To cleanse or not to cleanse..

For our bodies to perform at their optimum, strangely enough we need to look after them. This doesn't just extend to exercising or the types of foods that we put into our bodies, but the way in which we flush them out to avoid a build-up of toxins within them. Regardless of the foods that we eat, even if they are the best types of foods imaginable, we will begin to get a build-up of toxins in our stomach, that if something is not done about can cause problems in our digestive system later on down the track!
It is a worthwhile idea for anyone, no matter where they are at in regards to their health and fitness, to cleanse their system now and again...or better yet to include a cleansing drink into their daily meal plan.
 Cleansing or detoxifying drinks do not consist of 'special' ingredients, they are very quick and easy to make. The point of these is to alkalise our digestive systems, which is the opposite of the acidic ingredients that regularly enter our stomachs. What we need to know here is that alkaline is god, and acidic is bad! The list of acidic ingredients is long. Almost everything that we eat, has an acidic component within it, hence the need why cleansing is so important. To get an idea, here is a short list of alkaline vs. acidic foods.

Alkaline                                                                 Acidic

Lemon                                                             Meat
Avocado                                                          Processed Meat
Cruciferous vegetables(Leafy Greens)            Beer
Kale                                                                 Fried Food
Garlic                                                               Soft Drink
Water                                                               Pre-packaged food

As you can see from the list of acidic ingredients, it is pretty easy to toxify our systems.
A quick and easy detox drink that is great to flush out our systems is lemon water. It is simple to prepare and it is easy to fit into our day. Some people add ground pepper or cayenne pepper to their lemon water as this increases our metabolism also.
Cruciferous vegetables or leafy greens are great for our systems also because the leaves of the greens actually massage any toxins or stray bits of food that may be laying in our digestive system out into our colon. Essentially they act as a sweeper or a garbageman for our stomach.
 Also, make sure you drink an adequate amount of water each day, as this doesn't just hydrate you, it helps to flush any foreign bodies out of your system that aren't supposed to be there.

If we have acidic food left in our stomach, and it just sits there without being digested, this can lead to ulcers or severe stomach pain which can lead to more severe symptoms later on that may require hospitalisation. Prevention is always better than cure, and in this case when the method of prevention is only of benefit to us as individuals, why not do a cleanse now and again!

We can include these detoxifying ingredients into our daily lives by perhaps having a lemon juice in the morning, or we could do a whole-day cleanse once every couple of weeks. A whole day cleanse would consist of eating or drinking only alkaline ingredients to completely rid the digestive system of any toxins. Personally, I find the method of including a cleansing drink in my daily diet a much easier way of maintaining my digestive health.

Whatever method you opt for, make sure you choose one!Your body will thank you.

Yours in health,

Ben :-)