DAY 4~ Detox Daily

TODAY'S MISSION: DETOX DAILY

There are many cleanses and detox regimens on the market today. Many of the ones I hear about take you one week or more to complete. The most popular cleanse I hear about consists of drinking nothing but maple syrup, water and cayenne pepper for 10 days. That sounds YUMMY... um, NOT!!

Since most of us don't have the option to sit around all day not moving and drinking this concoction, all this deprivation happens while you're trying to power your body to work and exercise, attempting to fuel your brain to think and focus, and dealing with everything life throws at you. That takes fuel you don't have, with the exception of drinking what basically amounts to spicy sugar water. Your body is smart. It doesn't burn fat when it thinks you're starving. It will hold onto that for dear life. It will burn other things: organ tissue and muscle, for starters.

In my personal opinion: that's just nuts. And unnecessary.

Your body is made to be self-cleaning. That's what it does, naturally--if you don't put more yucky gunk in it, and eat fresh, clean foods it understands, along with plenty of water. Give it a chance, not by removing all food, but by removing the food it can't deal with, and it will do just fine.

Plus, you will then have the vitamins, minerals, protein, complex carbs and healthy fat your body requires to make its systems work. Your brain, for example, needs calories to work. So do all your organs, including your filtering organs and digestive system. Take your body's fuel away and I don't know how optimal your detox program can really be.

Starvation cleanses, or diets that make you eat below 1200 calories a day also lower your metabolism, and make you lose lean muscle mass, so when you start your regular diet again, you're operating in a metabolic slowdown and a calorie burning deficit where you have to eat less, or gain weight. This is why so many of my clients come to me frustrated after their "cleanse" had them losing 5 pounds (water and muscle), and then they gained it all back, plus extra, right after it was done.

In addition, you can do a 10-day detox or the latest powered diet mix, all you want, but what have you learned about eating more healthfully? Sure, you've gained an appreciation for food, any food, and you may learn that you never want to see cayenne pepper or maple syrup ever again, but you are likely to come back to your same old way of eating that got you wanting a detox in the first place.

Today, I want you to begin re-framing what it means to keep your body clean. Instead of eating and drinking things you know aren't good for you, then doing a radical program once in a while, I suggest that you make every day an opportunity to detoxify.

Look at each food and beverage choice you're about to make for the next few days. What are your habitual defaults when you need energy? Can you turn that cup of coffee with sugar into a chai tea with vanilla almond milk and honey? Do you need that much cheese on your salad, and is the cheese processed or something aged and recognizable to your body? Are you getting enough fresh fruits and veggies, and if not, what are creative ways you could add them to every meal?

If you move into a detox lifestyle, where food becomes your ally in cleansing instead of something you need to cleanse from, then you're well on your way to having your clean, clear body...and your health and energy, too!





TODAY'S HEALTH TIP: ACCELERATE YOUR METABOLISM WITH LEMON

Like I shared on day 1~ simply squeezing ½ a lemon into a cup of warm water with a touch of honey and drinking that before your breakfast, that you will super-detoxify and clean your filter organs, as well as ramp up your digestion and metabolism? It's true! Now you can have your cleanse and your food too.

Lemons are very alkalizing to our bodies and when you drink them first thing in the morning, about 20 minutes before eating anything else, they help to stimulate your digestive juices, enzymes and HCL--literally giving your metabolism a wake up call! Also, try to add fresh squeezed lemon to your ice tea during the day. Even adding fresh squeezed lemons to your cocktails this evening would be a good way to get balance while drinking & celebrating!

Enjoy this drink while you get ready for the day (and then take the following breakfast smoothie I've designed for optimal morning nutrition along for the ride to work). This sweet little cleansing cocktail will make a big difference to give you a boost, decrease your cravings (lemon is a natural appetite suppressant) and curb the need for caffeine to get you going. Bottoms up!



BONUS RECIPE:

Detoxing Green Power Smoothie
This incredibly nutrient-packed smoothie gives you everything you need to cleanse, nourish and feel vibrant all morning long!


1/2 cup almond or rice milk
Large handful of spinach or kale
4 dates
Small banana and ¼ cup frozen blueberries
1 scoop either 100% Whey Isolate or Vegetarian Vanilla protein powder
1-2 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend on high for 30 seconds.




TODAY'S YOGA TIP: DOING IT DAILY

In this program, I have a built-in yoga practice to get you moving and detoxifying every day. However, I understand how life gets in the way, and it's all too easy to choose our responsibilities to others over our own self-nourishment.

If you dedicate to doing the yoga video every day, you will create a habit that will make it easier for you to take out the 20 minutes needed to make a big difference. You will begin to crave health and the feeling of empowerment, centering and vitality you get from your practice, instead of the dimmer, less confident you that you'll cultivate if you skip your body-balancing time.

I don't do yoga every single day. But I do something each day to get moving, like a long, brisk walk or dancing for 30 minutes to my favorite songs, to keep my body burning bright, and assist my systems to keep me healthy. On the off day where I don't engage my body, I feel the difference. It sucks and that difference adds up. Skip two days in a row and you're back to feeling like your old, not so healthy & happy self!

Today, commit to doing your practice no matter what else pulls at your attention. Do it early to ensure you get it in before the day comes at you with its myriad requests. Do it late if you have to. My friend set her alarm early & swears that the 20 minutes of sleep she gave up to do this practice each morning has become something she doesn't even miss, because she feels more awake and her whole day becomes more centered and clear because of it. I usually do my yoga in the evening before bed, but ..hmm... it's the 4th of July and let's get real. The only exercise I might do this evening is brief interludes of shaking my tail feather. So, I woke up early this morning, did 20 minutes of yoga & viola, here is your Day 4 material earlier than any other day. It's safe to say, I'll be continuing the morning workout & perhaps even adding the evening as well!

Even after the 21 days is over, keep in mind all the benefits you can't afford to miss, like anti-aging, weight loss, and detox...and do what it takes to ensure you carry your healing power with you for a lifetime. Never deprive yourself of that!

TODAY'S HOMEWORK:

Ok, seriously.. if you manage to get all of the above read and done on this holiday.. congrats!! No extra assignment is required of you today. If your journal is missing you today, open it up and draw yourself a big star under today's date =)

TODAY'S POSITIVE AFFIRMATION:

"I am fully prepared for anything life throws my way."

Good luck with day 4
-Stephanie Chasles