celebrity writers

Spring Detox Do's and Don'ts

Gentle, effective and oh so good for you.

Mar 23, 2007

Cordelia Coyle, a registered nutritionist living/working in Toronto, guest writes this informative piece on how to gently and effectively detox - just in time for spring.

Detoxing, people have been doing it the world over for as long as time itself it seems. Here are Cordelia Coyle's detoxing tips- the ultimate way to get your body to thank you from the inside out!

The easiest way to “detox” is to:

Eat less refined processed foods which contain trans-fats, sugar and additives such as artificial colours and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Eat more raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and vegetable protein like beans, lentils and quinoa. Also by eating organic you reduce your exposure to pesticides and unnatural ingredients.
Some great dishes ideal for a detox diet might include: kale salad, beet salad, quinoa salad, spinach stew, or brown rice balls.

Cordelia's Top 3 tips to kick start your spring detox:

Water – We hear it all the time, but it bears repeating. Your body is 2/3 water, and water is essential to all the processes in the body. To improve your mood, skin and metabolism try to drink at least 8 – 8 oz glasses of water a day.

I have a desktop wallpaper with a water drinking schedule available for download on the resources page of http://www.lemonholistic.com

Morning lemon drink – Starting each day off with warm lemon water stimulates your liver to detoxify your body - your skin will look better, you'll feel great, and you might even lose some weight! It is one of the easiest things you can do to increase your overall well-being. Just squeeze half a lemon into a glass, and fill with warm water.

Eat your greens – Leafy and green vegetables like kale, spinach, and broccoli are jam packed with vitamins and nutrients to help restore vitality, and have even been shown to be effective at protecting you from certain cancers. Kale is particularly good for the liver, as it is a bitter green, which stimulates the production of bile, increasing your digestive ability. Get more greens into your diet by putting them in salads, juicing them, making green smoothies - banana and kale is a surprisingly tasty combination, or lightly steaming them.

IMPORTANT:

If someone wants to try juice fasting or a specific cleanse or “detox” program, they should consider consulting a nutritionist to determine what the best course is for them, especially if they have any serious health challenges. Detoxing can cause some unexpected symptoms at first, like headaches, moodiness, or flu-like symptoms – a “healing crisis” – it is your body’s initial reaction to a change which should disappear in a few days. Like anything in life, when there is no pain, there is no gain – you often have to take a step back before you can truly progress.

To be holistic – “detox” your environment and lifestyle as well. Take more walks outside, spring clean your house with non-toxic cleaners, start a new hobby – all of these things will “detox” your mind and your body.

To learn more about Cordelia, her services and her practice, Lemon Holistic, click here. And may your skin glow, hair shine and body rejoice!

The copyright of the article Spring Detox Do's and Don'ts in Food Trends is owned by Mary Luz Mejia. Permission to republish Spring Detox Do's and Don'ts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.