Detox Demand: Detoxes Worth Trying to Start Your 2017 off Right

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Kickstart 2017 with a detox. There are tons of detoxes, diets and cleanses out there, each claiming to be the best option to help reboot our bodies, kick nasty cravings, and revamp our energy levels. More often than not, these detoxes fall short. Instead of wading through the options trying to find something that might actually work, we cut through all the nonsense to give you the best options worth trying. Overrate during the holiday season? Us too. Here’s the lowdown on how you can start feeling like normal again and getting that summer bod ready… woops, too soon?

1. Kicking refined sugar

One of the first steps to any detox is saying bye Felicia to refined sugar! Do you ever feel like you're getting intense sugar cravings out of nowhere? Chances are it’s because you ate something with refined sugar earlier in the day. Refined sugar also contains no essential nutrients and is bad for your teeth. It can even cause insulin resistance, which can turn into more serious health issues. A great way to get refined sugar out of your diet is by using a simple substitution *cough* raw honey. Regular sugar is made up of sucrose, which is a combination of two molecules bonded together. Our bodies have to expend way to much energy separating these molecules with their own enzymes before using the sugar for energy. Honey, on the other hand, has special enzymes (holla bees!) that divides the nectar’s molecules. This creates two simple sugars which are super easily absorbed by our bodies! Thanks to all of this, honey has a healthier Glycemic index. The lower the GI, the slower your body absorbs sugar into your bloodstream. The slower the absorption, the healthier the digestion process! By opting for raw honey over regular sugar, you will get something sweet, while also nourishing your body!

2. The Whole30

The Whole30 is a great way to hit reset and will help you kick those nasty cravings. The Whole30 is kind of like a stricter version of the paleo diet, but only for 30 days. It’s meant to get you on track enjoying real foods, that won’t cause your hormones to go out of whack or make your gut all rumbly. The guidelines are simple, no consuming any of the following for 30 days:

Sugar of any kind, real or artificial

Alcohol in any form, not even for cooking

Grains

Legumes

Dairy

Carrageenan, MSG or sulfites

No re-creation of baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “approved” ingredients (like protein pancakes or mug cakes)

The goal of the diet is to restart your body by eliminating the ingredients above because the Whole30 considers them to be inflammation causing and are not “natural” foods for us humans to consume (think back to the paleo time period). This diet has had great results among many communities, specifically in the CrossFit world! Check out more at whole30.com.

3. Fasting

YUP, you heard us! Fasting is actually a fantastic way to reset your body after the holidays. During this festive time, we tend to overeat, making our bodies think we need more food than we actually require. While we aren't promoting a week-long fast and absolutely acknowledge that fasting is not for everyone and best carried out under the guidance of a medical professional, we are suggesting fasting for 12-18 hours. We know this sounds intense but your body will appreciate it, and you will see an intense shift! By giving your body time to feel itself out after the holidays, you will be able to get right back into the health game with less cravings.

4. The Bone Broth Diet

Bone broth is popping up everywhere, and for good reason! Bone broth is filled with many health benefits, like collagen, vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory agents. The bone broth diet is a bit of an extreme one (but if you’d like to read up on it, knock yourself out), you may decided to opt for fasting with bone broth for 12-24 hours. We did it, and it was not bad at all – especially if you make your bone broth extra delicious with the right herbs and a few sprays of bee propolis! If you are crunched for time, there are tons of premade bone broth products around, like our friends over at Kettle and Fire, or for you Torontonians, Broya. All you’ll need is around 2-3 bottles a day and you’re ready to start! You can even make bone broth an ongoing ritual and enjoy it a few times a week. It also makes for a great transition if you’ve just finished fasting and are ready to incorporate solid foods back into your diet.

5. A Juice Cleanse

Unless you live under a rock, you have come to know of or attempted a juice cleanse. A juice cleanse refers to a cleanse that involves consuming juice as either the only or primary “meal” throughout your day. Some juice cleanses come with meal options to partner with them, like a detox salad, or the cleanse may be strictly liquid based. Before we get any further there are a few misconceptions about juicing that we need to address. 1) You will not be losing 10 pounds in 1 day. 2) A juicing diet doesn’t refer to drinking only orange juice. Juicing involves a wide variety of cold pressed organic juices made from fruits and vegetables. 3) Juice cleanses should not be done for large stretches of time. Juice cleanses, when done properly, are a tool to help reset your body and get into the groove of things. They are not an ideal long term option in place of actual meals. Juicing can be high in sugar, and may not enable your body to receive the proper macronutrients and essential vitamins over time. Now that we have that covered, actually picking your cleanse can be a bit tricky. There are so many juice cleanses out there, it can be tough knowing which one is right for you. Don’t worry, we got you covered. The ideal cleanse would be 1-3 days, and be organic cold press juice, preferably in glass bottles. There should also be a wide variety of juice, with at least one being primarily made of vegetables. The first day is going to be hard, but listen to your body. If you can’t focus or do your job (we suggest doing the cleanse on a weekend!!) then have half an avocado, a spoon of bee pollen or a bit of almond butter (just don’t grab that bag of chips!). On the third day for dinner, it is a good idea to add in some food, if your cleanse didn’t already include it. This way you slowly ease your body into solid foods again. Greenhouse juice is Toronto's best in our opinions! If you are going to go all in on a juice cleanse, Greenhouse offers the perfect choice in the form of cold pressed juices and nut milks. Their cleanses will help replenish your body with nutrients, making you feel energized, refreshed, and excited to embark on the lifelong project of feeling your best every day. Greenhouse has 3 options, the gentle cleanse, standard cleanse, and the green cleanse, each coming with the option of a 1, 2 or 3 day period. While this may seem short, it gives you enough time to let your body adjust to not having cinnamon buns for breakfast, lunch and dinner, while also not turning you into a hangry psycho who wants to kill your co-worker for chewing too loudly. A juice cleanse is not a quick weight loss tool, rather it’s a great way to get your body and mind back into healthy living. Regardless of the detox you choose, make sure you do your research, and listen to your body. Drink lots of water and take your vitamins! This will help flush out any unwanted nasties while also ensuring you are getting all the nutrients you need. P.S. if you’re looking to up the ante, bee pollen is a great addition to your meals to ensure you are getting your vitamins and nutrients (it’s packed with B vitamins and minerals). While cleansing we try to avoid the whole packaged multivitamin thing and go for something more natural and easier for your body to absorb making bee pollen our go to supplement. Bee propolis also helps with fighting off any germs and oxidative stress you may be putting your body under during your cleanse. Having both of these bad boys by your side during your cleanse, will having you bouncing back to your fit self in no time.

By Danny ClarkJan 6, 2017

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