Our Detox Organs: Wrap Up
Hello again,
I’m wrapping up my 6 Part Series on those wonderful detox organs of ours that support our body’s natural detoxification process:
These six detoxification organs work non-stop to eliminate excess waste products and toxins from our body, and in this little series, I shared my personal top 4 foods, that in conjunction with an overall healthy diet, have shown they have a wonderful ability to further support this amazing process.
Today, I thought I’d share with you some other self-care lifestyle practices, apart from food, that really help support this process – helping to create a wonderful environment for our body to do exactly what it’s meant to do.
Sleep | Striving for a minimum 7 hours of quality sleep is one of the best ways to support our system. If possible, aim to be asleep by 10pm at the latest to ensure you get a quality, deep sleep which is vital for regeneration and repair.
Activity | Gentle exercise should be an everyday occurrence in our lives – a non-negotiable - in order to help boost the immune system, encourage detoxification and guard against poor bone density. Getting our circulation moving is of the upmost importance for our liver to cleanse our blood, as the body can become stagnant and more susceptible to disease when our blood isn’t flowing freely. Plus, if we exercise outdoors, we maximise our intake of Vitamin D at the same time. Win/win!
Toxins | Unfortunately, our environment today means toxins are impossible to avoid, however we can control what we bring into our homes, by being mindful of our household cleaning and body care products, perfumes and cosmetics, washing powders/liquids, swimming pool cleaners, plastics as well as our cooking and baking pots and utensils. Also don’t forget about food - when possible, purchase organic to help lower our exposure to pesticide.
Stress | I personally believe stress is THE biggest trigger of inflammation in our body and it can be disastrous on our immune system – I’ve learnt this first hand! We’re all designed to withstand some stress, however when it becomes chronic, it impacts our gut and immune system, increasing our chances of disease. Search out and find your own personal stress release tools – mine include yoga, meditation and simply having time out to myself reading my book in a park.
Hydration | Our bodies are made up of 60% water so it’s vital to stay hydrated to prevent premature ageing for both our skin AND our internal organs. Don’t forget that you can also “eat” your water, which means to eat more water-rich plant foods like cucumber, lettuce, fresh berries and melons - all of which have over 90% water. This is wonderful way to hydrate while absorbing additional vitamin, minerals and fibres which help our body to absorb more water more slowly – meaning we’re more hydrated for longer periods of time.
Eating Mindfully | Before you next put that fork of food into your mouth, take a moment to relax, breathe and give thanks – helping to put yourself into a “parasympathetic” state. Creating a wonderful, stress-free environment for optimal digestion.
Chew | Our bowels are affected by how well we chew, and for our body to absorb all those beautiful nutrients in our food, we must be able to digest them properly first. Chewing breaks our food up into much smaller particles and mixes with salivary enzymes to start the first part of digestion. Remember - the smaller the size of the food you swallow, the more surface area there is for your enzymes to work their magic on.
Always remember - your own healing diet is the one that makes you feel your optimal best. We are all unique after all, meaning what is good for one person may not be good for all. Bio-individuality is key!
