Self Care: Body Detox

One of the key pillars of mindfulness is self-care. We all have an overworked, over scheduled, and overwhelmed lifestyle where we have no time for ourselves. We forget that to be able to focus, be creative, and give ourselves to others, it is important to care for ourselves first, to be present in the moment for ourselves. In overworked lifestyle, we tend to neglect our body and mind. The first step to self-care is to detox our body. Here’s what works for me:

• Drink water: Drinking a minimum of eight glasses of clean water every day is one of the best things you can do to detox and purify your body in a natural way. Add lemon, ginger or turmeric root to a cup of warm water to create an “immunity drink”.
• Eat Healthy: Eating clean unprocessed food does wonders for mind and body.  Try to incorporate rainbow colors as you pick fruits and vegetables for your meals. I find that by cooking food for myself, I can better control what I put in my body. On weekends, I prep my food – Chop and wash vegetables and fruits, Boil lentils or beans, and cook quinoa. Added bonus: I find food prepping therapeutic. Instead of using artificial flavors, I use herbs, spices, and my onion, ginger, garlic, and cilantro blend.
• Sweat it out!: Sweating it out is another great way to detox your body because sweat helps eliminate toxins from the body. Walk, jog, run…Do yoga, cardio, or Pilates or just dance to a happy tune! 🙂
• Clean clutter: Studies show that cleaning clutter is therapeutic. Organizing your physical space helps you expand your mental space. Clean clutter in your house, pantry. Don’t forget to clean your digital clutter. Clear out unwanted emails from your mailboxes and old, unwanted documents from your computer. Declutter your schedule and calendar as well.
• Sleep: Make sure you get a good night sleep. A good night sleep is a solution to physical and mental stress. Know that it not just about how many hours of sleep you get but also about how much deep sleep you get. Try to set a sleeping routine. Here’s what works for me:
  • Make a to-do list or what’s on my mind list about an hour before I go to bed. That way I off load all my thoughts on the paper and then I don’t have to worry about the tasks that I need to do the next day while I am trying to sleep.
  • Have a set sleep time. This is very important. Everyone has an optimal sleep time window-mine is between 10:00 pm to 10:30 pm. If I miss this window it is hard for me to fall asleep so I try to be in bed before my sleep time window.
  • Start winding down at least an hour before you sleep. Put your phone on silent, dim the lights and use a meditation technique if needed. Artificial light from screens increase alertness and suppress the hormone melatonin by up to 22% – which negatively affecting sleep so keep your phone, computer and iPad away from your bed. I say a quick thank you for all great things in my life to the power above every night before go to bed. Being happy and thankful helps with a good night sleep.

Hopefully you find this tips helpful. If you do, please share with friends and family. Also, look out for my next blog post on mind detox!

What techniques do you use for body detox?

For my new blog posts, please follow my website and connect with me on twitter: @rmogha

Note: If you use parts of this post or refer to it in your posts/ website, please make sure to mention my name in credits and email me the link to your post/website.