Do you feel tired all of the time… and not just tired, but exhausted? When you look in the mirror do you see big, dark circles under your eyes? Is your skin drier than usual? Well, you aren’t alone.
In today’s fast-paced world, stress is the norm. We put our bodies through incredible rigors, both physically and mentally. Add to that, the typical Western diet that is void of most nutrients and is high in trans-fats and countless harmful chemicals, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Toxic Overload
Your body is designed to be the perfect machine. In fact, it is one of the most intricate machines in the world. But like any sophisticated machine, if you do not take care of it, it will eventually break down.
The main detoxifying organs in your body are your kidneys, liver, lungs, skin, and intestines. Your lymphatic system also plays a huge role in removing waste and toxins, so if any of these are overwhelmed or simply not functioning properly, toxins can start to accumulate. Exhaustion, dark circles under your eyes, and excessively dry skin are key signs your body experiencing toxic overload.
The other issue of toxic overload is a weakened immune system. When your body is busy trying to rid itself of excess waste, it cannot effectively fight off viruses, infections, and other illnesses like simple colds and flu. The good news is that once you clear up the waste, your body can get back to doing its job of keeping you healthy, strong and full of energy.
Best of all, you can reset your system in as little as a weekend.
The Ultimate Weekend Detox Cleanse
Just the thought of doing a cleanse can turn some people off. They picture horrible green concoctions that taste more like grass than food. But cleanses have come a long way over the years and require much less effort than they used to.
This cleanse is well worth doing at least twice a year. While you can follow it for up to 10 days, you can also simply do it over the weekend. And when you are finished, you will feel like a new you!
Getting Started
The best thing about this cleanse is that it doesn’t have to feel like you are depriving yourself of anything. If you want to make the most of this weekend detox cleanse, however, you should also add detoxifying teas, which help to pull toxins from your body.
Your Weekend Detox Cleanse
Make sure to drink 250 ml/8.4 oz. of warm water every morning on an empty stomach throughout your cleanse. This kick-starts digestion and triggers the detoxification process.
It’s also important to keep your stress levels low, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and check the level on the processed foods in the diet, including yogurt, pickles, almond milk, and seeds. Although they may seem innocent enough, these foods can contain food coloring, preservatives, and flavoring agents. If possible, purchase all organic produce for best results.
Saturday
Breakfast:
- 8 ounces of warm water
- One cup of oatmeal with a tablespoon of linseeds
- 8 ounces of green tea
- ½ cup blueberries
- 200 ml /6.7 oz. plain yogurt or 200 ml /6.7 oz. unsweetened almond milk
Lunch:
- 8 ounces filtered water
- 2 cups of salad (tomato, arugula, or other greens) with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing
- 250 grams grilled hake or other mild fish
- 250 grams swiss chard with olive oil and potatoes
- 1 small banana
- 1 slice melon
Snack:
- 8 ounces filtered water
- 1 apple
- 180 ml/6 oz. plain yogurt
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, raw or roasted
Dinner:
- 8 ounces filtered water
- 2 cups salad with a lemon juice and olive oil dressing
- 150 grams of tuna grilled in a foil or barbecued
- ½ cup steamed green vegetables (spinach or broccoli)
- Anise tea
- A small slice of sourdough bread
Sunday
Start your morning with 8 ounces warm water.
Breakfast:
- 200 ml unsweetened almond milk or plain yogurt
- One cup of oatmeal with a tablespoon of linseeds
- 1 medium size pear
- 1 Cup green tea
- 8 ounces filtered water
Snack:
- 1 medium size grapefruit
- 8 ounces filtered water
Lunch:
- Vegetable soup (beans, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and peppers) made with bone broth
- 200 grams grilled chicken breast
- 150 grams dill pickles
- 8 ounces filtered water
Dinner:
- Beet and carrot salad with lemon juice dressing
- A small slice of sourdough bread
- 8 ounces filtered water
- One cup of nettle tea
10 Everyday Detox Teas
It’s not a good idea to do a cleanse too often, but here a few teas your can enjoy regularly without concern.
