic is a mainstay at my house, and I think I must use it in everything except my homemade granola. There are so many benefits to garlic that will keep you healthy, but just adding a little to your hamburger or chicken, spaghetti sauce, salads, the possibilities are endless. It doesn’t have to be a lot; it just has to be consistent.
Lemon. I don’t like sour things, but I know they are good for me, so I include them whenever I can. Instead of plain water with your meal, ask for water with lemon, hot or cold. Squeeze it into the water and drink it down. Of course, we all know how well lemon goes with fish, but I also use it in sauces with chicken.
Leafy Greens. We have all heard how important these are, so I don’t need to preach on that. Make sure they are as fresh as you can get and if organic is affordable, go that route! So many vitamins and minerals. Salads, stir Frys, quiche, sauces. You can always put a handful of spinach in there. Or in your morning smoothy. Again, consistency is better than one large bowl once a week.
Ginger. This is best fresh, but if you don’t have fresh, use what you have. In teas, oatmeal, cereals, pancakes, Asian cooking, rice – again, no limit! See how creative you can be.
Green Tea. Again, lots of well-known benefits from drinking green tea. Try to substitute one drink a day with Green tea. You can have it hot or cold and add a little honey if you like it sweet.
Beets. I just love these and several of my friends always have pickled beets on the table when they invite us for dinner. Hubby hates them, but they are great in salads, in ferments, as a Kvass. Use them as much as you can, especially in winter, as they are a root crop and a good choice during the cold months.
Avocados. OK, I know people have a love/hate relationship with avocados and they are expensive because we can’t grow them up here. I love mine raw with a little salt. An excellent, healthy fat source for you. And you simply cannot have Mexican food without guacamole! On salads, in smoothies, in sauces to thicken them. Go wild!
Apples. One a day keeps the doctor away. Full of fiber and vitamins. Great for your gut and a great alternative to sweet snacks. Have some with a nice nut butter like cashew or almond. You don’t need sugar. They are wonderful sauteed in a little butter with cinnamon and cloves. Makes a nice warm dessert and they are available year round, so take advantage of this tasty treat.
Lastly are cruciferous veggies. These would be your broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts. Use them in ferments, kraut, salads, with homemade ranch dressing as a crunchy snack. Cole slaw, of course, stir Frys, soups. There is a way to have these every day in some form or fashion.
Now you don’t have to use all of these, but incorporating some of them into your daily routines will go a long way to getting you healthy and helping your body naturally detox. You can DO THIS! Let’s GET BETTER!
Don't forget to pick up your Fresh Start Pak to start the New Year right! Also, Try our new Shower Steamers!
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