9 Questions You Need to Ask Before Starting a Detox Cleanse

You may be considering a detox diet, but you shouldn’t put your wellbeing on the line without first asking some important questions. With that in mind, we’re here to answer every wellness question you have about detox cleanses:

 

1. What is a cleanse? While cleanses vary in intensity, they generally involve eliminating all the “bad stuff” from your body. Sometimes this is done by only drinking water for a few days, while other cleanses ask you to stick to juice, whole foods and/or fruits and vegetables. The name of the game is ridding your body of processed foods filled with refined sugar, white flour, and sodium.

 

2. Do you need to detox? Everyone has a different approach to detoxing; some people choose to do it once in a blue moon, while others detox several times per year. Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to do a detox if you’re feeling run down or lethargic, you’ve slacked off on healthy eating and/or you’ve put on added pounds.

 

3. How do you get started? Once you’ve chosen a detox cleanse to suit you, head to your local greengrocers or supermarket and stock up on everything you need for the week. The general rule of thumb is to eat nothing but whole foods, and stick to water where possible. Fresh juices and herbal teas are also good options, but make sure these are the only things you have in your home. If you only have your detox options available to you, you’re less likely to give in to sugary temptation.

 

4. What size portions should you eat? Check the recipes of your detox cleanse to find out the recommended serving size, and then stick to it! We often have a warped idea of what constitutes a “serving” so it’s good to keep within official limits.

 

5. What foods should you avoid? When you’re shopping for detox cleanse ingredients, make sure you read the label on everything you purchase. It may seem like a lot of effort, but it’s vital that you avoid all refined sugar, white flour, fizzy drinks (including diet), and fried foods.

 

6. Will you be hungry? How hungry you feel during a detox cleanse depends on how much you normally eat. Since these programmes are all about clean eating and portion control – rather than starving yourself – you should feel free to add an extra snack from the options listed in your plan.

 

7. Will you lose weight? While weight loss will depend on how much you were eating before and how “unclean” your diet was, it’s very likely that you will lose some weight. Exercising during the week of eating clean will also rev up your weight loss results. The idea of a detox cleanse isn’t to just lose weight in a seven-day window and then stop; it’s to lose a dramatic amount of weight to kick-start a long-term weight loss plan. Seven days alone is not enough for sustainable weight loss.

 

8. How will you feel? It’s easy to see how switching from processed, unhealthy foods to eating clean can help you feel better all over. That said, some people do experience a not-so-great transition period as their bodies detoxify. Giving up caffeine, for example, can lead to temporary minor skin breakouts or headaches. To speed this process along, you should drink plenty of water to flush out the built-up toxins in your body.

 

9. Can you return to eating as you did before once the week is over? While you can return to your old diet, the likelihood is that the amount of energy you feel after eating clean will make you want to continue eating a healthier diet. It is OK to indulge in a “cheat meal” ever so often, but your goal should be to eat clean 99% of the time.

 

Categories: Cleanse, detox, detox cleanse, eating, Lose weight, nbsp, refined sugar, sugar white, Weight Loss, white flour

Cleanse Your Diet with These 10 Yummy Shakes and Salads

If you’re looking to enhance your weight loss wellness, you might be tempted by a cleanse diet. According to Candice Kumai, author of Cook Yourself Thin and The Skinny Bitch Cookbook, clean green drinks are the secret to a lean body and better overall wellbeing. Kumai’s new clean green drinks plan includes a number of delicious recipes to help you lose weight and maximise nutrition. She adds, ‘Feel free to mix and match smoothies throughout the week, and cook up a delicious, clean, and satisfying meal for dinner.’ So, let’s take a look at the smoothies and dinners available on Kumai’s cleanse diet.

 

1. The Chocolate Morning Wake-up Smoothie: Kumai instructs, ‘Combine one cup unsweetened almond milk, one cup baby spinach, one frozen banana, one tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, one tablespoon superfood greens, two tablespoons protein powder, and one cup ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two servings.)’

 

2. The Blueberry Protein Power Shake: ‘Combine two cups unsweetened almond milk, one frozen banana, two cups frozen blueberries, one scoop (1/4 cup) protein powder, and one cup ice in a blender,’ says Kumai. ‘Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two to four servings.)’

