Day 8
Pre-cleanse Prep Day 8
Today we take a look at more health tips to support your healthy lifestyle: drinking pure water, adequate sleep, daily exercise, and self-care/bodywork.
Cleanse Tip 2: Drink Lots of Pure Water
"Water is fundamental to all life on earth."
~ ELSON HAAS, M.D.
Next to oxygen, water is the most necessary substance for life. It composes 75% of your brain, 83% of your blood, and 75% of your muscles. It regulates body temperature, helps convert food to energy, helps your body absorb nutrients, carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells, protects your joints and cushions your vital organs, keeps skin looking young, protects your heart, helps burn fat, prevents constipation, decreases fatigue, flushes out toxins, and helps control calorie intake. It's easy to see then that not drinking enough water can be the cause of many different health problems.
Drinking 8-12 glasses of pure water daily keeps us hydrated and helps dilute and eliminate toxins. We have heard all our lives how important it is, yet over and over clients tell me that they don't drink enough water. How much do you really need? Just divide your weight by two and that's how many ounces a day you need. For example, a 130 lb. person needs 65 oz. a day or 8 - 8 oz. glasses, a 160 lb. person needs 80 oz. or 10 glasses, and a 190 lb. person needs 12 glasses. (Please note that caffeine and alcohol don’t count toward your daily amount - in fact, not only are they both acid forming to the body, they are also both diuretics so your hydration needs are even higher when you consume them!)
Water is best consumed at several intervals throughout the day. Drinking one or two glasses upon awakening is an excellent practice as is drinking a glass an hour before each meal. (Water should not be consumed with or just after meals as is dilutes digestive juices and reduces nutrient assimilation.) The remainder can be sipped throughout the day — no more than a glass an hour or you’ll just pee it out rather than absorb it.
People often say that the reason they don’t drink more water is that they don’t like the taste or that it’s boring. Try adding some fresh lemon or lime juice which is not only refreshing but very alkalizing to the body, or there is a huge selection of herbal teas available that are delicious either hot or cold. Whatever way you choose to do it, be sure to come up with a workable plan to consume an adequate amount each and every day for optimal health. It will amaze you how much better you'll feel!
Please note: Water purified by reverse osmosis or distillation has removed the minerals that are naturally present as well as the toxic ingredients - leaving the water slightly acidic rather than alkalizing. It is important to add minerals back to your water (with trace mineral drops, sea salt, green powders, lemons/limes, etc.) to return it to the way that nature intended it to be.
Personally, I purchased 2 liter size bottles with lids and they live on my kitchen counter. First thing each morning I fill them up so I can be reminded and keep track of my water intake throughout the day. That system works for me, but you can find whatever way works for you. The important thing is to DO it - you’ll be so glad you did!
HERE ARE SOME LINKS IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION:
Cleanse Tip 3: Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep, and the right kind of sleep, is just as important as food and water for your body. Inadequate or restless sleep can sabotage the success of your health program.
Sleep is one of the most important things you can do to keep your body healthy. Your body takes care of a number of critical tasks during healthy sleep. It’s much more than simply resting. This is a time for repair, rejuvenation, and detoxification. Your brain stays active during sleep and your body goes through several different cycles throughout the night. During these different stages your body focuses on tasks such as neutralizing and processing toxins, replenishing energy to your different organ systems, processing memories and assimilating information.
Efficient detoxification requires 7-9 hours of sleep daily. Getting roughly 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended to support this important healing process. You need to allow your body the time to regenerate and perform its nightly detoxification. (Please note that the lymphatic system and the liver engage in detoxification during the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. If you are constantly up and awake during this time, the body's natural detoxification process is disturbed.)
According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, a lapse in adequate sleep time — at least seven hours a night — can lead to a decreased attention span, depressed feelings and difficulty processing ideas. Sleep problems can also lead to increased weight gain (if you are deprived of sleep you will be more likely to have cravings and more likely to succumb to them).
Here are some tips to help ensure you get a good night’s sleep:
Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day, including weekends.
Start each day with natural light exposure to reset the body’s clock.
Moderate aerobic exercise early in the day.
Limit caffeine intake - especially after noon.
Avoid alcohol and food intake for at least three hours before bedtime.
Lower the temperature to 60 - 67 degrees.
Dim lights and turn off all electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Unwind your mind with a good, relaxing book.
Take a magnesium supplement at bedtime.
Going to bed by 10:00 p.m. may take some adjustment. The first thing to do to accomplish this is to set an intention, create the space for it to happen, and then go to bed and turn out the lights. Even if you don't fall asleep right away, just allow yourself to rest your body, mind, and spirit. Eventually, you will start to adapt.
HERE IS A LINK IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION:
Cleanse Tip 4: Exercise Daily
Exercising in the morning is one of the best things you can do to start the day and will also cause you to make healthier decisions all day long.
