Your body and mind are bombarded daily by toxins in your environment as well as in your food. The body does a fairly good job of eliminating and detoxifying when we supply it with the right kinds of foods to support the liver, kidneys, gall bladder, lungs, and skin. But if you do not eat healthy meals or you are under a lot of stress and chaos, the body needs extra support.

Some turn to what may appear to be a quick fix and attempt to fast for 10 days on nothing more than a laxative. The master cleanse allows you to drink nothing but water, maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Does anyone really want to starve themselves to be healthy? Doesn’t make sense to me!

Water is essential for life, but it has no nutritional value. The maple syrup is the sole source of calories from sugar and just prevents you from starving at a faster rate. Lemon juice is a weak acid and cayenne pepper irritates the lining of your digestive system and may potentially cause diarrhea.

Some feel fine during this diet, but it is likely you will vomit or feel pain in various parts of your body. You may even become so weak that you are not able to get out of bed. It is best to stop any type of exercise or physical training and to stay away from any strenuous activities. Your stomach may hurt and even though it may only last for a while, the pain may be intolerable. If you can’t stand the pain, you can choose to take a laxative tea instead.

You cannot eat any food at all during the 10 days because it will wipe out the any benefits of this diet. And even though you may be advised that the master cleanse should not be used to lose weight, many are encouraged to do the lemonade diet to lose weight. Confusing, but they are one in the same. My question is, who wouldn’t lose weight when you are not eating and you are drinking a strong laxative? It may clean out your system, but is it good for your body? Can you now see why so many don’t even last a day?

I am totally against anything that is harsh or depriving to the body. A more natural approach to detoxing and losing weight will be sustainable and the effects last longer. So if you are interested in eliminating the toxins from your body or you want to lose weight, be sure to choose a healthy approach, one that is based on nourishing your body, not depriving.

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Toxins can be by-products or side effects from a wide variety of risks, from taking any form of pharmaceutical or recreational drugs to changes in our physiological patterns that become impaired from normal function. Free radicals that are created irritate, inflame, age, and degenerate body tissues.  Toxins can also be created from negative thoughts, stress, negative emotions and thought patterns. Thus, they stress the body, causing changes in normal physiology that produces specific symptoms.

Keep in mind that the body needs to function in balance. However, it can be disturbed when the body takes in more than it can process, eliminate, or utilize. Toxicity then occurs.

The imbalances which are caused by toxins can be stressful to your body and emotions, which affects the mental state and clarity. Detoxifying is beneficial both physically as well as mentally.

Detox occurs on various levels. Physically, it is a process that helps in clearing illnesses, congestions, and potential diseases, and improves energy.  Successful detoxification programs are helpful in rejuvenating the body and preventing degeneration.

Detoxification of the mind is important element of a holistic cleanse process. Cleansing the mind from negative patterns can improve your physical health, which physical detoxification can also alleviate mental stress. It can help uncover or release emotional aspects of a person, and free them to express or uncover repressed feelings such as anger, frustration, fear, or resentments, and replace those feelings with love, forgiveness, hope, and joy.

A complete cleansing processes can also enhance or reveal your life’s purpose, such as how you view life on a more spiritual level.

The body detoxification process is an element of alternative medicine, as well as transformational medicine, and can instill change on various levels. An open heart and mind are the keys to healing.  A complete and holistic detoxification program can eliminate toxins, make a person feel lighter and experience a new mindset and outlook on life.

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#1: Substance that are Inhaled or Ingested

There are literally millions of foreign substances that you may inhale each week because of exposures you cannot control. For example, you have no control over what comes through your car air vents while driving, such as the fumes from a truck.  You can’t control the second-hand smoke in a restaurant or bar. These are just some of the things that you may inhale on a regular basis. You may not think about what You come in contact with every day, but your body stores these toxins internally and usually there are symptoms that let you know a detoxification is in order.

#2: Stress on the Body

Another reason why detoxification is essential is due to the stress factor. Certainly chronic stress is a major problem, but everyday stresses that we experience can take a toll on the body in the form illnesses. Everyone’s immune system becomes weakened occasionally, but stress can make weaken the immune system and make you more susceptible to colds, flu, and other illnesses or disease.

Be sure to evaluate your stress management plan during the course of your cleanse program.  Try to avoid stress, and build in stress relieving activities as much as possible.  Schedule as much down time as possible, and incorporate as much relaxation as you can.

Massage, hot baths, meditation, deep breathing, yoga or sessions in a sauna will facilitate the detoxification as well as contribute to your mental detoxification.  Schedule some of these activities into your planner, and keep your appointments!

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These chronic and acute illnesses can possibly be prevented through cleansing and detoxification programs. This process naturally eliminates the harmful toxins from the body, and can either be a short-term or a long-term procedure.

