D for Detox

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Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.  - Jim Rohn 

The word 'detox' can be pretty scary and daunting.  When I talk about 'detox' - I'm not talking about any crazy or over-the-top detox involving calorie counting; or just drinking green juices or eating only specific foods or following any kind of diet trend (i.e. cabbage soup diet). I'm referring to a more gentle detox that you can incorporate into your life that will leave your body (and mind) feeling energized, clean and refreshed. 

The way I see it is that we have one body to live with so it's about time we start taking care of it given the amount of abuse our bodies withstand on a day-to-day basis.  

Our skin and our livers take the brunt of the all the toxins that we create within ourselves and that we are exposed to.  Something as simple as 'dry brushing' your skin even once a week with a bristle brush will help improve the circulation and blood flow in your body and leave you with healthier looking skin ! 

I lost my Dad to liver cirrhosis a few months ago and it fully struck me that the liver has this formidable task of detoxifying everything that we put into our bodies.  Given the lifestyle most of us Gen Y & Z have - our livers are probably working in overdrive and there's a limit to how much toxin the liver can handle.  So over the last month, I've been on a personal 'detox' mission wherein I'm giving my liver a break from alcohol - it's been 37 days and counting !!   

So it's a good idea to try to indulge in any simple detox as often as you can.  With the Indian culture - there are various forms of fasting across castes and cultures which are considered to be a form of detox.  If that seems hard to understand - think about it like Lent where you give up something you really enjoy.  One of my friends has given up both alcohol and any form of dessert for 40 days !! 

It's the little things that make a difference to our bodies : 

  • Starting your day with a glass of hot water with some lemon can help kick start your metabolism.  
  • Drink more water every day ! It's funny how we all forget to drink water.  It helps flush out toxins.
  • Eat more fruit and veggies.  
  • If you are a non-vegetarian; you may want to consider being vegetarian once a week just to give your body a breather.  
  • If you are a party person like me - you should give your liver a break and abstain from alcohol for some time.
  • If you are a smoker - and thinking about cutting back how much you smoke - a detox is a good way to kick-start that.  It doesn't mean you go cold turkey; but you can reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke per day or if you have the will-power; decide that you will only smoke on alternative days or not smoke at all for X days a week. 
For more ideas, hop on over to The Rising Spoon and read about 15 Ways to Detox Naturally - I'm sure you'll find something that suits you.

Have you ever tried to detox your body ? What kind of detox were you involved in ? Did you see any changes to your lifestyle ? Did the detox make a difference to you ? Or do you not believe in any form of detox ? Please feel free to share other detox tips in the comments.