How to Detox your Body Naturally

I don’t know about everyone else but I had way to much sugar and alcohol this weekend. While I absolutely love living in California and so close to wine country, one of the down sides is that I drink way more wine then I ever did before I moved here. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing :), but it does mean that I have to clean my system a little more often. Another down fall of mine is food! I absolutely love food! Most of my waking hours are spent thinking about food. Thankfully during the week I am so busy with work and kids that I don’t have as much time to dwell on it, but once the weekend comes around its go time. For me the weekend is when I splurge the most and eat things I normally wouldn’t during the week. Add this on top of it being a holiday weekend and it equals out way to much alcohol and sugar in my system. When this happens though I don’t let it stress me out, I just remind myself that I am human and I start over on Tuesday (Yes Tuesday, that is my Monday :)) and cleans my system and get things right.

When most people hear the word detox they start to think of fasting, herbal concoctions, lemon juice cleanses, and the list goes on and on. I know there is a lot of information out there about detoxing and some of it is really good and some of it is really bad. I am going to share with you some really easy ways to detox your body without having to buy a ton of expensive herbs or teas, eat crazy food for a week, or starve yourself. Remember I work full time, have 3 kids, a fur baby, and I am running my own business, blogging, and writing a book, if I can find time to do these simple things anyone can.

1. Drink water- Yes good old fashioned water. Water it the best way to get rid of toxins. When I say water I do mean water though, not crystal light, tea, Gatorade, coffee, or any other powdery substance you would normally add to water. Give your body a break and drink pure water.
2. Lemon Water- Lemon water is a great way to naturally detox your body and it has antioxidants to help fight off any free radicals that are left in your body. Drink lemon water first thing in the morning before you do anything else and before your go to bed at night.
3. Dry Brushing- Dry brushing is one of my favorite morning routines. It is such an easy way to cleanse your body of toxins, increase lymphatic flow in your body, which in turn promotes healthy circulation, and helps with cellulite. Yes ladies it helps with cellulite. It doesn’t happen overnight but if you dry brush every day for several months you will start to see a notable difference in the appearance of cellulite. This will also make your skin look and feel amazing!
4. Chia Seeds- I know you have probably heard me talk about these before and that is because I really do love these little guys! Chia seeds help clean out your liver and your liver is the organ that processes alcohol, fat, and sugar from your body. Your liver plays a really important and vital role in detoxifying your body on a regular basis so any help you can give it, is always greatly appreciated.
5. Skip Breakfast- Yes I said it, I know, I know, everyone has always told you breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, there is new research that shows that your body can benefit from intervals of fasting. I am not suggesting you go 24 hour without eating, but I am suggesting that you go 10-12 hours and let your body rest. What happens when you allow your body this break, is that it starts to cleans it’s self naturally because it is no longer having to work so hard to digest food. This is also a great way to help ad in weight loss also. I do this 1 or 2 times a week. Normally on Tuesday because it’s the beginning of my week.
6. Deep breathing- Breathing is one of the main ways we excrete toxins from our body. If you want to get the full release of toxins from your body it’s important to make sure you are taking nice deep breaths. I recommend stopping on the hour and taking a few nice deep breaths. You will notice that you will feel calmer and more relaxed and your body will thank you for it.
7. Epson and Sea Salt Bath- Taking an Epson and Sea salt bath is a great way to draw toxins out of your body. Epson salt will allow your muscles to relax and release toxins and sea salt will draw the toxins out of the skin. Your skin will start to perspire which is how our body releases toxins naturally. This is a great way to end your day.

As you can see these are really easy things you can incorporate into your daily life to help detox your body without being inconvenienced or financially burdened. I am a firm believer in the saying “ Your body is your temple” take care of your body and it will take care of you. 🙂

Holistic Remedies for Whiplash

I hope everyone had a nice and relaxing weekend. My weekend started a little earlier then I had planned. Normally I work on Saturday, so Sunday and Monday are my weekend. On Friday I was on my way to the bank on my lunch break and I got rear ended at a red light. This was followed up by 3 hours in the emergency room, some heavy drugs, and a nice case of whiplash. Luckily it was only whiplash because it could have been much worse. While I appreciate the doctor giving me drugs I am really of no use to anyone if I just sleep all day, and that is pretty much all I could do on muscle relaxers and pain medication.  Thankfully I have treated many clients over the years for whiplash so I knew how to give myself some relief without being drugged up all weekend.  

Here are my go to remedies for whiplash

1. Arnica- Arnica is a homeopathic remedy that can be taken internally and applied topically.  Arnica helps aid in healing and pain relief. I always keep this on hand in case someone gets hurt.
2. Ice- Ice is my best friend at the moment. It helps relieve pain and helps keep inflammation to a minimum.
3. Foam Rolling- If you remember my last blog about foam rolling, I gave some tips on exercises you can use for sore muscles. This is a great way to relieve some of the tension in your muscles associated with whiplash. Just go easy on these muscles because they will be sore, and wait at least 24 hours.
4. Water- Water is really important after an injury. Your body stores toxins and lactic acid in your muscles and it is important to flush as much of this out of your body as you can. This will aid in the healing process
5. Epson Salt Bath- Epson salt baths are a great way to relax muscles and aids in repairing strained muscles.
6. Aromatherapy- I use a combination of lavender, chamomile, rosemary, and peppermint. Each of these oils has therapeutic effects. The lavender and chamomile help with inflammation and pain, and the rosemary and peppermint help sooth sore muscles and relax them. Plus they smell really good 🙂
7. Massage-There is nothing more beneficial for whiplash then a massage. Massage will help relax all of the muscles that have been strained. It aids in breaking up adhesion’s and deactivating trigger points that may have formed. Make sure you wait at least 24 hours before going for a massage and make sure you let your massage therapist know you have whiplash.
8. Chiropractic Adjustment- I can’t say enough good things about the chiropractor. When you experience something like whiplash it normally misaligned your spine and this will cause swelling between your vertebral disks. Getting adjusted will realign your spine and it helps all of the muscles to relax and heal.

 Now you have my go to remedies for whiplash.One thing I can’t stress enough is to be sure you are seeking medical attention if you think you have whiplash! Neck and back injuries are nothing to play around with. If you are cleared from a doctor then defiantly try some of these remedies.