Total Therapy Blog

Cleaning House – From the Inside Out June 29, 2011 (0) Comments in Healthy Tips by Total Therapy

We’ve often heard the saying, you are what you eat. If that’s the case, a fair number of us would look like a bag of potato chips right now. It’s no secret that the North American diet leaves a lot to be desired – we’re overweight, over-tired, and prone to serious conditions like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Eating a poor diet puts stress on our body’s systems. Our main “detox” organs – the liver, kidneys, lungs, digestive tract, and skin – work overtime to deal with the junk we put in our bodies. If these organs are overloaded, we notice it. Our skin looks tired and dull; we feel exhausted; and our digestive tract starts getting grumpy (re: bloating, gas, and other uncomfortable problems). Aside from these short-term issues, there are major long-term consequences: poor diet is a big factor in an individual’s cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke risk.

Cleanses are a way of reversing the effects of a bad diet. For one, cleanses usually require you cut out the heavy-hitters – alcohol, processed sugar, and caffeine. This instantly decreases the load on your body’s vital organs, enabling them to do their job – ridding your body of toxins – better. Cleanses also emphasize an anti-oxidant rich diet, which gives the body an added boost in repairing oxidative damage, one of the culprits in cancer and heart disease. Not only that, but your body can start to build up a “healthy reservoir” of nutrients the body needs for proper functioning.

Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with a cleanse to enhance your sense of well-being, and help you get over some of the rough spots during your cleanse. For example, acupuncture can help you overcome your coffee withdrawal headache, boost your energy levels, and reduce stress associated with everyday life. This not only makes the cleanse more effective, but more pleasant.

At the end of the day, a cleanse is not a permanent diet change. It’s meant as a transition state, so you can pursue a healthier lifestyle. At the end of your cleanse, you’ll be more mindful of what you eat and won’t be jonesing for your 3^rd grande-sized coffee by mid-afternoon. You’ll feel better, look better, and be on your way to a great summer.

If you think this is right for you, don’t forget to check out our KickStart Your Summer 2011 Promotion.