How To Detox For Beautiful Skin?

Spring Clean Your Skin From Within

A detox program is an excellent way to revitalize your skin and improve your health.

It’s all about cleaning out your system, revising your diet and giving your digestive system a break.

When you detox you give your body the chance to get rid of unwanted accumulated waste products know as toxins.

And if you detox on a regular basis you’ll soon reap the rewards of increased energy, vibrant, glowing skin and improved mental abilities – a detox can clear out the mind too! Good for mind, body and spirit a detox program may be right for you if your skin is showing signs of stress. If you suffer from any of the following skin conditions you may want to consider a detox program:

Persistent spots and pimples
Excessively oily or dry skin
Blotchy skin
Itchy skin conditions
Dull, gray looking complexion

Even if you have none of the above skin problems you may want to consider a detox for other health reasons. Further signs and symptoms that may indicate that your body is overloaded with toxins include:

Mood swings and irritability
Fatigue and lethargy
Poor concentration levels and poor memory
Anxiety
Insomnia
Indigestion, bloating, constipation and/or irritable bowel syndrome
Persistent blocked nose and stuffiness
Halitosis (bad breath)
Smelly feet
Recurring yeast infections
Sexual dysfunction
Frequent headaches
Frequent colds and viruses like herpes or influenza
Swollen, red and/or itchy eyes

What Are Toxins?

Toxins accumulate via waste products within the body when elimination is not effective or adequate.

These harmful substances build up over time as a result of poor diets high in the wrong kinds of foods, from smoking, alcohol, and from too much sugar in the diet. Exposure to pollution is also to blame for toxin accumulation as is stress.

The liver, kidneys, digestive and lymph systems all work to eliminate toxins from the body but sometimes they cannot cope with the overload.

When we reach toxin overload our skin, hair and nails are likely to be affected first, we may then start to fell generally lethargic and ‘unwell’ most of or a lot of the time.

Give Your Digestive System A Break

Spring-cleaning the inside of your body gives your digestive system a break from the constant bombardment of a poor diet.

Giving your system a rest by detoxing allows it to cleanse, recharge and function more effectively in the long term.

Other Reasons To Detox

Your skin may not be showing signs of toxin overload but if any of the following are a regular part of your lifestyle you may be susceptible to toxin overload and might want to consider a detox program:

You live in a busy town or city
You diet is high in processed foods
You drink lots of caffeinated drinks including tea and coffee
You crave and consume a lot of sugary or fatty foods
You work shifts
You are experiencing high levels of stress

Who Should Not Detox?

Don’t detox if you are pregnant, are on prescribed medication or are underweight.
Don’t detox if you have cancer, ulcers, suffer from heart or kidney disease or any other serious condition.
Don’t detox if you are over 75 or less than 18 years of age.
Don’t detox if you are under a lot of emotional stress.
Don’t detox if you are training for a very physical sports event like a marathon.

You should always check with your doctor first if you plan to follow a detox program.

How To Detox

There are various detox programs available but for beginners it is best to start with a 1-day detox. Some programs recommend going for a full day with just water to drink but this can be dangerous and we think this should be avoided.

We will show you how to detox without denying yourself food later.

You can set yourself a ‘detox day’ once a month or more frequently, some people build up to one detox day per week but it is better to start off gently and slowly.

You can also also build up from a 1-day to 3-day detox – but this must be done very carefully and you should not restrict your food intake for longer than 3 days.

Planning Your Detox

1. Make sure you set aside a good time to detox. A time when you know you will not be tempted by other people’s bad habits and when you know you will have some peace and quiet.

2. Detoxing can cause headaches and tiredness so it’s important that you rest and relax as much as you can during a detox. A walk in the fresh air can be beneficial but on your detox day don’t take part in any vigorous form of exercise.

3. Keep your fluid intake high with plenty of water and fresh natural fruit and vegetable juices. This will help the elimination process, flush your entire system out and ensure that your system becomes more effective in the future.

