diet

7 Steps To Detox and How Can Detox Help Your Body

MHM1 Comment

It seems like everyone is talking about how healthy it is to detox and how good it is for the body.  I’m not sure if that’s something for me but since I am turning towards healthier lifestyle, I’m willing to try various things to improve my general wellbeing. So as usual I’ve started searching for information about the process of detox. Experts say that everyone should detox at least once a year.

What is Detox: 

Toxins are substances that can harm your body. They derive from foods, beverages, alcohol, smoking, drugs and stress, and when in excess can leave a person feeling tired, sick and overweight. Detoxifying your body may be defined as cleansing the body from poisons and toxins that may have accumulated in the colon, lymph, lungs, gallbladder, skin, blood, kidneys and liver. Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. It does this mainly by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination.   With natural detox methods you can apply to safely and effectively cleanse your body of these harmful toxins. The body eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. Detox gives the body a chance to get rid of these toxins making your body more effective in doing this job in the future.  If you have frequent, unexplained headaches or back pain, memory failing, brittle nails and hair, frequent allergies, acne or overweight, then it’s a signs that detoxification is needed. Nutritionists advice is to avoid using fast and extreme detox programs, they recommend to choose a safe, natural way to detoxify your system.

Detoxifying your body is a natural method which you can use to safely and effectively cleanse your body of these harmful toxins. Lessening the burden on the detoxification organs by reducing the body’s exposure to pollutions and toxins for s set period of time. A restricted, healthy diet accompanied by certain supplements will help us eliminate these toxins in our body.

Detoxification programs can vary greatly, between restricting intake to juice only to allowing only for a diet consisting mainly of vegetables, fruit and whole-grains.

  • 1. Use whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables and healthy fats, to improve your body’s ability to cleanse itself. Whole foods include grains (such as whole grain flours, brown and wild rice, quinoa); organic or minimally treated fruits and vegetables.
  • 2. Vitamin C supplement, it is a powerful antioxidant which helps detoxify or cleanse the body from harmful substances.
  • 3. Drink water – 8 – 10 glasses daily.
  • 4. Relax – stress and anxiety have negative affect on your body.Breathe deeply to allow  oxygen to your blood circulation.
  • 5. Dry skin brushing – it stimulates skin circulation, removes dead skin cells, improves blood and lymphatic circulation, and helps remove toxins excreted via the skin.
  • 6. The diet isn’t the only thing that can help. Regular exercises brings more oxygen-rich blood to your kidneys and liver, which allows them to eliminate toxins more effectively. Sweating also helps your body to eliminate wastes through perspiration.
  • 7. Saunas have been used for centuries as an effective detoxification tool for the skin.

Benefits of Detox:

  • Elimination of toxins and poisons that have been running through your body.
  • A cleansed colon that prevents constipation that may cause fatigue, lethargy and bloating.
  • Weight loss.
  • A strengthened immune system.
  • Healthier lifestyle.

Cons of Detox:

  • Some people experience limited weight loss, or weight that quickly returns once the detox is over once old habits return.
Related articles

This Is Why Garlic Is Great For Your Health

MHM10 Comments

English: A basket of garlic (allium sativum) o...

You probably often heard that Garlic is great for your health but do you know why it’s so great? Garlic is a widely recognized health enhancing supplement and it is packed with vitamins and nutrients. Few weeks ago my mother was having trouble with eczema, a nutritionist she talked to told her to eat some fresh garlic, one sector each day. Just chop it into little bits, then put it between slices of bread and eat. Just make sure to drink a big glass of water with it – it’s important. If you take little bites and swallow it with water, you don’t need to chew it much then you can skip the garlic breath. After taking this for a week my moms eczema got better. It hasn’t disappeared completely but the problem areas are fewer, smaller and not as itchy. Eating a raw garlic gives the maximum effect, a cooked garlic does not have the same health benefits as raw garlic cloves – but all is not lost. You will still get some of the health benefits of garlic if you eat cooked garlic – as long as it’s not cooked in a microwave.

Because of its distinct taste and aroma, garlic is a commonly used spice. Garlic is great for cooking because it gives a wonderful, tasty flavor, however people often avoid eating garlic cause of the bad garlic breath. Good advice against this bad breath is drinking lemon juice or eating a few slices of lemon, that will stop garlic breath.

  • Garlic helps strengthen the body’s defenses against allergies – Garlic helps removing excessive toxins from the body can help alleviate seasonal allergies.
  • Garlic helps regulate your blood sugar levels  and is therefore great for people with diabetes.
  • Garlic can help regulate the blood pressure – whether you’re blood pressure is high or low,  garlic can help equalize it.
  • Garlic is good for the heart – it promotes the well-being of the heart. Garlic helps to prevent arteriosclerosis and thereby reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
  • Garlic reduces Cholesterol – many studies confirming that garlic in several forms can reduce cholesterol.
  • Garlic is improves the blood circulation – Garlic has ability to increase the blood circulation, which helps maintaining healthy blood circulation.
  • Garlic is an Antioxidant – the organic compound, allicin, which gives garlic its aroma and flavor, acts as very  powerful antioxidant.
  • Garlic strengthens the immune system – Many researches show that garlic promotes healthy immune system function and strengthens the body’s defenses. One of garlic’s most potent health benefits includes the ability to enhance the body’s immune cell activity. Garlic works as a powerful antibiotic,  helping the immune system to  fight infection and bacteria.
  • Garlic reduces lung problems – It helps against asthma, coughs, hoarseness and difficulty of breathing. It’s particularly helpful against bronchitis, because it promotes expectoration.
  • Garlic can cure ear infections – Take a small piece of garlic and wrap it in some tissue. Then you insert it into the ear, best is to keep it in there overnight for maximum effect. It should reduce the pain within 24 hours and the infection should start clearing up.
  • Garlic helps against parasites – it can actually help the body getting rid of parasites such as pin worms.
  • Garlic gets rid of plantar warts – Plantar warts refer to warts affecting the sole of the foot and, unlike other warts, may cause pain or bleed when walking. To get rid of them just take fresh garlic cloves and crush them, apply to the wart until it disappear.

