What Will a Detox Do for My Skin?
A detox will make your skin clearer and it will help to manage any skin concerns or problems that you have. Think of it as a reset button for your skin.
We get it, the idea of a detox sounds daunting. That’s why we're here to help. Before we get into the detail of how to carry out a detox, let's take a step back and look what a detox is and why it can be beneficial.
Why Should I Do a Detox?
With today's lifestyle, industrial food, little time to eat in peace and relax, too much animal protein, alcohol, coffee, stress and much more, our organs are overloaded with all these toxic substances and they are not able to eliminate them physiologically.
In such cases, we can experience symptoms such as skin blemishes like acne and pimples, increased sweating, increased deposits of waste in the form of cellulite and adiposity, diarrhoea, vomiting, persistent coughing are often the means by which the body tries to rid itself of toxins. The accumulation of toxins and the beginning of inflammation of the mucous membranes of our organs is the cause of the slowdown of normal biochemical processes.
What is a Detox?
The word “detox” is short for detoxification and is often used incorrectly to advertise products, methods or habits that in truth, have little in common with an actual detox.
A true detox involves dissolving organic waste and releasing it and expelling toxins and excess acids from your body. A complete detox should last two weeks - a pre detox week and a detox week - in order to heal and rebalance your body.
After detox week, following the simple alkaline lifestyle principles will help you carry on the good work and you’ll never feel like you’re restricting your diet or your enjoyment of life.
In the first seven days, you’ll be transforming your energy levels, health and vitality with very little work or effort. This will set you in good stead for detox week.
Most of us live very busy, modern lifestyles that take up most of our days, so we know it isn’t always easy to find time for ourselves. But now is the time for us to help you manage your body and your health.
During our pre detox and detox weeks, you’ll be feeding your system with high-quality alkaline, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods that from day one will be healing, repairing and balancing your organs.
How Often Should I Do a Detox?
We should repeat the detox if possible 4 times a year as biochemical formula says that we should have detox in the following time proportion 10% of our age, which is really a lot, but if we do 4 times a year for 3 weeks ( pre detox, detox, post detox week) will be still enough to clean our body, and keep it in balance, that we are full of energy, feeling good and have clean skin.
Pre Detox Week
During the pre detox week, the focus should be on adding new foods and concepts into your diet. This will include:
- A balance of 80% alkaline-forming foods and 20% acid-forming
- On a normal day, you should drink 8 glasses of water, but during a detox you should be drinking 3 litres, so this week, begin introducing more water each day
- 4-5 servings of green leafy vegetables per day
- Starting each day with a green juice
- Adding a green salad to each lunch and dinner
- Consuming ginger and turmeric each day, which form part of the recipes you’ll be provided with
- Reducing sugar*
- Reducing gluten*
- Reducing coffee*
- Reducing alcohol*
*you should aim to reduce all of these as much as possible, before giving them up completely in the detox week
Portion size-wise, you can eat the quantity of each meal that you need - you shouldn’t feel hungry and you shouldn’t have cravings. You’ll just feel better, with a positive, clear mind ready for detox week.
Before you start, here are our tips on achieving a successful detox:
- Remove all non-detox food from sight (or your house) prior to starting to avoid temptation
- Have your pre detox and detox food ready so that you don’t waste time or miss out on anything
- Don’t skip the pre detox week, as this is designed to make detox week simpler
- Make a full and proper shopping list for all that you’ll need
- Go to bed having looked at your next day knowing what you’re going to be eating
- Never start a detox (or pre detox) on a Monday as this is the most chaotic day of the week - start on a Saturday instead
Changes aren’t always easy but now is your time!
Detox Week
A detox is often misunderstood - a detox eliminates toxins but it’s also nourishing. It isn’t a time of starvation, in fact, you shouldn’t feel hungry at all. Instead, a detox works in collaboration with the body - and since the body will be filled with beneficial nutrients, it won’t ask for more by signalling hunger cues to you.
An effective detox week should have the following elements:
- Have a meal plan that contains teas, vegetable juices, smoothies and soups, that have variety of flavours, nutrients and are easy to prepare.
- Include breakfast (upon waking, pre breakfast and breakfast), lunch, dinner, and 2 snacks.
- Avoid all acid-forming foods such as meats, fish and dairy and should be drinking 3-4 litres of water a day to help flush all toxins away.
- Choosing organic vegetables and other foods will mean that you need to take fewer supplements, but during a detox, you should take a probiotic and an omega 3 supplement.
- Eat the quantity that your body asks for, never feel hungry, as when you feel hungry means that your body asks you for more nutrients.
- Live without feeling you are on a diet, you need to live a balanced life full of fun, vitality, lots of energy, mental clarity, good mood, and feel confident and great about yourself and what you are doing
- Start loving yourself, as this is the longest relationship you have in your life ...with yourself, now is your time to start feeling good and looking after your health...take action today.
Embarking on a detox should feel like you’re living a balanced life, full of fun and energy, without feeling like you’re on a diet. You’ll have good mental clarity and a positive mood and mindset. What’s more, you’ll feel confident and good about yourself.
After Detox Week
Once you’ve completed your Detox week, your body is reset and you can start the after detox week before you proceed with your alkaline lifestyle.
Your body should feel rebalanced and full of energy, all organs are vibrant and working well, so the energy that was being used to metabolize all acidic toxins and regulate pH can now be used for you, for your good looking skin, mental focus, good mood and much more
This week you should continue consuming teas, juices, smoothies and soup, and start to introduce the other food by your choice. It is important to:
- Keep 80% of alkaline food and 20 % of acidic food
- Keep daily habits
Your health and quality of life is based on your habits, which can be good and bad. If you do something regularly enough it will be come a habit which become effortless to continue doing.
Positive habits to insert in your life are:
- Drink a daily vegetable juice or smoothie
- Water hydration 3/4 lit. digestive problems, mental fog
- Fats and oils. 3 tbsp omega 3 that fuel for body, and especially the skin , nuts and seeds, olive oil, flax oil
- Activity ( any type of activity) , it is important to move limf, gets heart rate down, strengthen the muscle and bones, raise metabolism, and clear out toxins
Prepare Yourself Mentally
Changes are not simple, but now is your time.
Every thought is a blueprint that your mind and body works towards. You have to focus on what you are adding to your diet, not what you can not have. You have to keep in mind how you want to be and feel.
You have to change your thinking in order to change your habits.
That Sounds Great! How Can I Get Started?
We know that you have a busy life, and it feels like the days and weeks get shorter and shorter. But we can guide you through a detox in the most simple and effective way. I’ll also supply you with all your meal plans and shopping lists to make it as straightforward as possible.
Most other detox plans are a repetition of the same thing, day after day. This is not only boring, but it’ll deprive your body of important nutrients meaning you’re more likely to give up.
Our alkaline lifestyle detox programme is different - it has a wide variety of foods, an enormous amount of nutrients and will greatly impact your health for the better.