Give your mind and body the TLC it deserves
While there are those who love a good cleanse and those who argue the body does it anyway, there’s no denying turning some much-needed focus on “you time” works wonders for body, mind and soul.
Try these simple rituals to get your glow back
Detox your: Skin
Healthy digestion leads to gorgeous glowing skin, but there are other tricks to add to your detox diet.
Try topping up skin-nourishing nutrients with a supplement. Four key ingredients to look out for are marine collagen (to boost smoothness and elasticity), silica (which helps rebuild and regenerate skin-plumping collagen), vitamin C (vital for collagen production, as well as mopping up free radicals that damage skin and cause wrinkles) and MSM (Methyl Sulphonyl Methane is a natural sulphur that promotes skin firmness and reduces inflammation). And yes, H2O is important, as water helps deliver nutrients to your skin and flushes out toxins that cause congestion.
Why not detox your make-up bag and skin care while you’re at it? Mineral products are much less irritating to skin than other make-up, allows it to breathe and looks more natural. Layer mineral make-up with a kabuki brush to get the right coverage – it won’t mask your natural glow.
Detox your: Mind
Any mental detox revolves around reducing stress; helpful in small doses for getting things done, but can affect everything from fertility to your immune system if left to spiral out of control.
Start with naming all the things that worry you – and consider what it is about your concerns that sends stress levels soaring. The biggest issues for most of us are money and family worries, but being specific and discussing your fears with others gives you a better chance of getting a handle on them.
Next, check your reactions, and retrain. It can be helpful to keep a diary to monitor your mood, and once a trigger is spotted, try meditation, yoga, breathing and mindfulness exercises to put you in the right frame of mind to develop solutions.
Limit your tech: its ever-presentness means we multitask more and spend less time on more creative, long-term oriented thinking.
Any stress detox has to include a dose of self-care: cut back on alcohol, caffeine and sugary foods and drinks, and eat regular healthy meals to provide a steady stream of energy. Consider taking a multivitamin supplement – B vitamins in particular can be depleted when you’re under stress.
Detox your: Tummy
Good gut health is big news right now. Happy gut bacteria help prevent illness, enhance digestion and are phenomenal mood boosters. In short, vital to our whole body’s wellbeing.
While a healthy digestive system can prevent bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, gut microbes can also influence inflammation and control the calories you absorb, linking the health of your gut directly to weight issues.
A good gut detox diet means limiting sugars, which suppress beneficial bacteria, and eating clean, minimally processed foods as much as possible.
You can also top up on friendly bacteria; foods that contain live bacteria and yeasts, which increase the population and activity of your gut. Most supplements contain the common lactobacillus and bifidobacterium strains to support beneficial flora, and they can restore bacteria if you’re taking antibiotics, and help if you’ve had a tummy bug
Detox your: Hair
Although hair can look swishy and glossy, it could be the result of chemical trickery rather than Mother Nature. Many brands contain ingredients that strip hair of natural oils before adding ingredients like silicone to coat the hair and create the illusion of healthy hair – when in fact it’s anything but.
Products that contain a lot of silicone can build up on the hair shaft, causing it to feel heavy and look dull so stick to hair products that are silicone-free and hone your hair-washing technique. Shampoo twice with a gentle natural product that’s Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and paraben-free, firstly to remove product and secondly to cleanse.
Heat styling tools might save you from many a bad hair day, but the downside is the damage they do to your hair. Detox with a month off: lock your straightening irons away, minimise hairdryer use and then only use on the lowest heat setting. You’ll be so surprised how different your hair feels – you may be tempted to ditch them for good.
Advice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP before trying any remedies.
