daily detox tips

Hey guys! So I've been getting lots of requests to talk about post-holiday detoxing tips. There are so many detox programs out there that it can get a little overwhelming and confusing. But, don't be discouraged, I'm here to show you it doesn't have to be so complicated...or expensive for that matter.


If you're anything like me, you might have consumed just a little too much over the past week. One too many Christmas cookies and a few too many glasses of red. No regrets, but I'd rather start the new year off feeling like a million bucks, wouldn't you? 


My philosophy is that you don't necessarily need to go on a strict juice cleanse in order to experience a cleansing effect. I think it's little things that we can do everyday that really add up and contribute to our overall health. There are times that you might want to go on a strict detox program, but they are not always very realistic and they aren't too much fun. I don't like feeling restricted, I'd rather make healthy choices because I want to, not because I'm supposed to. So, I'm going to give you a few daily detox tips that are super simple to follow. Feel free to incorporate as many or as few into your daily routine. 


drum roll please...


1. Keep a coffee tumbler full of warm water and sip it continuously throughout the day. This is an Ayurvedic (for more information on Ayurveda medicine click here) health tip that has really helped me. The warm water helps to gently move toxins out of the body. I've been asked if warm tea or coffee can do the trick, but it really is important to stick to water in this case. If you use anything but water, the cleansing effect will not be experienced. The herbs and the caffeine in coffee and tea throw the body off even more--the point of cleansing is to get your body back to a state of homeostasis without the use of stimulants. 


2. Breathe. It sounds funny but most people don't really know how to breathe. As a yoga instructor, I notice immediately when I haven't taken a deep breath in a while. Begin to notice the type of breaths that you take. Are they mostly shallow? Changing the way you breathe can change how you feel. I remember Oprah said one time that every time she takes her keys out and puts them in her door she reminds herself to take three deep breaths. I think this is a great way to start practicing mindfulness. 


3. Go for the greens. I can't say it enough. Eat your veggies, but especially your greens. If you don't like eating salads (I'm with ya) then blend 'em up into a delish smoothie. Take a few handfuls of spinach/kale/whatever, throw it in your blender with a frozen banana, some berries, and some coconut water. boom. Click here for more information on why green smoothies are so great, and click here for more ideas of what to throw together. 


4. Consider a green powder supplement. When I'm in a pinch and don't have time to make a green smoothie or eat a big salad (or if I'm just really lazy, let's face it). I have my go-to green powder. This stuff is so awesome. I currently am using this stuff that I got from Whole Foods called The Amazing Trio by Amazing Grass (check it out). I just put a scoop of it into a water bottle, shake it up, and drink it down. It has wheatgrass, alfalfa sprouts, and barley grass in it. I don't think you can get much healthier. 


5. Look into E3Live. If you've heard of it before you get brownie points. This stuff is loved by athletes and cool people all over the world. Jason Mraz is a big fan. It sounds really funky and it is. It's a nutrient dense superfood that is basically an algae that is only harvested in some lake in Oregon. It provides 65 easily absorbed vitamins, minerals and enzymes and has more biologically active chlorophyll than any known food (Here's a link). Chlorophyll is the buzz word here, friends. Get it, as much as you can. You can get this stuff in the freezer section at Whole Foods. It's actually not that bad. You only take like 2 oz. a day and it goes down really quick & easy. 


6. Move yo'self. It's not rocket science. Just get your body moving. Even just a little bit. Take your dog on a walk, run up and down your stairs a few times, just get your body moving somehow. It'll force you to breathe deeply and it'll get your blood flowing and moving toxins out more efficiently. Remember to stretch at the end of your work out. Stretching will feel really good and help you feel more agile. 


7. If there's one thing that we can do everyday that would make all of the difference in the world, it would be to drink excessive amounts of water. Most Americans are chronically dehydrated and don't even know it. By the time you feel thirst coming on, it's too late, you're already dehydrated. Don't wait for yourself to feel thirsty to drink up. Just do it. I know it can be a pain, but it's just so easy. I know you hear 8 cups a day and all this crap but I don't walk around with a cup everywhere I go. So I just try to get down two Nalgenes a day. That works for me. 


8. Do Yoga! You knew it was coming. Go to a class or do some sun salutations on  your own. I think it's best to go first thing in the morning to really set the tone for the day, but any time will do. Yoga is a natural detox. Make sure to get lots of twists in (prayer twist, supine twist, etc)...twisting massages your inner organs and aids in detoxing. 


9. Try oil pulling. This one is REALLY weird and sounds pretty gross but it's SO effective. It's another tip from Ayurvedic medicine--they use a lot of oil in their practices. Basically all that you have to do is take a spoonful of oil (preferably coconut oil) and swish it around your mouth for 15-20 minutes a day. I've been reading about this for years and never did it because it sounds nasty. But, I tried it a couple weeks ago, and it is amazing. I had an awful cough, so I tried oil pulling for 15 minutes. The rest of the day I didn't cough at all. It was bizarre. It's not only helpful for when you're getting sick, it also has tons of other benefits. Read about them here. There's no right way to do it, just pretend you have mouth wash in your mouth, swish it around, and don't swallow it. The toxins from your body are literally pulled out and end up in the oil--so swallowing it would just negate the whole process. Give it a try and let me know what you think!


10. Neti pot!! Have you ever tried a neti pot? I love these little things. First of all it looks like a genie lamp, so that's pretty cool. Second of all, it makes you feel amazing. I think these are great to use, especially in the winter, because they keep your sinuses from blocking up. Click here for information on how they work. 




