Bit before you drastically alter your diet - you need to prep your body and change your habits. You will also need to prepare for the post-detox lifestyle. You absolutely CANNOT return to your old habits - as this is too harsh to your system.
Suggestions for preparations are below:
- Choose a D-Day. Pick a time when you can relax into the detox. The first few days are the hardest with tiredness, sugar cravings, and mood swings being the most common symptoms noticed.
- Gradually wean yourself off of sugar, caffeine, dairy, and other foods not "allowed" on your detox over two weeks prior to D-Day.
- Become familiar with your new foods. Try to eat more fresh foods, especially greens. Broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, collard greens, artichokes and napa cabbage all contain sulphur compounds that help boost the liver's detoxifying capabilities.
- Fiber is your friend! Your bowel is your major means of eliminating toxins. Ideally, you should have at least one, well formed bowel movement each day. 1-2 tablespoons of flax seed should help.
- Learn to love water. At the least, you need half your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you are detoxing, more is better! And don't forget that if you are adding fiber and not water - you will end up with constipation. Yikes!
- Light exercise always helps. If you aren't already exercising, now is a great time to start. Walking daily is one of the easiest ways to get started. Beginning a light yoga program is a good option as well. The daily exercise gets your blood pumping and lymph (or waste product) moving, whereby boosting your body's ability to eliminate waste.
