Detox the Right Way

The great thing about Refinery 29, which I am absolutely addicted to, is that it's a warehouse of all-around useful information. No matter what your interests are, you can find something valuable on R29.

So here I am, sitting in my Astronomy lab looking through R29 and finishing up a blog post and look what I find... Get Your Detox On With These Safe Tips From A Local Pro. I wish I had started my detox after reading this... maybe I wouldn't have given up so easily.

Here are their 5 tips in a nutshell:

1. DRINK WATER
I seem to have trouble with this one, because I tend to drink small increments of water sporadically throughout the day rather than continuously, which I know I should be doing. Sometimes watching or eating something will make me thirsty, but only for that moment until I rehydrate. Thus, this is going to be at the top of my list in preparing for next month's cleanse.



2. GO VEGETARIAN
Well, I am vegetarian already but this tip makes sense. It helps you wean off your reliance on food, particularly meats, before you detox. Unfortunately, I'm not the best vegetarian as I snack- a lot. So in my case, I will try to stop snacking so much and learn to be dependent on regular, portion-controlled meals.



3. JUICE!
No, don't start heading to your fridge to break out the new carton of fruit punch. We're talking about vegetable juice, and don't start thinking of V8. I wanted to try a juice cleanse, but realized that it would be particularly difficult for me to get my hands on juice and I didn't want to lug around bottles of juice in my bag. My mother recently purchased a new blender especially for juicing and making smoothies, but I haven't yet gotten a chance to use it.




4. GIVE IT TIME
R29 suggests that the minimum number of days you should cleanse is three- the magic number. Any less, and you won't feel any different. Next month, I shall survive three days (at least... hopefully)

5. COLONICS
I did some research, and a colonic is a procedure that flushes out your colon with warm water and basically reboots its memory. The thing about colons is that they remember what you crave, so it doesn't help when you have an urge for something sweet during a detox. Damn you, colon.



6. SWEAT IT
Now, this doesn't imply going to the gym and working out for 4 hours because you'd probably pass out and ultimately end your detoxing session. Rather, go to a sauna or take a hot shower to clean out your pores. Your skin, of course, is your largest organ.



So, my friends, take these tips and run. Detox away! But put away the maple syrup and cayenne pepper and do it the right way.

Cheers!
Julia