Flawless Skin from the Inside Out: Detoxifying our Bodies

Yesterday on my way to work, I passed by Nalongo’s shop in my neighbourhood and right there in the doorway, seated atop the counter were her big yummy golden brown mandazi (doughnuts). I managed to resist those sinfully delicious mandazi for a whole three months and now that my skin is cleared, the temptation is real. The thing is, they are oily to a fault. I’m still not sure if it’s the oil that makes them as delicious as they taste or the huge amounts of sugar therein. My point is, we ingest so many delicious foods and processed drinks that the toxins come along with them end up building up in our systems. When we let these toxins stay, we usually get problems like pimple breakouts, constant unexplained fatigue, and irregular and painful menstrual cycles for ladies among other health problems. Detoxifying our bodies regularly is a habit we need to adopt and for sure we shall also get flawless skin from the inside out with this new habit in play.

For starters, what does detoxifying/detoxification mean?

Detoxification is a process, usually dietary in nature, aimed to eliminate all the negative effects on our body from the environment, such as industrial chemicals, pesticides, additives in our foods, secondary smoke, pollutants, or heavy metals.

Detoxification is commonly associated with drugs, substance abuse and alcohol (you know, taking a cold glass of freshly squeezed juice early in the morning to rid oneself of a hangover and the effects of alcohol?). However, beyond popular associations, detoxification is a process that every person should do regularly.

Detoxification is performed in a variety of ways including dietary changes, nutritional supplements, herbal mixtures, oral chelating agents, safe mercury removal, intravenous injections, colonics, etc. Nowadays, internal detoxification has become quite popular that it is adopted by healthy individuals to keep their body systems in pristine condition.

So, how do you know if you need to detoxify?

Dr. Kaririwe (Livara’s medical doctor) suggests that everyone should detox at least once a year. She however cautions against detoxing for nursing mothers, children, and patients with chronic degenerative diseases, cancer or tuberculosis. Be sure to consult your health care practitioner if you have questions about whether detoxing is right for you.

Here are some of the signs that tell us that detoxifying our bodies is needed and should be done: Unexplained fatigue, Sluggish elimination, Irritated skin including breakouts, frequent Allergies, Low-grade infections, Puffy eye or bags under the eyes, Bloating, Menstrual problems, Mental confusion, Unexplained headaches or back pain, brittle nails and hair, etc.

One of the benefits of detoxification is that liver, kidney, and blood purification can take place – which wouldn’t occur during regular eating patterns. Other advantages include: the immune system stimulated, the hormonal system is enhanced, and reduced dependency on substances such as sugar, caffeine, nicotine or alcohol.

Which detox program is right for you?

Dr. Gloria explains that, “it takes time for the body to clean blood” and so the detox program should last at least 3 days. Most detox programs available last 7 days. At Livara, we recommend a 5 day juice and processed sugar fast where only fresh fruit and vegetable juices are taken in addition to at least a litre of water daily. There should be no addition of processed sugar to the juice. This should be an effective way to release the toxins. Below are Livara’s recommended 5 day detox juices. They have been tried and tested and proven quite efficient.

1. Spinach, Pineapple and Ginger Detox Drink (blender required)
This purifying beverage contains spinach to cleanse the kidneys; pineapple, which has bromelain to aid digestion; and ginger to help stimulate bile flow in your gall bladder.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup pineapple; 2 large cucumbers; 1 bunch spinach without stems; 1/2 lemon; 1/4 inch of ginger; 1 bunch of mint (1/2 cup)

Blend the above ingredients and with water to make into one and a half liters of juice and enjoy daily.

2. Lemon Water
Just add lemon to your water through out the day. The acid in the lemons assist the cleansing process. Citrus fruits, such as lemons, contain a pure concentrated form of citric acid. Citric acid works like bleach on fat. Due to its acidity and high ph, citric acid is able to actually penetrate and break down fat molecules.

3. Apple Detox Diet
For three or four days, eat nothing but raw early-ripening apples. You should try to eat at least four apples each day. Apples boost both kidney and liver function.

4. Bananas and Chia Detox
Bananas are full of vitamin B6, an essential vitamin for liver detoxification; and ground chia is packed with brain-nourishing omega-3s and fiber for healthy elimination.

5. Other Foods Recommended for Detoxifying our Bodies
a. Garlic to help with liver and gall bladder function
b. Cabbage, excellent for detoxification in both the liver and kidneys;
c. Mushrooms to boost liver enzymes.
d. Dark berries such as blueberries and blackberries will make it easier for your liver to get rid of certain toxins.
e. Hot peppers have capsaicin, which boosts enzymes responsible for detoxifying the liver. As a rule, the hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin.
f. Soy products all act like diuretics, allowing you to urinate more often.
g. Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, bok choy and broccoli increase your kidney’s ability to transport toxins into the urine and help liver cells recover from detox.

Once you follow our simple procedures, you shall definitely feel lighter, healthier and more importantly you shall have a flawless skin from the inside out. Detoxifying our bodies is indeed a habit we should adopt regularly.