When was the last time you took your car for a service? You know, oil change, lube, tune up, the whole nine yards? I know I’ve just pushed a button and you may feel a little guilty right now because your vehicle is way past the suggested date on the little oil change sticker on your windshield.

Is It Time To Detox? | DoshaFit®Easy fix, pick up the phone, make an appointment with the garage. You know that if you wait too long sludge keeps piling up, your engine gets sluggish and you are in for expensive repairs in the future.

Why on earth am I talking about your car? Well, many of us treat their vehicles better then their bodies. Because you are aware of the ramifications if you don’t. Costly repairs, possible downtime without your car while it’s in the shop, facing a big inconvenience in your life.

Guess what, it’s the same with your body. Your body is taxed and thrown about and around every day. It’s exposed to stressors, emotional, environmental, digestive stress. Toxins get into your system, toxins from food, the air you breathe, the products you may put on your skin, your environment, toxic relationships, chronic stress. So is it time to detox?

 

These are all factors that can accumulate toxic matter in your cells and your digestive system.

 

The foods we eat every day, even if unprocessed and organic, also put a load on our system. Over time everything that doesn’t get digested, be that on a physical level or a mental or emotional level, gets stored in our cells as toxic matter. Waste matter that needs to be secreted. Flushed out.

Digestive toxins happen when our food doesn’t get digested properly. This can be due to a less then perfect diet, fast food, junk foods, too many snacks throughout the day, excessive eating.

It can also be caused by a chronically low digestive fire. We call it Agni in Ayurveda.

If your digestive capacity, Agni, can’t keep up with the food you put in, your body isn’t able to seperate waste from nutrients as it should. What happens is that nutrients from the food you eat don’t get absorbed and utilized as they should be, and waste matter doesn’t get eliminated as efficiently as necessary.

This digestive waste that has no purpose in your body will turn toxic and will be absorbed and stored as fat.

 

You may feel bogged down. Bloated. Heavy. Sick. Toxic.

 

It’s time to detox!

Now, all this sounds horrible. But don’t fret. Just as it’s easy to make an appointment for your car, you can also schedule some time for your own “engine” to be flushed.

Many people chose to undergo a seasonal detox where they take a certain amount of time at the change of seasons to chose lighter foods and introduce some habits that help flush our system clean of toxic matter in a safe way.

 

Here are some simple steps you can follow to take a load off your system.

Is It Time To Detox? | DoshaFit®

  • Chose seasonal, local foods. That means chose foods that are locally grown and are current in the season you are in. These foods are easily found at a local farmers market at low cost.
  • Chose foods that are high in fibre. Whole grains (if you are Gluten Intolerant pick the appropriate ones for you), green leafy and cruciferous vegetables, fresh fruit, apples, pears, whatever is in season.
  • Drink plenty of warm water. Warm water will help loosen waste material in your body and also hydrates better then cold water. You might want to up your water intake if you are not used to eating a diet higher in fibre. Drink plenty of water to flush out your system.
  • Eliminate alcohol, dairy, bread and flour products, and meat products from your diet. These items are more difficult to digest and contribute to the toxicity in your gut. This is only for a short time, I’m sure you’ll be able to live without these foods for a few days.
  • Light exercise. When you put your body under a detox regime your energy may initially drop. This is not the time to run a marathon. Yet light exercise is very important during your detox. Movement helps your body mobilize and eliminate toxic material more efficiently. Try a gentle yoga practice, some light cardio, or brisk walking.
  • Get guidance. If you haven’t detoxed before this may all be new to you and might look a little scary. Don’t let this be a reason for you to not give it a try. You can follow the 14 Day Fully Guided Cleansing program on this site. This is a great start if you are a first time cleanser but will also give you a different option if you have followed other cleanses before.

 

How do I know when to detox?

 

Is It Time To Detox? | DoshaFit®Look at your tongue in the mirror. Do you see a white or yellow coating on your tongue? If you do, and you know it’s not from the last food you ate or coffee you drank, then it’s probably time for a detox!

 

Detoxing is a great healing experience. It’s the biggest “service” you can do your body. You will feel fresher and lighter when you are done. You may even drop a few pounds on the way.

 

I would love to hear about your own experience with detoxing and see share some words of wisdoms with any “first time cleansers”. Please share your thoughts below.

 

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Claudia Richey is a Victoria, B.C. based Personal Trainer and Ayurvedic Practitioner. She is passionate about sharing her unique approach of training and eating according to ones Body-Mind Constitution with other health professionals as well as using it on an ongoing basis with her own clients to help them reach their goals!