Detox Tips: The Pros Share their Secrets for Detox

Secrets for Detox

7 tips you can do at home

1. Avoid junk (food) and chemicals and eat wholesome food that is organically grown when possible. Also take a break from the SNACC Sugar, Nicotine, Alcohol, Caffeine, and Chemicals.

Dr. Elson Haas, Founder & director, Preventive Medical Center of Marin, Integrated Physician, and author of The New Detox Diet

2. Drink organic low-glycemic green juices for seven days.

Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D., M.D.H, author of upcoming book Spiritual Fasting and founder of the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center.

3. Start your day with a glass of warm water on an empty stomach; it aids your body in releasing toxins.

Teresa Long, Ayurvedic nutritionist at the Chopra Center

4. A weekly 24-hour fast (drinking 8 “10 glasses of purified water) cleanses, renews, and rejuvenates! Our bodies have a naturalself-cleansing [mechanism]for maintaining a clean healthy body.

Dr. Patricia Bragg, Author of the book The Miracles of Fasting and owner of Bragg Health Products & Books

5. You can give your gut a chance to refresh itself with a 2-3 day simple, easy-to-digest diet of fresh organic raw foods and juice, along with rest, mild exercise, and some time in the sauna. I recommend that my patients participate in this detox twice a year and maintain gut health in between by eating unprocessed organic food, avoiding antibiotics as much as possible, reducing sugar intake, and supplementing with a digestive enzyme to help with food break down and probiotics to help with assimilation of nutrients.

Dr. Joseph Brasco, Gastroenterologist, author, and medical consultant for Garden of Life

6. Our skin is our largest organ in the body and is highly efficient at eliminating toxins. Daily dry brushing of your entire body before showering will help exfoliate excess dry skin and stimulate your lymphatic system to help in additional detoxing.

Amy McDonald, VP of Living Spas, a company committed to offering green solutions for creating financial, environmental, and social sustainability to the hospitality industry.

7. Enjoy this ‘whole juice’ blend throughout your day.

Recipe from Kat James, author of The Truth About Beauty

Kat’s Beauty Detox Elixir

(makes 2 10-oz. Servings)

A tasty ‘whole juice’ blend for cleansing, circulation, and vibrant skin, consisting of dark, bitter greens (arugula, parsley, watercress), cabbage, a bit of beet and carrot, lots of ginger and lemon, fresh herbs, a touch of cayenne and stevia and organic aloe juice. This detox elixir, featured in The Truth About Beauty, if prepared in a Vita-Mix rather than a juicer, does not present the hard labor of juicing, the cost of a ton of produce, or the potential blood sugar spike juicing might cause. So instead of juicing about ten times the quantity of produce that you’d ever eat and discarding all the mineral-rich fiber (which is needed to keep the glycemic index of the elixir low), the total amount of produce you’ll use will amount to about one big salad, which saves a lot of money while creating a healthier elixir.

1 cup cold water or aloe juice (use aloe juice for added digestive healing and regularity)

1/3 cup of fresh parsley (alkalizing and removes heavy metals)

1/2 cup of fresh dark greens such as arugula, kale, or watercress (rich in detoxifying chlorophyll and enzymes)

1 piece of ginger, peeled (great for circulation and digestion)

1/2 lemon, scrubbed but not peeled (peel is rich in bioflavanoids which make the vitamin C work better; lemon is alkalizing and tastes great)

1/2 small beet (great blood cleanser)

Pinch of cayenne or 1/4 slice of small jalapeno pepper (digestive aid that tastes great; cayenne heals the stomach and reduces pain)

2 tsp. xylitol or stevia to taste (a natural sweetener, it smoothes out the taste and has many health benefits)

Bonus: a sprig of fresh herbs, such as thyme, tarragon, or basil

Put all ingredients into the Vita-Mix. Run the machine on speed #10 for 15 seconds, and then on high for another 15 seconds. Taste and then add any needed water, ice, or sweetener to taste and run on high again. Make it pretty thin, as it will thicken quickly as the soluble fiber absorbs the liquid. If you have leftover, you can use it up to half an hour later by refreshing it with cold ice and a little water.