Take note that toxicity can occur on two major levels. It can either be internal or external. External toxicity is acquired from the environment through breathing, ingesting or physical contacts. Most food additives, drugs, and allergens create the body’s toxic elements.

The body, from its daily normal functions, internally produces toxins as well. These free radicals known as biochemical toxins can cause inflammation or irritation of the tissues and cells, which block the normal functioning of an organ, the cells, or the entire bodily system. All kinds of microbes, foreign bacteria, intestinal bacteria, parasites, and yeasts produce waste products that are metabolic. Emotions, thoughts, and stress also increase biochemical toxins.

Almost everyone needs to detoxify their bodies so it can function well. Detox/cleansing is an essential strategy in the holistic lifestyle and method for preventative health.

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Does any of that sound familiar to you? I wanted to know how to detox my body naturally and with a plan that would work for me.

Most days I suffered from heart burn no matter what I ate. In fact, I was even rushed to the hospital fearing a heart attack when I was diaagnosed as having GERD. I was also tired so much of the time, so I would take an afternoon nap when I could, but would still struggle to stay awake after 7:00 pm. I rarely slept through the night, sometimes only sleeping 4-5 hours. My doctor diagnosed me with adrenal fatigue from stress and anxiety. My skin was rough and the texture of my face did not improve with facials or masks. I felt achy and experienced headaches almost daily.

Can you relate to any of this? Women want to know how to detox to lose weight, but you may also want to know how to detox your body naturally.

When I started the detox program, the headaches disappeared almost immediately. My sinus congestion was gone and I could breathe freely out of both nostrils and without sinus drainage. I felt more calm, had energy from early morning through a normal bedtime, and I am now able to sleep through the night for 7-8 hours. I no longer experience heart burn and I even lost over 10 pounds even though I was eating more food than before.

The best part is that I learned which foods make me feel good and I am also aware of how certain foods make me tired, cranky, and irritable. The detox program not only helped my body release the toxins, but I feel so much better now that I am eating the foods that give me energy and keep me balanced.

How would you like to have your life back?

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Now I can only write this from my own experiences with depression, so I can look back and say that I was a loser for many years. This term may not set well with many, but if you really look at what happens when someone is depressed, you will have to acknowledge that there were times you were a loser also.

So let me give you an example…there were summers when I was on break from being a teacher and my normal routine was quite different. I loved the first few weeks at the end of the school year, but then the lack of a schedule gave way to staying up later and sleeping in. Summers were also the time that my children were at home and their schedules became sporadic too. They would stay up later, and of course, it stayed lighter outside in the evenings, and there were also the softball and baseball games that disrupted the normal evening schedules. But the problem would start the next day.

Now you might say, how could that have been so bad? Wow, I would have given anything to have had time off in the summer with my kids. As I said, the beginning of the summer was a much needed rest as well as a cherished time for all of us. There were always activities that had been put off all school year, so closets were cleaned, carpets were cleaned, rooms were aired out, gardens were planted, and life was good. But then the problems would begin.

Not so much with my children, but it was definitely a problem for me. I began to lose out on the joy of my ‘time’ freedom and would sink into feeling depressed. I had too much time on my hands giving me time to take a closer look at what was happening in my life. From the outside, many thought my life was great. I had a nice home, three intelligent kids, you know, the teacher’s kids, a dog, a husband, nice cars, nice clothes, but something was missing, well actually a lot was missing. I was missing!

I sank deeper and deeper and would find myself not wanting to get out of bed. Luckily, my kids were old enough at this point to take care of themselves, and that they did. So not only did I lose myself, I lost my kids during this time. They found ways to entertain themselves and I didn’t always keep a close enough ‘eye’ on what they were doing. As long as they were not bugging me about taking them somewhere. I lost out on so many opportunities to be a mother.

I lost out on my own happiness. I spent way too many years living with depression and struggling to find a better way to live. It didn’t have to be that way, and you don’t have to be a loser either. There are ways to pull out of the feelings of sadness and depression without numbing yourself. But you do have to make a decision to help yourself. The first step is being aware that you are not a loser and you can make different choices. From there, the road leads to where ever you decide. You may not feel like a winner, you may not look like a winner, but you are no longer a loser with no where to go.

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Right now there are plenty of ‘experts’ ready to give you advice or feel that their opinion must be voiced, just turn on the television or listen to talk radio. For me, listening became a ‘gift’ that few practice but many appreciate, even when they don’t know it.

