Spring Clean Your Body
Spring cleaning our bodies is an essential part of shedding our winter coats and preparing for the summer months.
But a detox doesn't have to be a complex list of pills and potions or a strict regime.
What is Detox?
Detox, short for detoxification, is the body's natural, ongoing process of neutralizing or eliminating toxins from the body. Toxins (anything that can potentially harm body tissue) are transformed chemically to less harmful compounds and excreted via stools or urine.
Sources of toxins include those produced in the body during normal functions, such as the ammonia produced during the breakdown of protein, and chemicals such as pesticides, household cleaners, food additives, drugs, pollution, cigarette smoke, and heavy metals like lead that enter the body when we ingest or inhale them.
Nutritionist Joanna McMillan-Price says that a spring detox is all about maintaining a very healthy lifestyle for a short period of time in order to give your body a break from everyday toxins.
Why Detox?
Put most simply, detoxing involves giving your body a break from anything toxic, so that the body can work these toxins out of your system. The outcome of a successful and well-planned detox is that you will be likely to experience
- more energy
- clearer skin
- weight loss (if needed)
- brighter eyes
- a stronger immune system
- greater mental clarity
- increased self-confidence
- and when necessary a great boost against illness.
A detox basically cleanses your body, and makes you feel like you are bursting with energy and on top of the world!
So Why is Detoxing Necessary?
The body is constantly in a flux of detoxing, however due to the modern diet, our heightened daily stresses, the toxic chemicals we ingest daily, and the increase in chronic degenerative diseases the body often needs a helping hand and to be cleansed so that it can work more effectively to eradicate these toxins from the body.
Why Do So Many People Detox to Lose Weight?
Although it may seem strange - fat is actually saving your life! The body retains fats as a way to protect the vital organs in the body from the toxins that we ingest (and create through stress). It is literally a last resort, life saving action to hang on to fat. However, this should give you some indication as to how harmful these toxins must be as to retain fat as a defence mechanism the body must be fairly desperate - as we all know - excess fat leads to a whole host of other degenerative conditions and diseases!
So when we detox and cleanse the body of toxins, we give the body a chance to repair and strengthen itself - and when the toxins disappear, guess what happens to the protective layer of fat...yes, that disappears too!
What Does a Detox Do?
A cleanse or detox helps to strengthen the organs that the body uses to flush toxins from the body on a daily basis. These include the skin, the lymphatic system, the intestines, liver, lungs, and kidneys.
These toxins could invade the body from a variety of sources including the environment, foods, drinks, stressful lifestyle (for instance alcohol, tobacco, pesticides, heavy metals, food additives, oral contraceptives, and drugs).
Detoxing works because it gives your body a break from the toxic excesses that modern life creates. By removing the body's necessity to burn energy digesting heavy, sugar and fat-laden meals and snacks that are difficult to digest and metabolise, and which play havoc with blood sugar, your energy is released to cleanse and regenerate your bodies tissues and vital organs.
"The key to a successful detox is to keep it simple. A detox doesn't require special planning or special diet food or drinks," said McMillan-Price.
The key to McMillan-Price's spring detox is to cut the big four and replace them with four essentials.
Cut the big four 
Smoking
"If you are eating a healthy, balanced diet but you continue to smoke, you are negating the effects of your healthy lifestyle," said McMillan-Price. "The toxins in tobacco smoke can go everywhere in the body, causing harm to nearly every organ and system. Cigarette smoke is a mixture of more than 4000 chemicals, many of which are harmful to the human body."
Alcohol
Alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the stomach and the small intestine. McMillan-Price said no amount of alcohol is good for the body and long-term consumption of alcohol can impair liver and brain function. 
Caffeine
McMillan-Price says that caffeine is toxic for the body so it puts pressure on the organs to eliminate it. "Most people have too much caffeine in their diet. This is most evident by the withdrawal symptoms they experience when they don't take caffeine for a period of time. This includes headaches, dizziness and lethargy," she said.
Processed foods
"These often contain preservatives and additives to give the food more flavour without containing the necessary fibre or nutrients the body needs," said McMillan-Price. "Processed foods can also contain high levels of salt and sugar, above the recommended daily intake."
Introduce the four essentials 
Hydration
"Our bodies are made up of two thirds water. Water is essential for elimination of toxins, boosting your mood, your metabolism and clearing the skin," she said. "A morning drink of hot water with lemon juice is important for getting your digestive enzymes working before you eat and lemon is a tonic for the liver. Drinking water before meals also reduces the amount you eat at mealtimes as you are already partially full."
Sleep
"Sleep is essential for the body to repair cells damaged and muscles used during the day," she said. "Lack of sleep can effect concentration, digestion and the nervous system and can cause depression." 
Exercise
McMillan-Price said up to 30 minutes of exercise or activity is recommended every day. "Exercise helps keep the digestive system working and build muscle that helps burn fat," she said. "Exercise also helps the body eliminate toxins faster."
Nutrient-rich food
"Nutrient-rich food, particularly plant food, is important during a detox of the body," she said. "Fresh lean meat and fish is important for essential nutrients such as iron. Fresh fruit and vegetables also provide nutrients and fibre needed to maintain a healthy digestive system."