Category Archives: Detox

Face Clearing Exfoliator

30 Jul 15
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Do you realize how much money you’re wasting buying exfoliating products for your face?  On top of that, most of those products use ingredients that are actually damaging to your skin!  Let’s take it to the basics and make your own, using products from your own kitchen.  Obviously you’ll need a small container to hold the scrub, and probably a tiny spoon or something of the sort to scoop out the scrub whenever you want to use it on your face.

 

As for the rest – only 5 ingredients.  Here’s why:

 

Raw Turbinado Sugar – Turbinado sugar basically means raw cane sugar.  Sugar is a natural source of glycolic acid, which boosts new cell production and breaks down the protein that keeps the dead cells hanging onto your skin. In other words, it breaks down the “glue” that bonds skin cells, encouraging cell turnover and generating fresher, younger-looking skin.  Sugar is also a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the environment into the skin, so it’ll actually help hydrate your skin and keep moisture within.

Sea Salt – Sea salt is full of trace minerals that rejuvenate your skin, stimulate cell growth, and help your skin retain moisture.  Sea salt is a natural detoxifier, absorbing the toxins from the skin. It contains bromide (a mineral known for soothing the skin), potassium (aids in the reduction of water retention), and iodine (regulates metabolic processes on a cellular level).

Raw Honey – Raw honey is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal, which you may have read in my section about the benefits of raw honey and cinnamon. It kills skin infections, including acne, reduces inflammation, and hydrates your skin.  It helps to both quell existing inflammation and prevent future infections, and the sugars in honey act as natural humectants and emollients, which increase the water content and reduce dryness in the skin even after they have been washed off.  The slight acidity of honey creates a healthy environment on the skin that promotes tissue healing and regeneration, and it also contains proteins, amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, minerals, probiotics and other components that it delivers to skin cells.  Finally, the high antioxidant activity neutralizes blemish- and wrinkle-causing free radicals deep within the skin as well as on the surface, before they cause damage.

Olive Oil – Olive oil contains three major antioxidants: vitamin E, polyphenols, and phytosterols, which means it can protect the skin from premature aging, restore skin smoothness and help protect against UV rays, and helps prevent free radical damage to the skin.  It enhances the exfoliation because as the crystals slough away dead skin, the olive oil deeply penetrates your skin to leave you glowing.

Tea Tree Oil – Tea tree oil has a ton of anti-fungal and anti-viral benefits, and it is an excellent treatment for acne.  It can help neutralize or diminish the scar marks and after spots left by eruptions, boils, pox, and acne.

 

Here’s how to make it:

 

Ingredients (click ingredients to purchase through Amazon):

Stir all ingredients together in a small container and put it in your medicine cabinet.

 

How to Use:

  1. Wet face.
  2. Take a small scoop and rub it throughout the face until most of the crystals have dissolved.
  3. Rinse off.

Previous Detox Post – Easy Morning Detox – Warm Lemon Water (With Cayenne)

Easy Morning Detox – Warm Lemon Water (With Cayenne)

22 Aug 14
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Start Your Day By Helping Your Body Clean Itself with Warm Water with Lemon and Cayenne

Ditch the coffee! Drink this, instead, and your body will thank you!

 

There are so many benefits to starting your day off with this.  My morning routine typically consists of oil pulling, then warm water with lemon and cayenne, then green juice about 30-60 minutes later.

 

I won’t lie, it took some getting used to, and I would skip days of drinking this.  However, every single one of those days I’ve skipped, I’ve noticed a considerable difference with the release of fluids from my body.  Because of that, I now drink this every single morning that I can.  Maybe this is TMI, but I do notice a difference in color of my morning urine as well as volume.  The reason this happens is because the fresh squeezed lemon helps clean out the liver, which is one of the most important organs in your body because that is what clears out the toxins from your body.  However, it gets bogged down when it is overwhelmed with toxins to process, resulting in diseases, allergies, weight gain, a poor complexion, etc.

 

What are some other benefits?  Glad you asked.

  • vitamin C from the lemons = boost in the immune system
  • provides your body with natural energy in various ways, including by hydrating your lymph system
  • pectin fiber from the lemons aids in colon health
  • alkalyzing power balances the pH in the body (meaning it fights against your body becoming too acidic)
  • aids digestion and encourages production of bile
  • great source of citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium
  • dissolves uric acid, thus reducing pain and inflammation in joints and promotes healing
  • helps against acne and wrinkles
  • relieves tooth pain and gingivitis
  • helps prevent kidney stones
  • assists in weight loss
  • and again, it helps cleanse your system by getting rid of unwanted substances from your liver!

Okay you convinced me.  How do I do it?

