Regardless of whether or not you smoke, drink, eat right or exercise, environmental toxins are inescapable. It’s a sad truth that comes with living in our modern world. Just to name a few sources, toxins are found in pollution, pesticides in food, and chemicals in plastics and cosmetics. It’s important to remember that people are part of the environment, not separate from it. Whatever toxins harm and pollute the earth have the potential to harm and pollute us.

An internal cleanse (or “detox”) is a natural, healthy way to gently rid the body of some of the dangerous environmental toxins stored in its cells. Historically, many cultures embraced cleansing as part of a healthy lifestyle, including ancient Chinese medicine and saunas. The human body naturally cleanses itself, yet it becomes overwhelmed by new environmental toxins that it did not have to deal with generations ago. Therefore, cleansing is increasingly important due to the vast increase in chemicals in our society.

Today, popular cleansing programs come in a wide variety of forms, including supplement packages, blends of tea, and smoothie mixes, and usually last for one or two weeks. After all the heavy, comfort food from winter (not to mention getting ready for swimsuit season) spring is the perfect time for a whole body cleanse.

Cleansing Benefits

Everyone is different, and will experience slightly different benefits. Some of the benefits of detoxing are:

• Increased energy
• Better sleep
• Improved digestion
• Reduced allergies
• You may even shed a few pounds in the process!

Please note: cleanses are not for everyone. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have any serious health issues, or are taking any medications, speak to your doctor before cleansing.

What cleanse is right for me?

When choosing a cleanse, it’s important to choose one that’s right for you, and that you know you’ll be able to commit to for the entire time period. Generally, the longer the cleanse, the more it will do. One-week cleanses usually only address water soluble toxins, whereas two-week cleanses are able to tackle the more important fat soluble toxins (toxins that are trapped in fat cells).

However, popular starvation cleanses (though heavily promoted) are not safe or effective. These include the famous “Master Cleanse”—also known as the “Lemonade Diet”. This “cleanse” requires high amounts of sugar (from maple syrup) to keep you going, and enough cayenne pepper to keep your body temperature high enough, as the body is starved of key nutrients. The same goes for “cleanses” consisting only of laxatives.

It’s also important that you choose a cleanse from a reliable company. It should have enough nutrients and vitamins to keep you energized and healthy while removing toxins from your body.

Good ingredients to look for include:

• herbs such as milk thistle, which detoxifies the liver
• fibre (soluble and insoluble) to bind to waste and carry it out of the body
• vitamins and minerals, which support the body’s normal processes
• protein and amino acids, to provide long-term energy
• antioxidants, which bind to harmful free radicals released in the cleansing process
• probiotics, to support the immune system

How do I cleanse?

Most cleanses require dietary restrictions. Basically, you don’t want to add toxins to your body when you’re trying to remove them.

Avoid:

• Alcohol
• Caffeine (including green tea, although herbal tea is usually allowed)
• Junk food
• Artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives
• Dairy products (can be difficult to digest, and often have added hormones)
• Gluten (a difficult-to-digest protein found in wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, and other grains, pastas and cereals)

Reduce:

• Refined sugar
• Highly acidic foods, such as tomatoes and vinegars
• Red meats (often have added hormones)

All cleanses differ, but generally, foods allowed include:

• Lots of water! (and herbal tea)
• Lean protein, such as skinless chicken and fish (except for tuna due to mercury)
• Nuts and seeds (these provide long term energy and healthy fats)
• Fresh veggies (organic is best, to avoid pesticides)
• Fresh fruit
• Brown rice
• Beans, lentils and other legumes
• Herbs for seasoning

It’s important to stay motivated. Remember, it’s only one or two weeks long, and to get the benefits, its important to complete it. Try to get a friend or two on board with you, so you can motivate each other. And although it’s hard, when the cleanse is over, don’t go overboard on the junk food to make up for lost time! If you follow the rules and complete the program, your body will thank you and you’ll feel great.

Happy spring cleaning!

Photo credit: woodleywonderworks

While certainly a topic of perennial and vehement debate, most nutritionists and studies agree that the human consumption of animal meat is part of a balanced diet. The proteins found in animal meat and fat contain all the essential amino acids the body needs to grow, and are often more easily assimilated by the body than proteins found in a vegetarian diet. Dr Weston Price, a leading researcher of traditional diets who conducted vast studies of indigenous tribes in the 1930s, found that animal meat and fat was the singular most important dietary component among the tribes he studied, inhabiting all extremes of conditions, from the coldest to the warmest regions on earth.

However, it is absolutely possible to obtain all the necessary nutritional elements the body needs from a vegetarian diet. The problem is that many people choose to become vegetarians without spending time studying how to be a healthy vegetarian. Because it is harder to obtain all the necessary vitamins, minerals and proteins the body needs from a non-meat diet, it is important that vegetarians have a strong grasp of the right foods they must eat, as well as the quantity and combination of foods, in order to maintain a healthy, balanced nutritional composition.

Healthy vegetarians make a daily effort to monitor their nutritional intake, particularly in regard to certain vitamins that are more easily found in animal meat, most notably Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Calcium, Zinc, Riboflavin, Iron and especially Vitamin B-12. The right combination of foods is required so that the vitamins are activated and ingested in the right amounts. From a Chinese medicine perspective, which highly values a nutritional balance among foods that fall across the dietary spectrum, this article is invaluable in learning to become a healthy vegetarian.

For a more Western perspective, read this article from the Mayo Clinic, or this excellent list of vegetarian nutrition resources from the Vegetarian Resource Group.

Fresh air and sunshine (and the vitamin D it provides) are good for you.  But too much sun exposure can have adverse effects on the health of your skin.  Premature aging, dryness, sun spots and even skin cancer can result.  But this time of year we are all itching for a bit of summer glow.

The chic and safe way to sun these days isn’t the natural way.  In this case, fake is better.  So, rather than laying in the sun or going to the tanning bed to get your bronze on, check out the safe, nontoxic tanning creams on the market.

These are not the toxin-laden tanning lotions of our youth that left our bodies (and palms) orange and streaky.  The new crop of nontoxic tanning creams leave you with a natural glow, none of the streakiness, and can be used in place of your regular moisturizer.

Top Nontoxic Tanning Lotions for Your Summer Glow

• Lavera Sunless Tan – Self Tanning Lotion – A moisturizing lotion with a fresh, pleasant scent that provides a natural looking tan in just a couple of hours.  Super easy to use and the results never disappoint.  $26.00
• Sante Self-Tanning Lotion – Use this organic tanner to build a gradual tan, once for a lighter tan or several days in a row for a darker bronze.  $18.99
• Lavera FACES Summer Glow – Face Self-Tanner – For light hydration you can use in place of your warm weather moisturizer.  Gives a very natural glow to face, absolutely no streakiness and the tan lasts a few days.  Use every other day for consistent color.   $17.85
• Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate – To even out skin tone and give skin a subtle glow mix with your usual moisturizer.  Suitable for all skin types and complexions.  $40.00

These nontoxic self-tanners use Dihydroxyaceton, or DHA (found in sugar beets or sugarcane) or minerals to provide natural looking color and are packed with vitamins and flower extracts to soothe and protect the skin.  A much healthier way to get your summer glow.