It's January, which means it's time to start cleansing our bodies of all the 'bad stuff' that we consumed over the past couple months.
While I would love nothing more than to throw my body into a green-juice fast, as juicing can be an exhilarating and rewarding experience, I prefer to avoid liquid diets during the cold winter months. Plus, because it's post-holiday season, I don't typically have the budget for juicing. I do like to include fresh-pressed juice in my diet whenever possible, but I'd like to share with you some other more cost-effective and cold-weather-friendly methods I've discovered:
1. Warm water with freshly-squeezed lemon juice first thing in the morning: This does wonders for jump starting the detoxification process. For just the cost of a quarter of a lemon a day, (say 10 cents?) you can feel amazing in just a matter of minutes, so plan accordingly.
*One more thing: make sure your water isn't too hot, as heat can, and does, destroy Vitamin C, and if I were you, I'd want to get the most out of every drop of that lemon...
2. Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with water and honey: I prefer to use room-temperature water whenever possible. It's easier for your body to absorb, and keeps you from getting too chilled during the winter months. I add about 1 ounce of apple cider vinegar to 8 ounces of water. Grab a spoonful of your favorite raw honey and either mix with the liquid or take a bit of honey on your tongue before drinking the concoction. It can get bitter, and depending on your taste buds, you may opt for more or less honey. I prefer to take this with Bragg Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar at night right before I go to bed, because it always makes me want to sleep. Not sure why, but I wake up feeling amazing!
3. Dandelion and Nettle Leaf tea. Dandelion Root tea apparently does wonders at cleansing the liver, and I absolutely love its nutty taste and aromas. I prefer the Traditional Medicinals brand, and I drink it so fast that I usually run out before I can say 'dandelion'! In addition to this detoxification tea, I like to include Nettle Leaf tea, also by Traditional Medicinals. One thing to be aware with Nettle, is that some people suffer from allergic reactions to it, so please take caution, but if you can consume it, it's a definite must-have. You'll be surprised at how well it does at cleaning you out. (Man, this is quite the blog topic, eh?). I prefer to take Nettle in the morning, and Dandelion in the evening. If neither of those are appealing to you, their other Detox teas are also excellent!
*Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/479085-is-dandelion-root-good-for-the-liver/
4. Water: We've all heard time and time again that we need at least 8 glasses of water a day, right? Well, I don't know if you've actually tried it, but I challenge myself from time to time, and it's not as easy as it sounds. But let me tell you, you'll end the day feeling amazing. Yes, you'll probably go to the bathroom a million times that day, but if you're like me, you'll feel way more hydrated (obvious, I know...), cleansed, rejuvenated, recharged, and more focused than if you had opted out of the challenge. But again, make sure the water is at least room temperature, so it's more easily absorbed by the body. Plus, it will keep you from getting too cold!
I also sometimes like to add a spoonful of crystalized Vitamin C (I get mine from Trader Joe's) to my water for an energy or immunity boost.
5. Sleep: There's nothing quite like a good night's sleep to help your body detox, recharge, regenerate cells, etc. So be sure to get plenty. It's my first and foremost goal when it comes to maintaining my health. My body can't do much of anything if it's sleep deprived, regardless of how much healthy food I eat or how hard I exercise. And what's better than staying in bed in winter? Really?
So these are some of my favorite (and more cost effective) ways of detoxing. What are some of your favorites?
Happy cleansing!
-Sam
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