Detoxify Your Life: 14 Tips to Live By
by www.SixWise.com

Life can be a dirty place, and whether you're 20 or 65 you've probably accumulated some excess toxins in your body and some emotional baggage in your mind. These poisons can come from concrete things like pesticides in your food, pollution in the air you breathe and even chemicals that you consume in the form of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

But they can also be more abstract, in the form of things like too much stress, negative media, advertising, relationship problems and inner conflicts. So when you think about detoxing, it's important to not only detoxify your body but also your mind and spirit.

14 Essential Detox Tips

While spring is often considered the ideal time to detox, fall, which is just around the corner, is also an important season for cleansing. The shorter days and cooler temperatures lead to decreases in your metabolism and mood, and may trigger a desire to eat more than you normally do. Detoxing in the fall can help to lift your spirits, increase your energy and help you feel your best as winter arrives.

However, some forms of detoxing can become a part of your everyday life. The tips that follow include such tips, and we recommend using them on a regular basis to keep your life mentally, physically and emotionally healthy.

1. Exercise. It will help you relieve stress and improves your circulation and overall health.

2. Eat organic. As much as possible, choose foods free of pesticides, genetically modified ingredients and other additives. If you must budget, choose organic animal products (meat, eggs and dairy) first, as they tend to accumulate toxins faster. Next, choose organic versions of the most heavily polluted produce, such as these 20 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides.

3. Be careful of what drugs you take. Sometimes medication is necessary, but you may want to think twice before constantly popping pills for every ache and pain. Many can cause side effects and may contain chemicals that can damage your kidneys.

4. Quit smoking. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 different chemicals.

5. Use natural cleaning products in your home. Using typical cleaning sprays and air fresheners at least once a week can increase your risk of asthma by 30-50 percent.
   
   Instead, opt for PerfectClean cloths, dusters and mitts for all of your cleaning needs. PerfectClean terry cloths contain patented built-in antimicrobial protection and are made of ultramicrofibers that are only 3 microns in size, which is even smaller than many bacteria. Because of this unique ultramicrofiber construction, you can reduce the amount of chemical cleaners you use, or even eliminate them altogether.

   So, unlike ordinary cleaning rags and sponges, you don't need to use chemical cleaners to achieve the deepest clean, which makes them perfect for anyone who's looking to keep toxic cleaners OUT of their home.

   If you choose to use cleaning products, you can opt for natural varieties such as Enviro-Rite. Enviro-Rite has an excellent line of safe cleaning products -- they contain no hazardous ingredients, petrochemicals, perfumes, dyes or animal byproducts, and they have products for all of your cleaning needs, from carpet and upholstery cleaner to spot lifters.

6. Meditate. It's a simple (and free) way to detoxify your mind and spirit.

7. Make sure you're sleeping enough, and well. Like refueling a car or taking a drink of water, it's thought that sleep refreshes your body and helps to restore the energy that you've used up during the day. Says Dr. Neil B. Kavey, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, sleep is the time when your body is able to do repair work.

8. Limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol is a poison, and in excess amounts it will cause harm to your body. How much is too much? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, most adults can use alcohol moderately -- meaning up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people -- and not experience problems. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)

9. Learn how to forgive. Most of us will harbor (or are harboring right now) feelings of pain, anger, resentment and hurt against someone we feel did us wrong. If they are not released, by way of forgiveness, these negative notions will slowly drain your energy while fanning the fires of chronic stress.

10. Turn off the TV. Your mind needs a break from the advertisements, the negative news and the celebrity gossip.

11. De-clutter your home. One of the basic tenants of feng shui, which is an ancient art of creating a harmonious environment in your home using space, placement of objects, color and more to keep vital energy aligned, is that clutter represents stagnant energy.

    In order for energy, or chi, to flow -- and therefore for your home to feel peaceful, support your mental and emotional well-being and provide a sanctuary for you to reside in -- the clutter must be cleared.

    Make sure anything you put in or on your body (food, personal care products, makeup) is as pure and toxin-free as possible.

11. Volunteer. People who donate their time to a cause report feeling a heightened sense of well-being, relief from insomnia, and various other physical, mental and emotional benefits.

12. Switch to natural personal care products. The vast majority -- some 89 percent -- of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products (products that you rub into your scalp and skin, spread onto your face and trust on your body) have never been evaluated for safety by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other institution.

    Sixwise.com has done the research for you and is happy to offer the following safe alternatives for your own personal care.

    1. Ecco Bella Holistic Remedies Hair & Scalp Intensive Therapy, an exclusive combination of essential oils including cedarwood, juniper, neem, organic herbs and green tea, all blended in a non-greasy Jojoba oil base.

    2. Vermont Soap Organics -- luxurious, super mild handmade bar soaps.

    For more of the purest and truly natural soaps and other personal cleansing products on the market, see the new line of Personal Care Products we have found!

13. Challenge your mind. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that challenging your brain with mentally stimulating leisure activities (including playing board games or cards, doing crossword puzzles, reading, writing, and playing musical instruments) is great for your mind. You can also check out these five brain games that will help keep your mind fit.

14. Tune out things that bring you down. This could be your gossiping coworkers, a meddling relative, or annoying instant messages. Whatever the poison, learn to ignore it for your own sanity's sake.

Recommended Reading

The Benefits and Risks of Saunas

The Healthiest Grasses You Could Possibly Eat (Hint: Not Your Lawn)

Sources

NursingSchoolSearch.com