A detox can take many different forms, but it certainly does not mean you should starve yourself.
The best detoxes are ones where you simply cut out anything processed, as well as coffee, alcohol, grains, dairy, soy, and raw fish from your diet. In doing so, you can reset your taste buds (so you'll stop craving unhealthy foods!) as well as reset your internal clock, clear your head, and get your body back into rhythm. Try detoxing for a week or up to 10 days--simply eat fruits, veggies, lean protein, beans, nuts, and seeds! Be sure to stay hydrated, though!
Thanks to Molly Gallagher from Well+Good and Jeffrey Morrison, MD, a physician from New York and author of 'Cleanse Your Body, Clear Your Mind,' here are some surprising signs that might mean you need a detox this fall! Check out the signs below.
1. Allergies. If it seems like your allergies are getting worse every year around the fall, it might not be because there is more pollen. “We find when people do a detox, their allergy symptoms get much better," Dr. Morrison explained.
If you're looking for a short-term fix, try eating a spoonful of local honey or local bee pollen (you can always add it to tea or eat it straight!). “People who have what appear to be severe seasonal allergies should start with a small amount—one to two granules of bee pollen—in the morning before breakfast and slowly work up to about half a teaspoon, two times a day,” he says. “The oral ingestion of bee pollen is a natural way of desensitizing to local flowers from the inside out.”
2. Difficulty staying asleep. Do you randomly wake up in the middle of the night, unable to go back to sleep? Dr. Morrison says this might be a sign your liver is under stress. “The liver is the main organ in the body for detoxifying chemicals, prescription medications, and alcohol, and all of these can cause you to wake up at night. Even if you’re not drinking and still waking up, it could be because the liver is working harder than it should,” he explains.
To get some fast relief, try taking a supplement called glycine helps the body make extra GABA (a calming neurotransmitter). Take one, in water, at bedtime, he says. Be sure to check with your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet.
3. Intense sugar cravings. A detox is not just about getting your body back in rhythm, it can also help cut some really unhealthy cravings and behaviors! Sugar can be addicting, especially when you overdo it. In the U.S., the average American consumes 153 grams of sugar every day, when doctors recommend only 25 grams every day--maximum!
If you need some instant relief from intense sugar cravings, try diluting three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water. It's also been shown to help boost your metabolism!
4. Rashes. “The skin is a reflection of what’s going on in the body, especially itchy hives. The skin is basically telling you that the body is inflamed. Often the cause is the food you’re eating,” Dr. Morrison says. Detoxing can get rid of those inflammatory foods from your diet and in turn, quell the swelling.
5. Abnormally intense PMS. If you're experiencing different or more intense symptoms of PMS, your diet may be to blame. “If a person does the detox diet, fifty percent of the time we see significantly fewer PMS symptoms,” Dr. Morrison says.
If you're looking for a quick fix, try taking evening primrose oil. “It’s a seed oil with a long track record for its anti-inflammatory properties. Take one, two times a day,” he says. This also will help with rashes!
What do you think of these signs? Which do you experience? What is your favorite detox? Let us know in the comments!
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