1. Red clover
Full of antioxidants, red clover helps to pull toxins from your blood and liver. It is also a wonderful expectorant that helps to clear your lungs of toxins and phlegm. And the high vitamin C and numerous B vitamins in red clover provide your body with the extra nutrition you need when cleansing. (1)
2. Birch
Birch water is a natural diuretic that stimulates the cleansing systems of your body to eliminate toxins. The health benefits from drinking birch water are many and range from flushing out toxins in your liver and kidneys to eliminating cellulite and even curing bronchitis and arthritis. This amazing plant contains micronutrients that are unique to the birch tree, which studies show also help to strengthen your immune system, lower cholesterol and promote weight loss. (2)
3. Nettle
If you have ever mistakenly picked nettle, you know why it’s also called Stinging Nettle. This flowering plant has numerous tiny hairs on its leaves and stem that contain compounds which burn when you touch it and cause a reaction similar to poison ivy. Native to Africa, Australia, and the Andes, nettle has many health benefits that result from its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiulcer, astringent and analgesic properties. Nettle is also a powerful detoxifier, as it promotes the elimination of waste products by increasing urine production (3).
4. Burdock Root
This plant has been used in traditional medicine as a blood purifier for centuries. Burdock is a good diuretic, increasing urination and thus helping to remove wastes. It is also a diaphoretic, meaning it promotes sweating to remove toxins through the pores in your skin. (4)
5. Milk Thistle
Also called silymarin, this potent herb is one of the most powerful liver detoxifiers known. It can even stimulate liver regeneration in severe cases like those found with drug or alcohol addiction. Milk thistle is so powerful in fact that studies show if used intravenously, it can even be an antidote for even the most severe liver poisoning caused by the death cap mushroom! (5)
6. Dandelion
This abundant flowering plant is much more than a weed that is often the bane of any homeowner. Dandelion can treat muscle aches, loss of appetite, upset stomachs, intestinal gas, gallstones, joint pain, eczema and even bruises.
And when it comes to detoxifying, dandelion promotes urine production to release toxins. It is also a laxative, which further helps your body remove toxins in bowel movements. Apart from providing a slew of beneficial nutrients, dandelion also helps your digestive system by regulating bile flow. (6)
7. Cayenne pepper
While you may think cayenne pepper is just a seasoning to add a little heat to your culinary dishes, it has actually been used for centuries for such things as heartburn, delirium, tremors, gout, paralysis, fever, flatulence, sore throat, atonic dyspepsia, hemorrhoids, menorrhagia in women, nausea, tonsillitis, scarlet fever and diphtheria. (7)
For detoxing, however, cayenne works as a circulatory stimulant that increases lymphatic and digestive processes by heating your body. This causes you to sweat, an important process in detoxification.
Often, cayenne is used in combination with lemon juice and honey for a powerful detox drink first thing in the morning.
8. Cilantro
One of most harmful types of toxins we encounter daily without even knowing it is heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, and aluminum. These metals, and others, embed themselves in your central nervous system and bones, where they accumulate for years until you start to have acute health problems. Fortunately, we can use herbs like cilantro, which is a potent chelating agent that binds to heavy metal ions in your body that are then removed through regular excretory channels through as urination, defecation, and sweat. (9)
9. Fenugreek
This is another herb that has powerful medicinal properties. While many parts of this flowering plant are used for therapeutic purposes, the seeds are the most widely used in remedies for everything from general inflammation (internal and external), digestive disorders, as well as respiratory illnesses like bronchitis, infections, tuberculosis and chronic coughs. It is also helpful for lowering cholesterol, treating and preventing cancer and for kidney disorders. (10)
Plus, fenugreek is very helpful for diabetes, as it can not only significantly reduce blood sugar levels but also urinary sugar levels, by as much as 54 percent. (11)
10. Chicory
You can recognize chicory by its vibrant blue flowers. The Ancient Romans used chicory to help cleanse their blood, while the Egyptians ate vast amounts of chicory root to purify their liver. When it comes to detoxifying, both chicory leaves and the root are potent remedies for a number of liver disorders, including jaundice, gallbladder and liver stones, urinary stones, constipation, indigestion, depression, and headaches. (12)
To further benefit from any cleanse, it is important to keep active since this will help your lymphatic system to drain toxins. Any type of physical activity that keeps you active will do, including walking, swimming, running, or going to the gym.
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