I hope you can find one of these that works for you. Just remember that you're not going to experience any kind of a detox if you're being too hard on yourself and not enjoying the process. Just chill out and smile because your body will really appreciate the break. 


Happy New Year!


love,
d

an attitude of gratitude

It's about time that I write something here.

I've got to admit that if I'm going to continue writing this blog, it is going to have to evolve a lot. In the first entry, I wrote that I made a commitment to stay 100% raw. Well, that worked. For like five days. I'm not saying that I'm giving up on the raw food but I definitely am giving myself some slack. I've been getting into a rhythm of making green smoothies (shrek shakes) pretty much everyday. This has been extremely helpful. As I've mentioned in earlier entries, greens are insanely healing for our bodies. So, instead of eliminating every bit of cooked food out of my diet, I've just been trying to add tons of veggies--mainly greens--in. 

But, I don't feel like writing about what I'm eating. I don't really know why anyone would really care to know what I'm eating either, so I'm gonna write about something else today. 

I think what has helped me more than any veggie is being mindful of how blessed I am. A huge part of managing Crohn's (or being healthy in general for that matter) is managing stress and anxiety. It's really easy to let my Crohn's take over and determine my outlook on life, but I really prefer not to. Each day is different and I deal along the way. You've just gotta take the good ones. It's all about perspective. And there are so many ways to go about getting a bigger perspective. I can honestly say that when I can get to the place of having a broader perspective, I have nothing to complain about. I'm left with SO much to be grateful for. 

I heard once that it's virtually impossible to be simultaneously depressed and grateful. So, that's the golden ticket. Whenever I catch myself feeling bad or feeling limited by my Crohn's, I just remind myself to be grateful. Even if all I can think of are small things to be grateful for, they still make a huge difference. I've even been grateful for my Crohn's. That's weird, right? But, having Crohn's has allowed me to be more compassionate towards others and forced me to be introspective. So, really, I'm grateful for that. 

I just read a little book that was given to me by a friend called Finding My Marbles by Clare Sente. It was a really simple story about a woman who was stuck in a rut and not getting much out of life at all. She was given a green marble by a little boy in a check out line and since that day she kept the marble in her pocket as a reminder to practice gratitude. Her life began to unfold like crazy--for the better. The story is proof that when you change, everything else around you changes. 

For the last few months I've been pretty regular about writing down lists of what I'm grateful for. I like to keep a notebook by my bed so that when I wake up I can write down a couple things that I want to give thanks to the Big Guy for. It's just ridiculous how much there is. Once you get into an "attitude of gratitude" your whole vibration changes. Instead of a tired and low vibe, your energy quickly escalates and you begin to send a more positive vibration into the world. Bear with me, I know I sound like a nut to some of you. But, like I've mentioned before, we each have the power to create our lives just by altering our thoughts. Our lives are a direct reflection of how much we like ourselves. Seriously though, it's true. If all you think about is how miserable you are, miserable is what you'll get. But, if all you think about is how grateful and happy you are, you're gonna get more things to be grateful and happy about! It's so simple. 

Recently I made the decision to stop grad school in order to follow my dream of opening up a yoga/dance studio. I can't believe I'm actually officially writing this down because I've always thought that it was kind of a pipe dream. Sure, I've wanted to have my own studio for as long as I can remember, but I never thought I'd actually do it. Owning my own business just sounds like way too daunting of a task and like way too big of a risk. But, that hasn't stopped me before--if you know me at all you know I like to shake it up every once in a while. A little risk is good for the soul. So, just about a month ago I put my foot down and handed myself over to my dream. It's a little scary, but way more exhilarating and exciting. I absolutely love teaching yoga and I know that I have a lot to offer to people in this area. And the reason I'm good at it is because I'm extremely passionate about it. At the end of the day, what's life all about if we aren't following our bliss?

I know the only way that I am going to be successful with my studio, my health, and having an abundant life in general is by believing that I already have it. Having a positive attitude and believing that life is going to unfold the way you want it to is more than half the battle. It's so easy to fall off the band wagon, but there are ways to stay on the good track:

1. Practice gratitude -- start by making a list for yourself, then maybe start writing notes to people who you're grateful for, maybe thank people spontaneously for being nice, tell people why you're grateful for them. I love doing this.

2. Find your daily joy--it's different for everyone. (yoga, working out, fresh flowers, a cup of hot chocolate...)

3. Turn down the noise--this is one that I tend to be bad at. I love listening to music at every moment of the day, but sometimes I need to tell myself to take a break. Turn down the noise and tune into peace. I know some people who have to have the tv on at all times just to have some noise in the background. I get this, but what are we trying to avoid? Ever since I started practicing yoga, I've been able to appreciate the practice of being completely present and tuning into peace. If you take time to be comfortable in silence (even for just a few minutes) you might be surprised at the ideas that come forward. 

4. Imagine your dreams -- whatever it is that you want from life, you've got to envision it. See it as if it is already manifested. 

5. Connect with support -- share your vision with people you care about, just knowing that people support you can help you move mountains

6. Do something you've never done -- get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Do one thing everyday that scares you. We need to be brave with our lives so that others can be brave with theirs. 

7. Give back -- "Find love and give it all away" is a lyric by Foreigner and it's so true. Once you find your bliss, once you find what makes you tick, you've got to give it away. Give back to the world and you'll just keep receiving amazing gifts. 

I hope that some of these suggestions can help brighten your life, too. Health is all about the bigger picture. If we only focus our lens on what we think he problem is, the problem will just get worse. But, see the whole picture, and the problem really is just a speck. 

A couple of quotes to sign off with:

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -anonymous

"When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears." -Anthony Robbins 

love & lettuce,

d