Showing posts with label clear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clear. Show all posts

Monday, March 11, 2013

Toxic Overload!

When you finally make a decision to become healthy, to rid your body of toxins and begin a diet and exercise regimen that works for you, you are actually breaking old habits.  When you decide to juice, you are shaking your previous routine to the core!

In these initial stages, you are actually "fighting" with the poor habits that your body has grown to expect.  Anytime there is conflict within the body, there will be initial consequences before things get better.

How it works inside your body...

Your liver, adrenal glands and other vital organs were designed to cleanse the body and create the balance needed for overall functionality and health.  Yet these organs do have limits.  Just like the air filter on your car... everything needs to be cleaned.

What then happens, when these systems are overloaded, is that they start to "reject" toxins to other tissues.  Basically saying, "We are at full capacity, can you take this?"  The surrounding tissues, namely fat cells, have no choice but to absorb the toxic overflow and hang onto it for as long as the tissues and cells are functioning.  You essentially have a backlog of toxins just building up... slowly taking over your cells and organs and thus clogging your body.

This is exactly what causes symptoms such as:

  • Lethargy
  • Constant feeling of sickness in stomach
  • Headaches
  • Excess weight gain
  • Joint pain
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Mood swings
  • Digestive issues
  • Acne
  • And the list goes on...

Since our cleansing organs and functional systems do not allow us to "remove and replace" them, like a car filter, we have to take the approach of cleansing them and then allowing them to regenerate.  This means:

  1. Slowing the intake of toxins to an acceptable level, range and frequency.
  2. Giving these systems a break so that they can "self clean" and rejuvenate their own tissues.
The initial affects of such action may cause a slight increase in the above symptoms... meaning you will actually feel WORSE before you feel BETTER.  I know we've all heard that saying before, yet it rings true even in health and wellness.  When you shock your body into making this drastic and much-needed positive change, your body will rebel and you will probably feel "sick."  

This is OK and normal.  You are burning off and releasing toxins that your body has held onto for a long time.  Your body is finally having the capacity to break them down, process them and finally rid them through your immune and digestive systems.  

So... if you are just starting a major health shift in your life, take on the challenge!  Know that this is going to be a side affect and push on through.  It is temporary!  Here are some tips to help make this transition easier:
  1. Drink excess amounts of water
  2. Sweat it out - exercise
  3. Juice - juice according to your plan and don't let up
  4. Cut out the toxic intake - remove alcohol, caffeine, excess sugar, fats and oils... until your body is back on track
  5. Rest - rest - rest
Remember, your body is taking on a huge shift in it's normal routine.  Give yourself and your body a break and allow yourself to finally deal with and flush these toxic invaders.  You owe it to yourself to see this through... see through to the "New You!"


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Skin - Clear, Smooth & Bright!

I live in the land of 10,000 lakes... A.K.A. Minnesota.  What that means is that from November through April, my skin is severely neglected.

When I would travel to California for business, I stuck out like a sore-thumb.  My pale,white skin looked ashen and my eyes dull.  It was obvious that my poor skin hadn't seen the sun for months.

To help give my skin a healthy "glow" I tried everything from exfoliating, natural oils, tanning lotions and bronzing powders.  These would give me a temporary boost, but that would wear off within 24 hours.  Doing more isn't always better and I felt like my skin was rubbed raw and then caked full of glittery powders and oils.

So what changed?

I started juicing.  I began to let the micronutrients and live enzymes of fresh juice work through my clogged-up organs.  The juice was literally cleansing me from the inside out.  After only one week of juicing, I started to get comments from friends, and even strangers, on how bright blue my eyes looked and how vibrant my face was.  I was "glowing."  The more I heard these compliments, the more I was motivated to keep going.

After months of experimenting, I have found some key ingredient combinations that will help boost, clear and smooth the skin.  When you heal the body at the molecular level, your peripheral organs and tissues will follow suit.  It is the natural progression of targeting health within our vital organs... including our skin!

Skin boosting:

  • One cup of each
    • Strawberries
    • Raspberries
    • Blueberries
    • Blackberries
  • One cucumber
Skin clearing:
  • 2 cucumbers
  • 1 granny smith apple
  • 1 large handful of spinach
  • 1/4 lemon
  • 1 pinch of fresh mint
Skin smoothing:
  • 1 granny smith apple
  • 3 carrots
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 cucumber
So, whether you live in the tundra or on the beaches of Australia, our skin can always use some extra attention.  Why not try to incorporate some of the above ingredients into your regular juicing.  Be proactive  with your juicing and start GLOWING!