In this article we offer you a low strength weekend detox that you can try for yourself. It is a great introduction into what a detox entails and it will leave you feeling more energised and alive! This detox could also be used once a month to give your system a break from its normal routine.
When undertake a detox you can experience some side effects such as mood swings, flu like symptoms and headaches. If you do experience any of these, just remember that they are a healthy sign that the detoxification process is working and they will soon pass....
Try not to use any medications to combat the side effects and just let them take their course. Drinking lots of bottled water will help speed up the process of flushing the toxins out. Wrap yourself up, take plenty of soothing baths or showers, rest and relax with a favourite book or film.
In the week leading up to the detox:
Start cutting back on caffeine drinks, alcohol, fizzy drinks, all dairy products, sugar, meat, fish, eggs, ready made meals, all wheat products, fried food, margarine and salt. Buy all the food products and fruit and vegetables that you will be using for the weekend (see later paragraphs).
Prepare your collection of magazines, books, CD's and films that you will be treating yourself to. Most importantly prepare yourself mentally so that you know that this is 'your' weekend, for you to chill out without any distractions (if possible!) from kids, husbands/wives and friends.
Friday night:
Eat a light meal, such as a salad, a bowl of soup or some lightly steamed vegetables. Avoid bread, caffeine and alcohol, as these will add extra stress to your body. Take some psyllium capsules or linseeds to help the bowels eliminate the toxins that will be released. A face and neck massage will remove any stored tension and help you to get a good nights sleep. Go to bed early.
Day 1 (Saturday):
Wake up slowly knowing that today is your day. Make yourself a hot lemon drink by adding hot water to the freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 a lemon. Sip slowly and imagine it cleansing and clearing as it goes. Lemons are a great detox ingredient as they cleanse the liver and help flush toxins from the body with their diuretic properties. They also help balance stomach acids. Start your day by brushing your skin to remove surface skin cells and follow this with a shower or bath.
Breakfast. A large bowl of fruit is a healthy way to kick start the day. Fruit is easy to digest and will give the liver a boost. Try a variety of chopped fruits and add a handful of pumpkin, sunflower and/or flaxseeds to add interest and crunch. These supply a boost of essential fatty acids.
Snack time should consist of fruit or nuts (raw and unsalted!).
Lunch time. This should be a large salad with a variety of different leaves to add different flavours. You can add any of the following to the salad: alfalfa sprouts, avocado, bean sprouts, carrots, celery, chickpea sprouts, courgette, watercress, cucumber, lentil sprouts, mustard sprouts, radish, peppers (red, green and yellow), spring onions and tomatoes. Nuts and/or seeds can be used for added interest, as could fresh herbs (basil, chervil, chives, coriander, mint and parsley).
Evening meal. Lightly steam vegetables of your choice, drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle on some fresh herbs. Choose a variety of vegetables such as broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, courgette, leek, runner beans, spinach, spring greens and sugar snap peas.
In between meals. Herbal tea or water should be drunk to help flush toxins from the body. Below is a guide to how you could fill your day:
8am: Wake up and sip your hot lemon and water drink.
8.15am: Dry brush your body, followed by a shower or bath.
9am: Eat a large bowl of fruit for breakfast.
9.30am: Use one of our facial treats *.
10.30am:Relaxation time. Grab a good book or magazine and just chill out.
1pm: Salad lunch.
2-4pm: Take some exercise. Try doing a DVD yoga workout or go for a walk.
4.30pm: Treat your hands to some TLC! Why not try one of our manicure and hand massages *.
6pm: Lightly steam vegetables of your choice for your evening meal.
7.30pm: Try some meditation.
8.30pm: Wind down your first day by treating yourself to a bath and one of our body scrubs *.
Day 2 (Sunday):
Make yourself a hot lemon drink. Sip slowly and again imagine it cleansing and clearing as it goes. You have made it through day one and there is only one day to go. Brush your skin again to remove surface skin cells and follow it by a shower or bath to remove any toxins that may have been sweated out over night.
Breakfast. A large bowl of fruit or you could make a fruit smoothie. A smoothie consists of adding fruit of your choice to ½ litre of Soya milk and blending it. Good choices would be apricots, bananas, blueberries, loganberries, nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries and strawberries.
Snack time. Should consist of fruit or nuts (raw and unsalted!).
Lunch time. Again a large salad but use a different combination of ingredients to yesterday.
Evening meal. Lightly steam vegetables of your choice, drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle on some fresh herbs. Choose different vegetables to yesterday.
Between meals. Keep those fluids going to flush out toxins.
A suggested schedule looks like this:
8am: Wake up and sip your hot lemon and water drink.
8.15am: Dry brush your body and follow this with a shower or bath.
9am: Eat a large bowl of fruit or have a fruit smoothie for breakfast.
9.30am: Use one of our hair treats *, such as the lemon hair de-gunker followed by hair food.
10.30am:Alternate nostril breathing *.
1pm: A salad lunch.
2-4pm: Take some exercise and do some light stretching.
4.30pm: Treat your feet to some TLC! Try one of our foot scrubs, a pedicure and foot massage*.
6pm: Lightly steam vegetables of your choice for your evening meal.
7.30pm: Meditation.
8.30pm: Wind down your second day by treating yourself to an oatmeal bath *.
Day 3: (Monday, ending your weekend detox):
Resist the temptation to grab a coffee, a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine! You have just cleaned out some of your toxins and you should be feeling better so don't go and spoil it all by overloading your system as it recovers. Take fruit again for breakfast but add a slice of wholemeal bread if you need something more. Take a light lunch, such as a salad and jacket potato. For the evening meal stir fry some vegetables with rice or couscous. Continue with herbal teas and plenty of water.
And that is all that is involved in a basic low strength detox!
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