Last night, my husband and I went grocery shopping and #1 on my list were…..LEMONS. Thus, I have chosen to begin stage 1 of my detox and diet today!
PHASE I: Start your day with a mug of hot water with lemon.
You are not cleansing unless toxins and waste are actually leaving your body. How you begin each and every day is important. It’s important to get in the habit of allowing yourself to have as complete an elimination as possible first thing in the morning.
This means that right when you wake up, you really shouldn’t eat anything immediately. If you do, part or the majority of your digestive fires will be directed at digesting the food you just put into your body, rather than focusing on your very important first (and maybe only) elimination of the day (!).
Here’s an excellent habit to get into:
Turn on your tea kettle first thing, then make yourself a cup of:
- Hot water**
- Fresh juice of a quarter of a lemon squeezed in
Turn on your tea kettle first thing, then make yourself a cup of:
- Hot water**
- Fresh juice of a quarter of a lemon squeezed in
**Remember your water should be fairly hot but never boiling!!! Let it cool down before you squeeze the lemon in. Don’t kill all the enzymes and vitamins of the lemon!
This drink will help relax your bowels and promote elimination. The warm lemon water will also dissolve mucus in the body, flush and support the liver, and help with the absorption of minerals. So let this be the first thing that enters your lips in the morning- and don’t eat anything for at least one hour after you wake up, as your body can use this time to detox.
To maximize cleansing benefits, get into the habit of drinking one hot mug of water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed in first thing in the morning. Refresh yourself throughout the day with cool lemon water. Something sweeter more your speed? Feel free to throw in some natural sugar, honey, stevia or xyitol for a lighter taste with the same benefits……or make tea with lemons. To really cash in on the goodness of lemons, spritz a mix of lemon, apple cider vinegar, stevia (and sea salt/pepper to taste) on all your greens for the day.
Cleansing is one of the most powerful instruments we have in our toolbox to bring our bodies (and our minds) back into alignment. After all, balance is one of the most important things in our lives, right? The important thing to remember about this PHASE I cleansing step is that it is meant to instill long-term habits, which I want you to keep doing after this stage is over. On March 1st, I intend to move on to PHASE II, which will build on to PHASE I.
My sister just contacted me, concerned that she couldn't participate in this portion of the detox because she thought the lemons would upset her gastritis. However, I found the following information online:
ReplyDelete"Gastritis occurs when the stomach lining is irritated or inflamed. This can happen if the person drinks too much alcohol, smokes, eats very spicy food, or has had some serious surgery or an E.coli infection. Symptoms include stomach upset, burning in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal bleeding. Consult your doctor if you suffer from these symptoms since they could also be a sign of a more serious disease.
Water with lemon – By taking a little lemon juice dissolved in a glass of warm water, the stomach will detect acidity and will stop producing the gastric juices that cause the stomach pain of gastritis. Lemon acid becomes alkaline in the stomach. The healing properties of lemon will also heal any ulcers in the stomach." :-)
Happy Detoxing!!!!!