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May Holistic Happenings - Spring body detoxing - should you or shouldn't you?
May 23, 2016

*A special welcome to new members!

*Read Holistic Happenings on the Web for graphics and easier link navigation.

Table of Contents

1- Greetings from Val
2- Spring Body Detoxing
3- Upcoming Event-Spring Forest Qigong


Greetings from Val

How is your spring cleaning going?
I really enjoyed hearing from a friend about the mindset shift she had after reading about home spring and creating a nurturing environment for yourself in the last ezine.

She shared that she didn't feel like a priority to herself, and her apartment with its unpacked boxes reflected that. It made my day to hear her ideas about decorating and displaying treasured items, as well as bringing life and order to her space. I am looking forward to her updates.

If you missed that issue, you can read it here. Spring cleaning meditation included!

As promised, in this edition we'll look at how to spring clean your body, and if you should or shouldn't jump on the detox bandwagon.

Body Detoxing

Your body has a masterful detoxification system for eliminating and storing toxins. The problem is that in the chemical soup we live in today, it can get overloaded or burdened with toxins. Read about your body's detox system here.

The short answer to whether or not you should purposely detox your body is "yes". But probably not in the way marketers would have you believe, at least not as a a primary strategy. Detoxing the body often brings to mind words like purges, the master cleanse or juice fasts. Well, breathe easy because we are advocating more practical and long-lasting types of cleansing here.

Experts have strong opinions about detoxing the body - when, where, how, if at all. Some insist that natural body detoxification channels do their job quite well with no extra help. Others insist that the best body detox consists of herbs, supplements, fasting, juices, and/or cleansing foods for a specified period of time. So what is best? Continue reading...

Of all the organs and systems practitioners focus on for priority cleansing, the colon ranks number one. It has been said that health begins in the colon, and there is a lot of truth to that statement.

If your bowels aren't moving often and/or adequately enough (at least once a day), focus on this system before attempting any other cleansing. Otherwise you will release a lot of toxins that have nowhere to go but back into other parts of your body. Not good. Here are some ideas for cleansing your colon naturally.

Spring Upgrades for Body Wellness

1-If your cosmetics are over a year old, toss them as bacteria levels climb over time. Replace them with non-toxic products. You do not need lead based lipstick for your lips to look great!

2-Knowing which personal products to purchase and from which brands is not “cut and dried”. Do yourself a favor and search the Environmental Working Group Database to see how your shampoos, body lotions, sunscreen, cosmetics, et al, rank for toxicity and safety. A score of 1-2 is safe. 3-6 is moderate risk, 7-10 is high risk (definitely get rid of these).

3- Cleanse your pantry. This is the tough one. JJ Virgin's pantry cleanse video made even me cringe. Be okay with being a work in progress. Think “Kaizen” - small changes made consistently over time which add up to major transformations. Here are some ideas to get you started:

**Eliminate soda and most fruit juices. Substitute with good natural sodas or make your own with sparkling water, ginger and lemon. Eat whole juicy fruits - apples, oranges, grapefruit. Tomato juice is okay. Read about healthy beverages here.
**Replace artificial sweeteners with stevia or other natural sweetener-not agave-instead)
**Phase out sugary cereals and cereal with less than 3 grams of fiber per serving. Salvage sweetened oatmeal packets by adding a tablespoon of chia, ground flax or psyllium for fiber and more nutrients.
**Zap candy and fried potato chips. Baked chips are an upgrade. Bean chips are better yet. So is dried fruit and 70% dark chocolate.
**Forego highly processed baked goods and food bars. Choose whole grain low sugar replacements with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. 4 grams of sugar equals a teaspoon. upgrade white bread and tortillas with whole grain bread and low-carb high-fiber wraps.
**Avoid vegetable oils including soy, canola, and corn oils. And foods fried in them. Ugrade to coconut or avocado oil for cooking and extra virgin olive oil for dressing. Even better, get your oil from whole avocados, nuts and seeds.
**Swap salsa for ketchup.

**Stock up on all kinds of dried beans and mushrooms, quinoa, buckwheat, a variety of nut butters, nuts, spices, real salt, and seeds. Keep sweet potatoes, onions, and garlic on hand Also, green tea, matcha tea, organic coffee and herbal detox teas. Fill your freezer with frozen fruit and vegetables.

Upcoming Event

The very popular six day Spring Forest QiGong Healing Fest will be offered for the last time in June. If you are curious about this type of healing and want to experience Master Chunyi Lin's program for free, go for it now. He is an excellent teacher.

Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice. It works with your body's energy, which is called "Qi" or "chi." As Richard Gerber, M.D., puts it, "…by moving Qi through the body, you can heal yourself of many ailments."

I like going through this program because the pace and repetition of the simple exercises make me slow myself down and focus. That kind of relaxation equals healing.

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Until next time,
Wishing you a wonderful day filled with happiness and healing of mind, body and spirit.

Val Silver
holistic-mindbody-healing.com

NOTICE: I search out and recommend products I feel will be beneficial to my readers. You should assume I will be compensated when you purchase recommended goods and/or services. Always perform your own due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone. Thanks for supporting HMBH and being part of what we do. I appreciate you very much.

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