4. Headaches, nausea, strong-smelling urine, catarrh, bad breath, body odor and a furry tongue are, believe it or not, good signs! They signify that the cleansing process is in action.

It’s best to avoid taking painkillers if at all possible as this will diminish the positive effects you are trying to achieve. The more often you detox the less you will experience these not-so-pleasant side effects. Another good reason to detox when you know you have some time alone!

5. Ignore set meal times and just eat from the ‘allowed’ foods list whenever you feel hungry. The point is not to starve yourself.

A 1-Day Skin Boosting Detox Plan

You can eat any fresh fruits, vegetables and seeds you like during this 1-day detox plan, in any combination. Plain, natural yoghurt is also allowed. If possible choose organic produce.

On Waking

Begin the day with a large cup of water that has been boiled but cooled down to a warm or tepid temperature. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice as this is a powerful skin cleanser and tonic.

If you prefer try a large cup of herbal tea or a glass of filtered water – you can also add lemon juice.

If you enjoy juicing you could juice a combination of fruits or a single fruit to make a pure, natural juice drink. Don’t use shop-bought juice however.

Breakfast

Choose any kind of fruit and eat whole, you can also make a fruit salad. Any combination of fruits is fine but make sure you eat enough. One piece of fruit won’t fill you up for long.

Mid-Morning

Have another large cup of herbal tea or glass of water. Then try a handful of seeds; a mix of pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds is a good choice. You can also have another piece fruit of 3 or 4 pieces of dried fruit like apricots, dates, figs or prunes.

Lunch

Choose one of the following three options:

1. Make a large salad with any combination of vegetables, you can sprinkle on a small amount of homemade salad dressing of olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle some sesame seeds over the salad or just eat plain.

2. Make a vegetable stir-fry if you prefer something warm. Fresh garlic and ginger can be added to a stir-fry to enhance the taste and sesame seeds can be sprinkled over the veg to add texture. Don’t over cook the vegetables.

3. Another good choice for colder weather is a vegetable soup or stew. Boil up the vegetables in water and then blend or mash to make a soup-like consistency if you prefer soup to stew. Add garlic to taste if required.

Mid-Afternoon

Have another large glass of filtered water or large cup of herbal tea. Enjoy another piece of fruit (not citrus as this is too acidic at this time) and another handful of seed mix.

Evening Meal

Choose one of the options from the lunch section but make it different to the one you had at lunch.

Before Bed

One hour before bed have another glass of water or a cup of herbal tea. Chamomile tea is a perfect evening drink as it is soothing and aids restful sleep.

Also have a small carton of natural plain yoghurt – sheep or goat’s milk is preferable but cow’s milk yoghurt is also acceptable.

*** We recommend you follow this plan for 1 day only ***

Breaking Your Detox Fast

It is important to break from the detox gently. Waking up the next day and immediately tucking into a cooked breakfast and cup of hot fresh coffee could leave you feeling nauseous or upset your stomach.

Begin the next day with fruits – maybe have a small yoghurt at lunchtime and include whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat or amaranth to stewed or stir-fried vegetables for lunch or your evening meal.

If you return to meat on the second day make sure you only consume a small portion of easily digested meat like chicken or turkey. Pulses, beans and legumes are an ideal way to re-introduce protein based foods to your diet.

Added Benefits

The point of a detox is to improve your health and your skin but also to give you a break from poor dietary habits. You may find that after a detox you naturally want to select healthier foods anyway and avoid foods that are over processed or high in fat.

Your taste buds have been revitalized and hopefully making healthier food choice will now be easier – one thing’s for sure – your skin will love you for it!

Detoxing And Facial Exercises

Detoxing is a powerful way to improve your skin’s complexion and achieve that desirable healthy glow. Combining a detox with facial exercises is the perfect solution for an aging face.

You can improve the tone and texture of your skin with a detox. Facial exercises also improve your complexion but in addition give you the added extra of firming up slack skin and minimizing wrinkles.