1. Drink lots of water - approx 8 cups of water per day
When it comes to cleansing your body, nothing flushes your system as effectively as good old H2O - just make sure it's pure and filtered so you're not replacing one toxin with another. By adding a squeeze of alkalising fresh lemon juice to warm water in the mornings, you'll not only kick-start your metabolism for the day but also help cleanse your liver, too.
2. Streamline your diet
Beauty begins in the belly and a great way to cleanse your body is to eliminate processed food, wheat, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, yeast, processed meats and sugar for at least a week or two (and if possible reduce consumption ongoing for better health and wellbeing). Instead, only eat fresh veg (steamed, raw, lightly stir-fried in coconut oil), fresh nuts and seeds as well as lean protein. Eat lacto-fermented foods like those found in The Beauty Chef Products. The lacto-fermentation process creates beneficial prebiotics and probiotics that support the body’s detoxification and elimination pathways. Probiotics directly neutralise certain chemicals and toxins so that they don’t have to be processed through the liver. This helps to ease the burden on the liver and the skin. Avoid sugary and fried foods and for a healthy snack, opt for green smoothies, veggie sticks with hummus, bone broths and nibble on raw nuts for a hit of good oils to keep skin radiant. For snack ideas, visit Recipes on The Beauty Chef website.
3. Support the cleansing process
When you cleanse, you are primarily cleansing your liver, kidneys and skin, as these organs are responsible for eliminating metabolic waste from the body. Eating lots of greens and bitter herbs and vegetables is a great way to assist your body’s natural detoxification process. Stock up on your cruciferous veggies too, including cabbage, broccoli and kale as they are rich in cleansing, sulfur-containing compounds. To maximise your cleanse and give your body extra support, take a supplement that contains cleansing herbs, liver-supporting ingredients and natural probiotics, which is why we created DAILY SUPERGREENS Inner Beauty Support. It contains cleansing herbs, vitamins, minerals, fibre and natural prebiotics and probiotics to support both your liver and immune health, nourish your body from the inside and put you on the path to radiant skin.
4. Boost your fibre
Fibre is very important for cleansing out the bowels and moving toxin wastes out of the body. Chia seeds, psyllium husk, oats, fruits and veg are known as water-soluble fibre. These act like an intestinal broom, as they help to gently cleanse the digestive tract. Oats and chia seeds are best soaked over night before being made into bircher muesli or porridge. This makes them much easier to digest and even more effective as a fibre cleanser. All grains, legumes and nuts contain a substance called phytic acid, which can bind to minerals in the gut and prevent their absorption. Soaking or fermenting grains helps decrease the level of phytic acid.
5. Spice up your life
There are lots of kitchen-cupboard spices that can boost your cleanse - consider adding turmeric, cinnamon, coriander and fenugreek to soups and salad dressings and try replacing your morning or afternoon coffee with a cleansing ginger tea - simply slice up fresh ginger root and add boiled, filtered water.
6. Skin brushing
An effective way to improve lymphatic flow, eliminate toxins and help banish cellulite is dry skin brushing:
- It’s best to dry brush first thing in the morning before you shower. Start with light pressure until you’re used to the sensation, then move on to firmer strokes.
- Use a natural bristled brush (can be found at health food stores). Avoid synthetic or nylon brushes or gloves as they’re too sharp and can damage the skin.
- Start with the soles of your feet, use swift upward strokes and brush from the feet, up the legs, working towards your heart.
- Once you’ve covered your lower body, move to your hands and work up your arms toward your heart in the same manner.
- Next (using a long handle brush or get your partner to help out), brush your back.
- Lastly, work on your abdomen (moving in a clockwise direction to follow the movement of the colon), chest and neck. It’s best to avoid your face as most people’s facial skin is too sensitive.
- Brush for about 2-3 minutes until your skin is rosy and slightly tingly.
- Always shower after you dry brush, to wash off the dead skin.
- Keep a separate dry brush for every member of the family, and be sure to wash it periodically.
To browse some cleansing inner beauty recipes, click here.
Visit The Digest for more beauty and wellbeing inspiration.