Quite simple, actually.  Take a cup of filtered water and heat it up over the stovetop (nuking it just takes away the whole point).  Mine is strong so it only takes a few seconds.  Meanwhile, squeeze half a lemon into a cup and add a pinch of cayenne pepper.  Add water and drink.  This should be the first thing you consume in the morning.  Try to wean off the coffee – it’ll just negate what you did for your body.

P1000862Enjoy the benefits!

 

Previous Detox Post – How to Naturally Relieve Sinus Congestion

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How to Naturally Relieve Sinus Congestion

04 Jul 14
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Sinus congestion is horrible – not being able to breathe, going through boxes of tissues, restless nights, etc.  If you want to relieve it without resorting to medicine, here’s what to do:

  1. Use a neti pot once a day.  The neti pot will irrigate your sinuses, freeing up some of the congestion and washing out some of the stuff stuck in there that may be causing the congestion in the first place.
  2. Take raw honey and cinnamon 3 times a day.
  3. Drink at least 16 ounces of green juice for breakfast every day.
  4. Get upside down!  Going upside down will also help free up some of the congestion.  It will be hard at first because you won’t be able to breathe at all through your nose but stay upside down and you’ll notice the congestion starts getting looser and moving around.
  5. Massage your face to loosen things up.  I use my fingers to massage the area between my cheekbones and my nose, the area below my eyes, in outward circles.  Also try massaging the area outside of the eye cavity, just above the nose but below the brows, as well as your cheekbones.
  6. After a hot shower, immediately blow your nose.
  7. AVOID DAIRY!  Dairy already causes mucus buildup in your body (albeit in the colon, not the nose) but you will make your body work even harder to get rid of the sinus congestion if you consume dairy.  In fact, you should ideally stick to as much of a raw vegan diet as you can.  Also try eating spicy food.

And there you go!  If you do all of these, you’ll notice major strides within a day or two, and should be able to completely kick the congestion’s butt soon after that.

 

P1000775

 

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Benefits of Raw Honey and Cinnamon

29 Jun 14
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There are so many benefits to this concoction but on top of it, it’s delicious.  I drink hot water with raw honey and cinnamon every day.  Typically, I add 1 tbsp raw honey and 1 tsp cinnamon to about 1 cup of water.  It’s also just a great way to add fluids to your diet if you don’t like to drink water.

Get them here:

Out of the slew of purported benefits, I can definitely personally attest to a few of them.

Relieves sinus congestion – I’ve had a couple experiences of something entering my nasal passages and causing sneezing fits and my sinuses to get majorly congested.  I know one was from the air conditioning at work and the other I am guessing was some sort of dust that lodged itself deep into my nose.  When that happens, I aim for 3 cups a day of this concoction, and let me tell you, it really does the trick.  I will literally feel some sort of relief immediately after drinking, and complete relief within a few days.

 

Kicks sicknesses – On a similar note…I haven’t been sick in 9 years so I can’t say for myself, but I did tell people to try this out when I saw that they were sick.  One of them now drinks it every day too because of that, and the other told me it normally takes her 10 days to get better but instead, she got 90% better over the weekend!  For you skeptics out there, she started drinking on a Thursday or Friday, not on a Monday or something.

 

Aids digestion– Drinking this helps get things moving in your colon.  It might be beneficial to drink it before a meal.  Based on personal experience (and the testimony of someone else I know), it seems that the more junky the food you have inside you, the more likely your body will push things out of your colon…so maybe it’s a detoxifier as well.  I’m going to go with it.

 

Other benefits include:

  • lowers cholesterol and strengthens the heart
  • relieves (and maybe even cures) arthritis
  • prevents bladder infection by destroying the germs in the bladder
  • cures stomachaches and clears stomach ulcers
  • relieves gas
  • strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks
  • kills the influenza virus
  • keeps skin fresh and soft, and slows down the aging process
  • removes pimples (apply a daily paste of 3 tbsp raw honey and 1 tsp cinnamon powder on pimples at night, wash in the morning with warm water)
  • cures skin infections like eczema and ringworm (apply equal amounts on affected parts)
  • weight loss by drinking in the morning before breakfast and at night before sleeping (supposedly, it does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body)
  • cures cancer (based on research in Japan and Australia)
  • helps fatigue and increases the vitality in the body
  • prevents bad breath (gargle 1 tsp of each with hot water in the morning)
  • restores hearing if taken daily, morning and night, in equal parts

 

Digestive Tea

Now, having said all that, I am going to include a bonus recipe.  This is a delicious tea with beneficial digestive properties.  The lemon aids in clearing out your liver, the ginger improves the absorption and assimilation of nutrients to the body and soothes the stomach and colon, and the raw honey and cinnamon has all the benefits I just stated above.  So try it out!  I make this tea on the weekends, since it’s harder for me to slice ginger and squeeze lemon at work.

Makes 1 serving.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup hot water
  • a few thin slices ginger root
  • 1/4 – 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbsp raw honey
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • previously steeped tea (optional)

Mix all ingredients together.

