health and wellbeing
Tips to get body and mind back on track
words by
lee teusner // go vita tanunda
Do you start every year on January 1 (or even every week on Monday) vowing to eat better and drink less?
If feeling better is on your radar, an effective plan for detoxing your body, liver, mind and lifestyle combines cleansing superfoods, herbs and supplements.
Complementary approaches, such as essential oils and mental health techniques, add inspiration and guidance.
Cleanse Your System
- Drink eight glasses of pure mineral or filtered water daily to prevent dehydration and flush out toxins.
- Do you suspect food intolerances may be weakening your body and taxing your digestive system? The most common culprits are wheat, dairy foods, citrus fruits, coffee and certain nuts, especially peanuts. Keeping a diary, of food you eat and how you feel afterwards will help to pinpoint any triggers.
- Cut back – or avoid altogether – your intake of fatty, fried foods, processed meats, convenience foods, products containing added sugar and genetically modified or irradiated ingredients. Eat whole, fresh foods and choose organic produce and packaged foods wherever possible.
- Eat more fresh salads or lightly steamed vegetables and vegetable soups.
- Cold-pressed virgin olive oil and flaxseed, pumpkin seed and hempseed oils all provide healthy essential fatty acids.
- Eat small quantities of lean organic protein each day to optimise energy. Eggs, poultry and oily fish are all good sources, while soy foods, lentils, nutritional yeast and hempseed will suit a vegetarian or vegan diet. Pea protein and Spirulina are nutritional powerhouses which provide protein and important minerals.
- Ensure that you have a good supply of complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice and high-quality protein, as this will keep your blood sugar levels stable. If you crave something sweet-tasting, reach for a natural source, such as dates or sultanas.
- Swap out regular sugar for a natural sweetener like stevia when you are cooking or baking.
Make Different Choices
Enzyme-rich foods, like pineapple, kiwifruit, papaya and sprouted foods, help your body to digest and assimilate food properly. If your diet is inadequate, try a Digestive Enzyme supplement.
Cut back on tea, coffee and other caffeinated drinks. These all inhibit nutrient absorption and can cause dehydration.
Swap to a delicious herbal alternative.
Or, if you prefer a savoury beverage, Bone Broths are a gut healing choice!
Use seaweed regularly in cooking for its detoxifying properties.
It contains sodium alginate which binds toxic heavy metals and radioactive materials into harmless salts for elimination through the intestines.
A tasty way to enjoy seaweed’s health benefits and reduce your salt intake is to swap conventional salt for our Seaweed Salt.
Aloe vera juice stimulates the movement of waste through the colon, improves liver health and repairs damage in the gastrointestinal tract, so that fewer toxins can enter the bloodstream.
Psyllium Husks add bulk and speed the transit of waste, along with also lifting impacted material and harmful bacteria off the colon wall.
Support your liver by taking a supplement containing milk thistle, globe artichoke, schisandra and selenium to help support normal healthy liver function.
These herbs also may help assist with sluggish digestion.
Pollutants found in conventional household and personal care products can trigger nausea and rashes.
When you buy clothes, favour natural fabrics, such as bamboo and organic cotton.
Skip deodorants containing toxic metals like aluminium and choose natural body lotions and cosmetics.
Choose household cleaning products that are natural and eco-friendly.
Lift Your Spirits!
Essential oils encourage detoxification and stimulate lymphatic drainage.
Try tea tree oil for its powerful antifungal and antiviral properties; eucalyptus oil, which has a strong affinity with the immune and respiratory systems; and frankincense, which is said to strengthen the body’s physical and spiritual defence systems.
Support detoxification and improve circulation and skin health with daily dry skin-brushing.
For two minutes before your morning shower, use a long-handled, natural-bristle brush to gently brush upwards from the feet, over the legs, towards the heart and chest, and then brush from each hand to the armpits and up from the buttocks to the back of the neck.
Thinking differently can ease negative thoughts, fears and worries.
Affirmations – simple, short statements of intent, such as “I am loved” or “I am safe” – help to retrain the subconscious mind by harnessing the power of positive thinking.
Using affirmations in conjunction with healthy changes and regular supplementation is a potent mind detox tool.