As far back as a teenager I was told that I was a great friend because I was such a good listener. I can now admit that I used to hide behind listening to others so that I didn’t have to talk about myself. I was actually very shy and introverted, so it was terrifying when someone asked me a question because I was afraid to share what or how I felt. My fear of having the wrong opinion or thought was the driving force then. But what I learned from those early years is my first key to being a good listener – understanding that you can provide a safe space for someone else to share what needs to be released. Many times, their talking is a way to figure out their own solution, not get your point of view.

The second reason to listen is to get to know someone by finding out who they really are. We can all have ‘surface’ conversations, small talk, and never get to know someone else. To make a real connection with someone else requires time and energy. That is why you may hear many frivolous conversations about the weather. Getting into deeper conversations provides a window into the real self. Even discussing politics or religion can give you an  idea of who that person is as long as you listen without creating tension, even if you disagree. Listening provides clues so that you can determine if there is a reason to continue building that relationship. Don’t make assumptions and do ask questions to clarify what was just said, which is one of the “Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz, who shares the wisdom of the Toltec. Do you share the same interests or values? Do you have anything in common? Do you want to know more about that person? Do you feel that this relationship could grow beyond just a casual conversation?

The third reason to listen is the opportunity to practice being non-judgmental. If you are not to make assumptions nor judge someone for their actions or a situation that  you may not see completely, you can avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. There is enough of that in the world, so do you want even more in your own personal life? Ultimately, practice listening to others without being judgmental so you can strive to do your best at that moment, and will learn to be present while connecting with that person.

Listening is all about the other person, but it is also all about you. You can make someone else feel happy because they now feel validated, listened to and even appreciated. You can also feel happy because you gave yourself to that person for those few moments. So what do you want to gain from a conversation, to be heard or to listen?

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Researchers are now looking at how you spend your time affects your happiness, and particularly at work, since that is where most of your time may be spent. It is important to understand how you are spending your time at work because you usually have little control over how you will be using your time, who you will be spending your time with, or what activities you will spend time on.

Even though you may think that money is the key to happiness, research confirms the idea that money isn’t the key to happiness. In fact, the pursuit of more money may interfere with the behaviors that are linked to personal happiness such as socializing with family and friends, donating to charity, or volunteering your time to help others.

What does make people happy are meaningful social connections with your partner, or your best friend as well as other friends and family. Happiness levels drop when you are spending time with people you don’t like or when you spend a lot of your time alone, which is a key predictor of unhappiness. So just thinking about where you spend your time will have an effect on how you behave.

Why would just thinking about this help? Time spent doing something, when compared to owning something or spending money, induces emotion-based memories and becomes more personal such as your first kiss. Your personal connections of participating with a group of friends while going to a neighborhood cook-out is more conducive to your happiness than cooking at home by yourself.

It is important to spend time in the right way to experience the most happiness. The happiest part of the day is hanging out with family and friends, but what is also important is having a ‘best friend’ at work so that your time at work becomes happier. You should avoid spending time on activities that leave you feeling drained and defeated.

Certain chores and tasks have to be completed, but imagine how you will be spending your time after completely the mindless task of scrubbing the sinks, toilet and tub. Consider how important it is to have a clean bathroom and how that will make your experience of taking a long, hot bath so much more enjoyable. When you merely think about something pleasurable, or the anticipation or planning of a future activity, a part of the brain is activated that is responsible for feeling pleasure.

Besides anticipating the future, it is important to increase your happiness by thinking about the present moment and simply breathing long, slow breaths can slow down the perceived passage of time, which actually will make you feel as though you have more spare time. 

As you get older, your experiences of happiness will change from excitement to feeling peaceful. It is possible to anticipate such changes and you should allow yourself to shift how you spend your time over the course of your life. But one fact remains true: spending time with the people you love doing the things you love is the best road to happiness.

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Ingredients:
5-6 ripe bananas, peeled
1 apple, peeled and cored
1 cup frozen stawberries or blueberries
1-2 cups of kale

Directions:
Always blend fruit first
Add fruit ingredients to VitaMix or blender
Add greens to well-blended mixture
Puree and serve

Notes:
Experiment with different greens to find a combination that suits you.

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People who are stressed are more likely to have tension headaches and people who have frequent headaches often become depressed. It is a vicious cycle, so it is important to identify what is causing you to feel bad. Your body does have a way of telling you that something is wrong, but you have to learn to listen.

You may have become insensitive to what is going on in your world. Many times when the stress becomes overwhelming, the body tries to compensate by going into overdrive. You may have also noticed that you tend to push yourself through by drinking more caffeine or eating more foods that have sugar to boost your energy level. You may have also found yourself in such a time crunch, that those morning walks give way to rushing out the door at the last minute because your found it difficult to get out of bed.

The only way to get off the gerbil wheel is to make the choice to take care of yourself. What are some ways that you are able to release your stress?

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