My word for 2021 is DETOX!

About 6 months after giving birth to Faith, I struggled with bad BRAIN FOG. At first, I chocked it up to postpartum “mom brain” but when it continued past Faith’s first birthday, I knew something else was going on. I ran some tests and BOOM! mold showed up like crazy. After running some other tests, I discovered that our rental home had very high mold levels, which is a common phenomenon in Florida. Because I was still nursing Faith, I was torn on what to do! In the meantime, I decided to work on ‘rebuilding”.

Here are some things I did…

  • Increased my electrolyte intake with things like Quinton (purified sea water) and humic minerals. Super easy and I just added these to my water.
  • Supported my digestion with digestive bitters and pancreatic enzymes
  • Added in probiotic-rich foods and Just Thrive probiotic.
  • Nourished my glandular system by not consuming caffeine

I decided to wean Faith near her 2nd birthday, which was such a hard decision! Whew! But, mama had to take care of herself 🙂 Now that my body is “back to myself”, here are some DETOX strategies I will be employing in 2021…

1. Drink celery juice upon awakening

Have you heard about the celery juice phenomenon? Have a peek at this Instagram page, Celery Juice Heals, or look up the IG hashtag #celeryjuicechallenge to see what I’m talking about! Devotees who drink this elixir each morning claim it heals everything from eczema, psoriasis, infertility, chronic fatigue syndrome, brain fog, migraines and more!

I drink 5 days a week and notice my kidney function improves (pinker nail beds and more copious pee) and my skin softens, probably from the liver boosting effects.

Wanna give it a try?

  • Each morning, wash and juice 16 ounces of organic celery and drink immediately (1 head of organic celery usually yields about 16 ounces)
  • Wait 20-30 minutes before you eat anything
  • Clean your juicer
  • DONE!

Skin-brush-health-mamanatural

2. Skin brush before bathing

Your skin is your largest organ, and also plays an important role in daily detoxification. In fact, it can excrete up to 2 pounds of toxins daily! So  treat it well and keep your pores unclogged through daily skin brushing. This simple practice can stimulate your lymphatic system and enhance blood flow. It can help to reduce the sight of cellulite and improve skin tone. Most importantly, it removes dead skin cells, allowing toxins to leave the body through the skin.

How to skin brush: Start at your ankles and brush your way upwards towards the heart. Then move to your wrists and work your way up towards your heart again. Be sure to use a skin brush like this one that’s firm enough to stimulate the body, but also gentle enough so you won’t damage your skin. I find it best to do skin brushing in the morning, as it has a stimulating effect, and I like to shower right after to clean away any dead skin cells.

3. Do a castor oil pack series

Three days a week I do a castor oil pack. This little practice is a mighty detox tool! While it has a reputation of being messy or cumbersome, I find it rather easy.

Here are the instructions:

  • Boil a quart of water
  • Pour into a hot water bottle, seal and set aside.
  • Pour 1-2 tablespoon(s) of organic castor oil on your belly. I like to slather the oil over my liver, uterus and lower bowel.
  • Place an organic flannel cloth on top of belly and oil.
  • Take a tea towel and place on top of the flannel cloth.
  • Place the hot water bottle on top of tea towel.
  • Sit and relax for 20-30 minutes. This is a great time to meditate or read!

When completed, remove hot water bottle and dump contents. Put tea towel in laundry. Fold up flannel towel and store in plastic bag or glass container and store in refrigerator. You can reuse this flannel 50+ times!

Clean up by folding up flannel towel and storing in plastic bag or glass container and refrigerate.

The general rule is 3 days on and 3 days off. You can also just do 1 castor oil pack per week (or per month!). Whatever works for you and schedule. I wouldn’t recommend doing every single day though so keep the 3 days on, 3 days off rule as a guide if you want to do more often.

4. Sweat every day

Sweating is an EXCELLENT way to detox each day. I go to the gym about 3 days a week to get my heart rate elevated and the sweat flowing. I also sit in my sauna each night. Because saunas can be “draining” for some, don’t feel like you have to sit in the sauna for hours. No! Even just 10 minutes a day can make a big difference. According to one practitioner and sauna expert, we actually release a lot of our toxins within the first 10 minutes of the sweating in the sauna.

5. Move the lymph system

Walking every day… shooting for 10,000 steps per day. Or jumping on my rebounder. Skin brushing. Fasciablasting. All of these practices help us move our lymph system, a major player in our detoxification process.

To track your steps, you can use this fitness watch that doesn’t use EMF if you disengage the heart rate and blue tooth monitors. Or, use an old-school, EMF-free option.

6. Eat a raw carrot daily

Daily Detox Salad

Did you know that the fiber in carrots helps to bind endotoxins in the gut? One study showed that daily consumption of a raw carrot reduced serum cholesterol by 11%, increased fecal bile acid and fat excretion by 50%, and increased stool weight by 25%. This suggests a positive change in bacterial flora or metabolism. Dr. Ray Peat also finds women with problems associated with high estrogen levels found relief when they consumed a raw carrot daily. You can eat your carrot straight up or in the form of this delicious detox salad. (Do not peel your carrot! Just wash well.)

7. Tame the technology

cellphone-radiation-EMF

It’s nearly impossible to live today without a computer and cell phone, but all of the electronic exposure can have consequences. Not only are too many EMFs harmful, social media is actually associated with increased levels of depression and anxiety. We need to protect ourselves from the onslaught of information coming at us each day. I recently deleted my Twitter app and will only check the news once or twice per day.

Some simple ways to reduce EMFs:

You can also grab my free 1-pager that gives you more tips to reduce EMF exposure here.

Speaking of technology, try to keep your screen time (TVs, computers, even cell phones) to a minimum after 8 p.m. If not possible, then try a for just a few days a week or wear these sexy glasses while you are using electronics past dusk. This is because lights and screens contain significant levels of blue light, which shift circadian rhythms, disrupt sleep, and can lead to increased risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. You can learn more about sleep tips here.

8. Daily devotional

Taking time out to connect with God is a wonderful way to strengthen your spirit. Each day, I either listen to the Lectio365, read the Bible or journal to connect with Him and keep a heavenly perspective. These daily practices help me be a better person, wife, parent, daughter and friend.

How about YOU?

What are you resolving to be or do in 2021? Share with us!

Reference:

  • https://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/
  • https://www.care2.com/greenliving/16-health-benefits-of-lemons.html
  • https://blog.fitbit.com/the-magic-of-10000-steps/
  • https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side

 

 

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