 

The reason I add the previously steeped tea is to add flavor, and once tea has been steeped already, it has been naturally decaffeinated.  Enjoy!

 

P1000767

 

Previous Detox Post – What Do I Put In My Juice?

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What Do I Put In My Juice?

27 Jun 14
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The rule of thumb for juices is 3:1 veggies to fruits.  You don’t want to have too much sugar hitting your body so quickly.  Maybe eventually you can make the ratio higher for veggies to fruits.

 

For beginners, I suggest using more mild tasting vegetables like romaine lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, etc.  I have also learned that it is easier to go with less fruit if you have a big, juicy cucumber to make up for it, like this one:

Maaaaaybe that’s too much…

But adding cucumbers and celery will help dilute the taste greatly.  As you can see in my top picture, I also supplement my juices with a couple drops of liquid kelp and some milk thistle or a combination of other herbs to aid in liver function, because the liver is one of the most important organs in our body to ensure a properly functioning body and to help in the detox process.

However, if you want to jump into the big timer league, here’s what I put in my juices.  Keep in mind these make 32 ounces of juice, so for me that’s 2 servings of juice.

Supreme Green Juice

Ingredients:

  • 2 romaine lettuce leaves
  • 2 kale leaves
  • a handful of spinach
  • a handful of cilantro (aids in cleaning out heavy metals from your body)
  • a handful of dandelion greens
  • some watercress
  • 2 green cabbage leaves
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1 inch ginger root
  • 4 asparagus stalks
  • 2 small-medium cucumbers or 1 large cucumber
  • 1 apple
  • a few broccoli heads and stems

Add all ingredients into juicer.  I like to add the leafy greens first, then the ginger, carrots and broccoli, then the cucumber and apple, and finish it off with the celery.

 

P1000742

 

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Oil Pulling? What is That, a Form of Torture?

17 Jun 14
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Seriously, though, what is oil pulling and why is it becoming more popular?

 

What is it: the process of swishing oil in your mouth for 20 minutes

Why is it spreading: because there’s no harm and people have actually had positive results

 

Oil pulling is one of the easiest ways to help incorporate a method of detoxification into your daily life.

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Wake up and stick a tablespoon of healthy oil in your mouth.  I use coconut oil but you can also use sesame oil, sunflower oil, or olive oil.
  2. Swish it around in your mouth while you continue with your morning routine.  You want to build up to 20 minutes.
  3. Spit out in the garbage.
  4. Rinse mouth with water and brush your teeth.  (Added boost: scrape your tongue after rinsing but before brushing)

 

Things to keep in mind:

  • DO NOT SWALLOW!  You may want to gag or swallow at first, but you will only bring toxins back into your body that were pulled out.  Personally, I wanted to swallow because toxins were coming out and my sinuses were swelling up, making it nearly impossible to breathe through my nose.  Spit it out instead.  As I said earlier, you want to build up to 20 minutes.  Eventually, your body will get cleaner and you will not have these sensations again, and oil pulling will become a cinch.
  • Do not spit it out in the toilet, sink, or anything else with a drain, as the oil will eventually clog the pipes.
  • The more toxic your body is, the harder oil pulling will be.  But that’s a good thing.  The toxins want to stay embedded in your body so they have a tough time coming out.  Push on through, it’ll be worth it.

 

The idea behind oil pulling is that the oil pulls the harmful toxins, bacteria, fungus, etc. through your gums, pores of your teeth, etc.

People have noticed changes in their body, including whitening of their teeth, preventing bad breath, prevents cavities and gingivitis, eases digestive problems, and getting rid of their allergies and other illnesses.  My teeth have become whiter, yes.  I have a friend who has suffered from nausea and vomiting in the morning, and she would have a lot of trouble holding down food in the morning.  I suggested that she try oil pulling, and lo and behold, it helped!  So oil pulling affects people in different ways but I have yet to hear any harm coming from oil pulling.

 

So why not give it a try?

 

oil pulling

 

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Differences Between Juicers

08 Jun 14
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What Juicer Should You Buy?

 

Choosing a juicer can be overwhelming.  Here is the lowdown, starting from the cheapest:

  • centrifugal
  • masticating and single gear
  • twin gear
  • cold presser

Centrifugal

Pros: fast, easy clean-up, inexpensive

Cons: destroys the nutrients, still leaves wet pulp, loud

Let me get into the cons, since the pros are self-explanatory.