 

3. The Quinoa & Clean Greens Salad: Kumai outlines, ‘Prepare a vinaigrette made with two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, two tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, three tablespoons lemon juice, and one tablespoon dried oregano. Combine four cups cooked and cooled quinoa with six to eight thinly sliced radishes, two cups mixed greens, 1/4 thinly sliced red onion. Toss salad with dressing and top with 1/2 thinly sliced avocado and a few more radish slices. (Makes six servings.)’

 

4. The Breakfast Blend: Combine two cups unsweetened almond milk, two cups baby spinach, one and a half cups frozen blueberries, one frozen banana, 1/4 cup superfood greens, one teaspoon spirulina, and one cup ice in a blender,’ Kumai details. ‘Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes three servings.)’

 

5. The Super Hemp Smoothie: Kumai notes, ‘Combine one cup coconut almond milk, one cup baby spinach, one tablespoon superfood greens, 1/2 frozen banana, two cups blueberries, two tablespoons hemp protein powder, one tablespoon spirulina, and one teaspoon hempseed oil (optional) in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two servings.)’

 

6. Brussels Sprout Clean Green Salad: ‘Make dressing with two teaspoons honey, three tablespoons apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt,’ Kumai suggests. ‘Toss dressing with 1 1/2 pounds thinly shaved Brussels sprouts, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and 1/4 cup thinly sliced toasted almonds, Top with a little grated Pecorino Romano cheese. (Makes four to six servings.)’

 

7. The Green Sunshine Smoothie: Kumai explains, ‘Combine one cup unsweetened almond milk, two cups baby spinach, one frozen banana, 1/2 fuji apple, one tablespoon superfood, one tablespoon spirulina, and one cup ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two servings.)’

 

8. Creamy Pumpkin Smoothie: ‘Combine one and a half cups unsweetened almond milk, 3/4 cup organic pumpkin puree, one frozen banana, 1/2 Bartlett pear, 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice, one scoop (two tablespoons) pea protein, and 1/2 cup ice in a blender,’ says Kumai. ‘Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two servings.)’

 

9. Clean Green Roasted Spaghetti Squash: Kumai directs, ‘Roast one spaghetti squash in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes or until fork-tender. Scrape out squash strands and serve with marinara sauce and a little Parmesan cheese.’

 

10. The Green Banana Mint: Kumai instructs, ‘Combine one cup almond milk, three cups baby spinach, one frozen banana, one scoop (1/4 cup) protein powder, three tablespoons mint, two tablespoons ground flaxseed, and one cup ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes four servings.)’

Categories: almond milk, baby spinach, blender blend, Cleanse, cup ice, frozen banana, salads, serve immediately, servings nbsp, smooth serve, smoothies, unsweetened almond

What Are The Best Yoga Poses to Cleanse Your Mind?

Do you feel tired, heavy and bloated? There is a complementary therapy that could help improve your wellness and wellbeing in this regard: yoga. Yoga can help to shed toxins and restore your energy. As you twist, breathe, balance and cleanse your body, the yoga restores your natural energy flow and gives you an automatic detox.

 

There are some yoga positions that are best to help you cleanse your mind, and the first of these is the child’s pose. To do this, curl up and then spend a few minutes making your breath deeper and deeper. Yogic breathing is called Ujjayi breathing, too – when you breathe in and out of your nose, keeping your lips sealed.

 

When you feel calm and ready, move on into downward facing dog position. Stretch out your arms in front of you and place them on the floor. Curl your toes underneath you and push your bottom up towards the ceiling. Hold this position and take ten deep, calming breaths.

 

Next, move on to the revolved crescent lunge. To do this, you need to inhale and lift your right leg up as high as you can and then step down between your hands, pressing up into a high lunge. Move your hands together to your heart, and then twist to the right, putting your left elbow onto the outside of your right knee – this is the revolved crescent lunge. Take ten deep, yogic breaths. Release your hands and place them back on the mat in the downward facing dog pose.

