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Ways to Motivate Yourself to Workout
Exercising is the best natural way to detox. Though exercise alone isn't enough to detoxify your body, it can help assist your body's detoxifying organs.
Choose a form of exercise you enjoy and make it a regular activity. Try to mix high intensity cardio workouts with something more relaxing like swimming and gardening.
On top of physical activities, here are some ideas to help you plan for a detox programme:
1. Whole Foods diet
What we eat or, more importantly, what we don’t eat, is an essential part of the cleansing process. When we eat processed foods, our bodies become sensitive and slow down. So, eat as much organic fresh and raw food as possible.
The main structure of a diet for optimal detoxification consists of:
- Organic food / Spray-free where possible.
- Large portion of vegetables, particularly cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and kale. Adding bitter vegetables like radish, rocket helps to stimulate digestive secretions, supporting powerful digestion.
High in fiber vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seed.
- Grass-fed animal protein sources, such as eggs and bone broth.
- Drink more water! Aim for 30 ml per kg of weight, e.g. 60kg person = 1.8L water per day.
- Fermented foods like homemade kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso support healthy gut.
The diet should also reduce intake of:
- Sweet treats and high-carb snacks (We don’t need “treats” everyday)
- Stimulants
- Trans-fats, artificial preservatives and additives
2. Reduce alcohol
Drinking alcohol can be harmful. All alcohol will impact on the liver and kidneys by creating oxidative stress as well as producing metabolites that need to be neutralised.
3. Rest and rejuvenate
Stress is a part of life and not always a bad thing- sometimes stress can motivate and excite us. However, moderate to high levels of on-going stress can affect our hormone production as well as digestion, mood, sleep and weight.
A good night’s sleep, deep breathing and physical activity are the best ways to manage stress. Finding something to laugh about and something to be grateful for every day can make a big difference too.
You can also add some additional therapies that can relieve the effects of stress on the body such as relaxation massage, float therapy and yoga.
On top of diet and lifestyle tips mentioned above, there are many herbs and nutrients that can be taken to support a detox programme, such as:
- Milk Thistle – contains an antioxidant compound called silymarin, which support the repair and renewal of the liver cells.
- Coriander - offers antioxidant protection and supports the health of the liver when it is exposed to damaging chemicals. Coriander leaves possess an important element, known as quercetin, which helps fasten metabolism too.
- Green tea - contains powerful antioxidant compounds which protect the body against disease.
- Kelp - a great antioxidant rich seaweed that supports heavy metal detoxification.
- Turmeric - supports healthy liver detoxification and soothes the lining of the digestive system.
- Kawakawa - a great herb to use after eating heavy meals to help with digestion.
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