  • destroys the nutrients – We all know fruits and vegetables aren’t shelf stable.  Pretty much anything we do to them jump starts the release and destruction of nutrients due to oxidation (exposure to the air).  Centrifugal juicers basically cut up these fruits and veggies and spin them around at a high speed so that some of the liquid gets separated from the fiber.  As a result, you have to drink the juices within 15 minutes of juicing.  So you can’t make any juice ahead of time and store them.
  • still leaves wet pulp – The drier the pulp, the more you’ve extracted out of the fruits and veggies and the more bang you’re getting for your buck.
  • loud – the world and its grandma is going to know you’re juicing whenever you are

Masticating and Single Gear

This is basically the in-between juicer.  I suggest this juicer to most people because it’s a nice balance between those who don’t want to spend too much on a juicer but still want quality juicers.

These juicers are gentle enough that you can make your juices ahead of time and store them.  Some say you can store up to 72 hours, but I’d just do 2 days max to be safe.

A couple reasonably priced juicers:

 

Twin Gear

Pros: produces juices with high nutrient value, quiet, leaves dry pulp

Cons: pricey, slow, tedious clean-up

Imagine pushing something through a pair of gears.  That something gets gently squeezed and, in this case, produces juices with a high level of nutrients intact and leaves behind dry pulp.  These juices can be stored up to 72 hours but I just keep them for 48 hours max, just in case.  These juicers come with many parts to clean up and take longer to juice, since it is so gentle on the fruits and veggies.

I have been using this one since 2012 and I still love it:

 

Cold Presser

This is the Rolls Royce of juicers.  The highest quality juices come from these machines.  Being as that I’m sure the large majority of us don’t have an exorbitant amount of money to roll around in, I’m not going to waste my breath on explaining these because they don’t come cheap.

 

TIP!!!!! When storing your juices, put them in tightly sealed, nonporous (ie, non-plastic) containers, like mason jars, leaving as little air as possible in the containers.

juice

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Juicing? Who What When Where Why

08 Jun 14
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What is the big deal about juicing?  Here’s the 101.

 

First off, let me begin by explaining the 2 types of juicing that’s out – let me call them juicing for health and mainstream juicing.

  • Mainstream juicing – what is most likely being referred to out in the media now, that is currently become more and more popularly used for detoxification, and consists of juice fasts lasting for 3, 5, or 10 or more days.
  • Juicing for health – the juicing done by health aficionados who actually incorporate juicing into their daily lives.

I am not a fan of mainstream juicing.  Juicing actually has legitimate benefits but mainstream juicing is what is attracting those who want quick fixes and to have a fast detoxification and weight loss.  The problem with mainstream juicing is that people don’t realize how unhealthy and improper it is.  You can’t eat like crap and then shock your system with a juice fast, only to jump right back into crappy food.  It’s going to feel awful and any benefits to your body from the juice fast quickly goes to waste, literally and figuratively.  So I suggest if you want to go through a juice fast, start off by easing your body into it by eating clean first.  And DEFINITELY eat clean and light as you transition back into solid foods.

 

As for the juicing for health folks – we try to incorporate green juices into our everyday lives to supplement our diets.  Personally, I drink green juices every day for breakfast, when my stomach is empty, so that the nutrients can go directly into my body.

 

What the heck is juicing?

It’s simple – take a bunch of veggies, mostly green veggies, and a little bit of fruit, and drink them without the fiber.

Many argue that you need the fiber in your diet.  Here’s my argument: a healthy diet will have plenty of the fiber you need.  You’re not missing out by juicing.  By taking out the fiber, you are skipping the digestive process and allowing those nutrients to get to work on your body right away.  Green juices are basically a magical elixir that you add to your everyday diet.  They allow you to get an extra boost of veggies that you couldn’t possibly eat in a day.

 

Okay, so how do I do it?

Simple.  Buy a juicer.  Buy vegetables.  Put the two together.  I usually drink 16 ounces a day.

The proportion of veggies to fruit should be 3 to 1 because you don’t want to overload on the sugar.  Personally, I only use half an apple for every 16 ounces and rely on cucumbers and celery to mellow out the taste, due to their high water content.

The darker green your veggies are, the better.

I find that as long as I have the cucumbers, celery, and apple, I can mix and match on the rest of the veggies without much problem.  I like to include vegetables I don’t normally eat.  Unless you like the taste of mustard, though, you might want to take it easy mustard greens.  I learned that out the hard way.  Also include herbs – cilantro helps clear out heavy metals from your body and parsley helps detox your kidneys.  Lemons keep the nutrients fresher longer.

 

Does that help?  Questions are welcome and I will be sure to update this post based accordingly!

 

But does it really work?

Yes.  I am gaining nothing by telling you to start juicing, except the knowledge that I am helping you become a healthier person.

Juicing has helped me get stronger faster and heal faster.  It has cleared cobwebs from my mind and it has balanced out my chemical hormones.  I feel like a sane person now.  Or…saner.  And most importantly, it has helped my digestive system.  So now I can eat more without getting fat!  Woooooooo!!!!!!

 

Click here for help on what juicers to buy.

 

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