 

The mountain pose is a bit like downward facing dog, except that you walk your feet up to the top of the mat, closer to your hands. Inhale as you press up into the mountain pose, and hold it for a few breaths.

 

If you practise all these poses regularly, they will help to improve your circulation and make you feel better, fitter and stronger overall.

Categories: breaths nbsp, Cleanse, crescent lunge, downward facing, facing dog, hands, mind, mountain pose, nbsp, poses, revolved crescent, yoga

Get the Skinny: Wellness Expert Trials 10-Day Cleanse

Whether you’ve read about them in the glossy pages of celebrity magazine, or your friend at work is trying one out in preparation for the big Christmas Do, everyone has heard of detoxing. This weight loss technique is a huge favourite with dieters trying to get in shape in a hurry, but is it actually going to benefit your wellbeing long-term? Luckily, wellness expert Nicola Conville, creator of myhealthyfamily.com, recently trialled the Dietlicious 10-day Cleanse, and now we’re passing her findings on to you.

 

Conville enthuses, ‘I do love a good detox plan. I have been doing detoxes once or twice a year for the past 10 years and have been amazed how much they have evolved in that time. Forget subsisting on carrot sticks and repackaged laxatives, the modern cleanse features clean, delicious, wholesome food. With some careful planning, it’s possible to go DIY, but if you want a plan that’s easy to follow and stick to, there are some fabulous companies that will deliver healthy meals to your door so you don’t have to do a thing.’ So, how did Conville get on with the Dietlicious 10-day Cleanse?

 

Day One: Conville recalls, ‘I wake up with a sore throat and thumping headache – not a good start. I consider postponing the cleanse but then remind myself that all that fresh food will probably help me recover faster. I drink a delicious watermelon, mint and acai smoothie for brekkie and feel much better. While the food is yummy, I do find myself feeling hungry through the day so I snack on cashews and bananas to fill myself up.’

 

Day Two: ‘The temptation to order a coffee is strong,’ Conville admits. ‘So I cheat a little and get a decaf. My mouth waters at the sight of some delicious cakes at my local bakery but I know it’s just a case of wanting what I can’t have! For lunch I have spinach chana dhal with basmati rice and dinner is barramundi with fresh veggies.’

 

Day Three: Conville relates, ‘This is the hardest day so far as withdrawals really kick in. I miss coffee, I miss wine, I miss chocolate. The mango and chia seed smoothie I have for brekkie gives me the sweet hit I need. My daily cup of ginger tea is proving very addictive too.’

 

Day Six: ‘I am really in full swing now – and more than halfway through the plan,’ Conville notes. ‘The food is yummy and so easy to prepare and I don’t feel as hungry as I did at the start of the plan. It seems my body is readjusting to eating lighter, fresher meals.’

 

Day Eight: ‘Only a few days left to go and I am feeling light and fresh,’ Conville asserts. ‘I am moving quicker and my skinny jeans are feeling a little looser. I no longer have a 3pm craving for chocolate; instead I snack on mixed nuts or fruit and have a peppermint tea. I love the feeling of having good energy levels all day long and I am sleeping like a baby.’

 

Day Ten: On the last day, Conville details, ‘I have a frittata for brekkie and enjoy my last meal of salmon with chermoula and sweet potato mash. I have no real desire to drink wine or wolf down a pizza, but I am looking forward to cooking and preparing my own meals again and eating with my family.’

 

So how is life after the Dietlicious 10-day Cleanse? ‘While a detox is not for the faint-hearted, it’s a great way to get your health back on track and develop some good habits,’ Conville comments. ‘I have found that if I bring nuts and fruit to work with me I don’t even think about hitting the vending machine at 3pm. It really is all about the planning. I’ve also cut my daily coffee to two to three times weekly, and am drinking more tea instead. If you do go on a detox, plan it well, let everyone around you know what you’re doing so they’ll be supportive (no nicking your food!) and phase in and out of the cleanse gently rather than indulging before and afterwards, however tempting it might be!’

Categories: 10-Day Cleanse, Cleanse, conville, day cleanse, detox, feeling, Food, nbsp, nbsp day, Planning, wellness expert