Photo by Wesual Click on Unsplash
January 2019 is now in double digits, and for some of us, our indulgences over the holiday season are staring back at us in the mirror and the scale. Clothes aren’t fitting quite as we’d like them to, and the figures on the scale leave us a bit despondent. What to do? Sigh.
We’d like to move through 2019 feeling better, lighter, less weighed down–physically, mentally, and emotionally. A new lease on life, so to speak. Perhaps a short detox might be a first step to fulfilling that intention to be healthier and happier in 2019?
Why a short detox matters
The first question I get from detox skeptics is: why do I need to detox? My answer: we all need to detox.
Think about it: our organs of elimination–liver, lungs, skin, and kidneys, better known as the body’s Clean-Up Crew– are overwhelmed daily in this increasingly toxic world as they attempt to keep our bodies clean. They’re hard at work, helping us get rid of all the chemicals, colorants, trans fats, fake sweeteners, pesticides, fungicides, air pollution, water pollution, and other environmental toxins we take in daily. It’s a wonder that we are still standing! We don’t always recognize the effects of these toxins, but they’re there and are weakening all of our body’s systems. We’ve got to do something to give our bodies a break!
A short-term detox is an opportunity for your body to get a break from the onslaught of toxins that besiege us and haven’t all been effectively eliminated. Some, actually, have been stored in our bodies for quite a while, wrapped in mucus and fat and adding to a toxic load that leads to all sorts of chronic illnesses. So, giving the body a few days to release toxins from the bloodstream and expel them from the body is a timely and well needed choice.
What a well-crafted short detox can provide
Ask most folks whether they eat healthily and they’ll tell you that they definitely do. Ask them whether they need help with detoxing and they’ll let you know that they can do their detoxing very well on their own, thank you very much. 😉 But a short detox, when done correctly, can reveal a lot to us that we might not easily discover by ourselves.
By using recipes that focus on whole, nutrient rich, unprocessed foods, you remove potential trigger foods that might be creating food intolerances or sensitivities that you might not even be aware of. Feeling better when those foods are eliminated during the detox is a huge win that you can continue to enjoy for the rest of your life as you adjust your food choices.
Being able to follow a proven protocol that will get you results makes it easier to enjoy healthy meals that focus on whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and lean protein. Having the necessary tools at your disposal ensures success and less hassle during your detox. It also makes it easier to make informed choices when you grocery shop for the detox.
Receiving support throughout the detox–whether you have questions about supplements or ingredients, want to tweak recipes, or need the connection that comes with being part of a community of detoxers seeking similar results–keeps you from being a lone detox ranger. In other words, you should never have to go it alone on a detox.
When a detox encompasses not just the physical or food component, but adds in the self-care component, your mental and emotional health are in for a well-deserved boost. Slowing down your mental and emotional pace while your body is resetting is a golden opportunity–especially at the start of the year–to evaluate how you want to show up for the rest of of the year, health- and wellness-wise.
The wins you’ll experience with a short detox
Although many people see a detox as a sure-fire way to lose weight–always a laudable goal–a short detox is a nimble tool to jump-start your health and usher in many other positive wellness changes. Among many other benefits, you will:
- Recognize how much better you feel when you eliminate certain trigger foods.
- Savor the victory of releasing yourself from limiting beliefs about which foods you can’t do without. Think about how many people swear that they cannot live without coffee and/or sugar!
- Lose weight… for good. I’ve had clients lose anywhere from 2-10 lbs during a 5-day detox, using very simple detox principles, and keep it off.
- Sleep better. Many of my clients have said that doing a short detox has led to an improvement in their sleep that they haven’t experienced in years.
- Gain a lot of energy. Which woman in mid-life can claim to have enough energy to be able to go to work, work out, make dinner, play with the kids, and then still have time for themselves at the end of the evening? A well-structured short detox can be the perfect tool to bring your energy back.
- Understand the toxic load that we all carry and enjoy how it feels when we’re free of that burden.
- Admit that eating whole foods with no preservatives is doable, can taste fantastic, and doesn’t have to take forever to prepare.
Have you tried a short detox before? What sorts of results did you experience?
Ready to see what a short detox can do for you? Just a few days remain before the 5-Day Detox for Beginners gets started. Click here for more details and to register.
I just finished a ten day reboot – similar to a detox. Whole foods, no added sugar at all, and lots of fruits and vegetables. It really does help me refocus, and you are right about the energy!
Sounds like you had a good reboot, Dana. Being refocused and full of energy are two good takeaways from a detox, so you definitely reaped the benefits of your reboot.