By Stephanie Trembath, Public Relations Manager
This time of year welcomes the seasoned shopper with open arms among brilliantly coloured spring dresses and flimsy footwear that only Cleopatra would admire. Spring fashion is the most tempting for many and the least warranted, as warmer weather hardly calls for more than beachwear and flip-flops. Falling into line with the rest of the superficial femmes, I find flaw in every item I own each summer and wander Robson Street with my face plastered to store windows. Thankfully, I was recently inspired by a local yoga instructor to wear my “big bag of skin” this spring, and opted to spend my well-earned funds on supplies for a revitalizing grapefruit cleanse.
Grapefruit, sweet, sour, and extremely fragrant, is loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and pectin; an extremely soluble fibre. Pectin assists in cleansing the colon, ridding the body of waste, and preventing kidney stones, which is why grapefruit is the main ingredient in many cleanses. Rather than spend money on tropical tops, I opted to take 20 dollars and invest in a box of juicy pink grapefruits to detox my bod and reset my metabolism. The grapefruit cleanse is a less rigorous way to detoxify the colon and liver, and prevent the formation of kidney stones. The fibre in grapefruit helps to flush the system of wastes and ridding the body of toxins.
Cleansing has been around for centuries, rids the body of toxins and waste, and bring organs back to their optimal function. Nutritional experts claim that cleanses should be done at least twice a year to reset the body’s digestive system and curb cravings. There are many different ways to detox, but the most important part is finding one that is practical and suits your lifestyle. I have tried many different cleanses and quickly discovered that juice cleanses or “fasting” is not practical for my active lifestyle. Fasting is meant to rest the organs and stimulate only the liver in releasing all the toxins and waste from the body, however, eating small amounts of healthy foods has proved a great way to detoxify the body without starving yourself.
[quote style=”boxed”]During your cleanse, take contrasting hot and cold showers to help enhance circulation, which have a positive effect in the detoxification process as it builds up the immune system and flushes metabolic wastes.[/quote]
To start the grapefruit cleanse simply eat one grapefruit a day. One grapefruit contains two grams of fibre. I eat half a grapefruit for breakfast and save the other half for a mid-afternoon snack. Drink 250 ml of unsweetened grapefruit juice with every meal between four and five times a day. Before bed, add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil to your last cup of grapefruit juice. The olive oil helps to soften and accumulate toxins in the digestive tract, and allows the fibres to scrape the colon clean! During the detox, be sure to eliminate all processed foods. Stick to a diet of raw or steamed vegetables, fish, chicken breast, plain oatmeal, and plain rice. Essentially, you want to eliminate all processed foods and sugar to assist the cleansing process and allow your organs to rest rather than work on digestion.
This cleanse should be practiced for at least seven to 12 days. It takes exactly one week to detoxify the body of toxins, but it takes at least two weeks to break unhealthy eating habits and reset your body’s metabolism. During your cleanse, take contrasting hot and cold showers to help enhance circulation, which have a positive effect in the detoxification process as it builds up the immune system and flushes metabolic wastes. Practicing yoga, swimming, or other moderate exercises also help, as light exercise will build up muscle tissues and build better, healthier habits to be maintained even after you’re done cleansing. A few things to remember while you are practicing your detox:
Grapefruit is not sour, it is bitter sweet.
You do not need caffeine in the morning to wake you up—that’s what the contrasting cold showers are for.
Plug your nose; vegetables taste better.
Always add more water to oatmeal, otherwise it tastes like paste.
You will thank yourself later—roughly 14 days later exactly.
Not only will you feel healthier and rejuvenated, but you will be inspired to eat more nutritiously and save money by not splurging on fast food or summer clothes. Just think about your “big bag of skin;” you only get one for the rest of your life. Eat healthy and exercise so it fits! Happy cleansing!