As a species, we are meant to be active. Without fitness, it is virtually impossible to achieve optimal health. Exercising is one of the most important activities you can do for your health. However, just as in your diet, variety is key. It’s important to vary your exercise routine to get the best results. Changing your routine challenges your body is different way, works different muscle groups, and gives you the best overall conditioning.
The 3 types of exercise:
Aerobic – Increases the rate of oxygen absorption, stimulates the breakdown of fat, helps eliminate toxins through sweat and urine, and builds stamina. Examples: fast walking, stair climbing, Nordic track, x-country skiing, swimming, water aerobics, tread mill, and wind sprints.
Anaerobic – Builds strong muscle tissues, improves the body’s ability to withstand and rid itself of toxins, and fights bone loss and osteoporosis. Examples: weight lifting, isometric exercises, weight machines, free-weights, push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, and stomach crunches.
Stretching/Flexibility – Reduces muscle tension and makes the body feel more relaxed, helps coordination by allowing for freer and easier movement, increases range of motion, prevents injuries such as muscle strains, develops body awareness, promotes circulation, and it feels good! Examples: yoga, tai chi, stretching, slow stretching exercises, and Pilates.
Exercise is also a major detoxifier. With exercise you clean all of your internal organs at the same time, accelerating the detoxification process. As you exercise, the blood circulates throughout the body, bringing nutrients to all the organs and muscles. Exercise also helps lymph fluids circulate the body, which removes toxins and other harmful materials. When exercising you breathe deeply and take in more oxygen, which helps all the cells to perform their jobs, including removing toxins. At the same time you exhale carbon dioxide, which is a by-product of the various functions performed by the body. As you do aerobic exercise you build up a sweat and toxins are released through the pores of the skin. Exercising also helps you to lose weight by reducing the amount of fatty tissues in the body. As the fatty tissues grow smaller the toxins stored in fat are released into the body to be removed.
Take a 30-60 minute walk daily. During your cleanse you need to take some exercise, but only gentle exercise. Long walks are perfect. You do not want to put extra stress on your body by wearing it out with a stiff workout or long run. If you exercise regularly and are pretty fit then go for a long brisk walk. If exercise is something you would rather not think about, let alone do, indulge yourself in some long lazy strolls in the park or in the country to get your lungs and lymph working efficiently. Daily walks can not only be a lot of fun, they can help keep clean your body from inside out.
The good news is that exercise doesn't have to be difficult. A simple brisk walk each day can greatly improve your health. It's in our body's makeup to walk - we are built to do it! Walking is one of the easiest ways to get the exercise we need to stay healthy. And it not only helps you feel good, it will help you look good as well.
HERE’S A LINK IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION:
And for an extra boost in alkalizing your body, be sure to use NASAL BREATHING.
“Exercise can act as a double-edged sword, either incurring stress (which is acid forming) or removing it depending on the quality of the breathing. When we breathe through the mouth, we breathe shallowly in the upper lungs, causing the “flight or fight” response. Unfortunately, this is how most people breathe during exercise. In contrast, the body is calmed, rejuvenated and regenerated by breathing into the lower lobes of the lungs by nasal breathing. When exercising, maintain deep, long and slow nasal breathing at a level just short of breathing through the mouth, and thus creating an emergency response. By doing this, you will soon see a more permanent and higher level of fitness while maintaining all the health benefits of exercise and the natural calming of deep breathing.” ~ John Douillard, Timeless Wisdom for Getting Fit
“No baby breathes through their mouth ever. We are not designed to breathe through the mouth – it creates a stress response. Breathing through the nose creates a relaxation response. Learn only to breathe through your nose when you exercise and you’ll never be exhausted by your workout.” ~ Your Inner Wisdom – the Key to Getting & Staying Well by Dr. Christiane Northrup
Cleanse Tip 5: Bodywork for Successful Cleansing
THERAPEUTIC BATHS
Taking long, hot baths (with herbs, seaweed, or mineral salts) helps to speed cleansing, allows the body to assimilate healing nutrients, as well as removes toxins through the skin. Saunas or steam baths are also very helpful in eliminating toxins.
SOAK-THE-DAY-AWAY DETOXIFYING BATH RECIPE
DRY SKIN BRUSHING
All over dry skin brushing before bathing helps to clear toxins from the lymphatic system, cleanse the skin of old cells, and opens pores.
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO DRY SKIN BRUSHING
MASSAGE THERAPY
The lymphatic system acts as the body’s sewer system, cleansing and removing toxins from nearly every cell in the body. It has no pump and instead relies on deep breathing, exercise, and massage to move its fluid. Massage therapy, especially lymphatic and even deep massage, is very useful in supporting a detox program. It stimulates elimination and body functions and promotes relaxation — all making for a more complete detoxification.
Check-in:
As you can see, detoxing is about a lot more than just the food you consume. Remember to take good “care” of yourself over these next 2 weeks! Tomorrow we’ll take a look at possible “cleansing reactions” and how to eat a healthy, balanced diet. We’re getting close now…
Feel free to email me or post a comment below to ask questions or share your thoughts and experiences ~ I’d love to hear from you!
Blessings, JoAnn