    മലയാളം: Garlic


Related articles

How to Gain Optimal Health – step by step!

MHM4 Comments

English: A picture of a collection of healthy ...

Are you determined to improve your health but you don’t know where to start – then you should read this. Here I’m going to summarize for you the best ways to gain your optimal health and reach your goals. Do you have what it takes to improve your lifestyle? If you follow these steps your health will improve gradually. You will notice the difference, not only will you look better, but also feel better about yourself.  It’s all up to you!

Every food we eat contains calories. The calories you consume in cannot exceed the amount of calories the body uses up. Many find it helpful to write down their daily diet in a food journal.  CalorieKing is a website which logs the calorie amounts for food you’ve eaten. You can put your recipes into this Calorie Count tool and then you will see how many calories each recipe contain. If you are not sure how many calories you require, then you can use this Calorie Calculator. The calorie calculator can be very useful for weight management.

  • Set your mind on it! You need to make a decision and be determined  YOU CAN DO IT!
  • Set reasonable goals for the week. Just take it week by week. Set goal for each week that help you reach your long-term goals. You can’t do it all at once, but you can add, little by little, good habits to your daily routine.
  • Drink 8 – 10 glasses of water each day. Other fluids count too, like green tea, milk and juice, but water is the best because it’s so clean from all chemical that it helps your body to flush out toxins. Eliminate soda and sugary drinks such as sports drinks and alcoholic beverages.
  • Exercise for at least 30 minutes each day. Walking, running, cycling and swimming are great to improve your endurance and burn calories. Exercising will give you muscles, which boosts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories.
  • Eat healthy, meat, poultry and fish with vegetables. You should eat vegetables and fruits every day. Remember you can’t gain weight from eating fruits and vegetables.
  • Healthy snacks. You should have things like small carrots, tomatoes, grapes, apples and bananas to eat when you feel need for some snack.
  • Keep daily food and exercise journal. This helps you to keep track of what you consume and exercise each day. Weight in at the end of the week and write it in the diary. This way you will see the result for each week.

Good luck to you on your way towards healthier lifestyle – gaining your optimal health.

Related articles

Do you wake up with puffy eyes – then you should read this!

MHM7 Comments

English: Example of eye bags

If you wake up with puffy eyes or bags under your eyes –  then you might have excess water in your body also known as Edema. It occurs from excess fluid buildup under the eyes, commonly referred to as eye bag. The skin around the eyes is very thin and is full of blood vessels which make it very sensitive. The cause is usually linked to modern lifestyles and hormonal fluctuations. Things that can cause puffy eyes are Lack of sleep, Stress,Diet that is high in salt and Hormonal issues (f. ex. during pregnancy or menstruation). Other causes that can lead to puffiness are Crying, Changes in the weather can cause puffy eyes or too much Alcohol consumption. Usually puffy eyes will go away after a little bit of time.                                                                                

Sometimes puffy eyes might be symptoms of other conditions that may require examination by an eye care professional such as allergies, diabetes or side effect of several types of medication                                                                                                                                                               

Excess fluid can also build up in other body tissues. The condition occurs mostly in the feet, ankles and legs, but can develop anywhere in the body.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

How to prevent the bags from developing:                                                                                                                                                                                      

  • Sleep with the head elevated, it prevents fluids from accumulating around your eyes. Make sure you get enough sleep.                            
  • Cut back on salt intake.                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  • Drink water to clean out your system, but don’t drink to many fluids right before going to sleep.                                                                
  • Cranberry juice is a natural diuretic to help reduce fluid retention and aid in weight loss.                                                                                      
  • Use a cold compress on puffy eyes. You can use cooling gel mask for eyes, or moisten two tea bags in cold water, chill them in the refrigerator and place them over closed eyelids for several minutes. Wash your face with ice-cold water. This should reduce the puffiness.    
  • Take good care of your skin. Don’t use oil-based makeup. The oil can cause the skin under the eyes to swell and become inflamed. Water-based and/or gel-based makeup is less harsh for sensitive skins. Avoid placing wrinkle remover cream near the eyes. It can cause too much hydration and puffiness is the result. Always wash your makeup off each night, as the residue can fill the pores causing swelling.            
  • Wash face with ice-cold water                                                                                                                                                                                                      
  • Cream for puffy eyes. Try a soothing eye cream with aloe and Vitamin E.                                                                                                            
  • Diuretics can help with water retention, so taking one can sometimes help the body expel excess fluids, but only use under the advice of a doctor.

Healthy lifestyle – it’s about making right choices

MHMLeave a comment

It is all about the choices we make. We all know how to make these so called right choices, listening to our parents as we were growing up “Eat your vegetables“,  “It´s not good for you to eat so much sweets“, does it bring back memories? So we have the knowledge but still it can be difficult to make those choices because delicious slice of your favorite pie is more tempting than a fruit salad. To often I convince myself to choose the pie and then afterwards regret the decision.This is of course a lack of self control and motivation. Why is it that I always make sure that my kids eats healthy but at the same time be so careless about what I eat. Now it is time to move towards healthier lifestyle for me. To make this choice easier for me in the future I have made it more visual for me. This method I would like to share with you.

You can choose which one of those two you want.

          or                          Fruit Salad

Is it still difficult to make the “right” choice? Then I ask you again which one of those persons below would you choose to be.

            or                       

This is what the choice really is about. So are you up for the challenge?

 

 

Related articles