Detox Your Body, Detox Your Life

We are ringing in the New Year with a widely broadcast wake-up call. Obesity is now the largest health threat to Americans. Over the last 15 years, the percentage of obese adults has increased by 85 percent. In order to lose weight and toxic baggage, we need to purge our body, mind and environment of toxins.

Let`s detox!
A detox program is a short-term diet that helps eliminate these environmental and dietary toxins from your system.

Everybody`s doing it! On both sides of the Atlantic, detoxing is not only in, it is an integral component of maintaining good health. In London, Dr. Josh- whose praises are sung by Princess Diana, Kate Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow- says the secret to good health is replacing acidic with alkaline foods. In Los Angeles you can get into the raw food craze with Woody Harrelson or do a 21-day cleanse with Kathy Freston.

Give your diet a mini-makeover by following these guidelines during your detox:

Detox Your Skin: The skin is your largest organ and accounts for one quarter of your body`s detoxification process. Everything you put on your body, you put in your body. Give your skin a break by refraining from using those scented lotions and instead treat your skin to some spa-like care at home. Use a dry brush to remove dead skin cells and stimulate your lymphatic system before you shower or bathe. Dry-brushing even removes cellulite and tightens the skin. After you have dry-brushed your skin, take a bath with essential oils such as lavender or tea tree oil to refresh and rejuvenate your skin.

Go Raw Vegan: Embraced as a detox or a new way of eating, raw cuisine can be a palatable delight beyond carrots and celery sticks. This delicious vegan diet includes fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, sprouts, grains, nuts, beans, and seaweed.

Raw foods and juices deliver live enzymes and pure, powerful nutrients straight to your system. Live enzymes, which are killed when we cook or even steam food, optimize our metabolism, aiding digestion and flushing out toxins. Antioxidant enzymes act as a biodefense, ridding our body of the cellular by-products of free radicals, which can lead to cancer. Raw food advocates such as Woody Harrelson swear by raw foods as a way of life- touting more energy, clearer skin and a clearer mind.

Practice Yoga: Yoga puts your body into fat-bu
ing mode by lowering the levels of stress hormones and increasing insulin sensitivity. When you breathe deeply during the various poses, you process oxygen efficiently, burn fat and speed up your metabolism. Yoga aids your body in removing harmful toxins, increasing energy, and losing weight.

Limit Consumption of Caffeine, Sugar, Animal Products and Gluten for 21 days: According to Kathy Freston, author of The Quantum Wellness Cleanse, giving up these things for 21 days will drastically improve your health by curbing cravings, changing your taste buds, and giving you more energy. "It`s about choosing foods that don`t tax the body and make it work so hard; it`s about taking a break but not about starving," says Freston.

By clearing toxins from your body, you will raise your energy levels, clear your complexion, stimulate digestion, and improve your all-around health and well-being. "The more I studied and looked into the ancient practice of giving up certain foods for a designated period of time, the more I realized that fasting and cleansing are not only good for making physical improvements, but they can also be a pathway to greater clarity and even enlightenment," says Freston.