To ease myself into the Detox I am going to have a few days reducing the amount of tea and coffee I drink so that it isn’t too much of a shock when I start properly. I usually drink decaffeinated tea and coffee anyway but you can develop a headache as your body is addicted to caffeine because it is a stimulant. Today I forgot and did my usual thing of getting straight up and heading for the kettle – that first cup of tea in the morning is going to be the hardest to give up. I drink water through the night which helps but tomorrow I am going to drink hot water and lemon juice (note to self to buy some lemons today)for my first drink of the day. Apparently it helps kick start your body for the day and is cleansing and refreshing.
The other thing I need to do today is pop into the supermarket and stock up on fruit and herb teas. I especially love Twinings Lemon and Ginger tea – its has a bit of a zing to it which I love. Plus spices like ginger are supposed to increase your metabolism which is all good.
I am not particularly keen on green tea but I read this morning that it is high in flavenoids and has antioxidants in it which are good for the health of your heart and help in the prevention of some cancers – all good stuff when I am trying to live a healthy lifestyle. Apparently they are good for brain function as well, so with my advancing years and forgetfulness that’s a bonus!!
Another way to improve your brain function is to drink plenty of water each day. Don’t over do it though – a couple of litres a day should be plenty for the average person. Just as an aside you can read here about the dangers of drinking too much water – pretty scary stuff!!
Not only does it make your brain (and other organs) work much more efficiently but it cleansing your body by flushing away all the toxins. You can also lose weight more efficiently if you drink plenty of water because a) many people mistake thirst for hunger so simply drinking a glass of water if you (think you) feel hungry can stave off the pangs for a little longer and b) if your kidneys are working properly (which they will be if you are having plenty of water) then the liver doesn’t need to compensate and do their job but can instead concentrate on fat burning. (That is a very condensed version of events but I am not going to bore you with the details – you can find out more about it here ) Finally the other reason drinking water helps with fat loss is that, strangely, it prevents water retention – because if your body thinks it isn’t going to get any water it hangs on to what it has already got – and the water helps flush away the fat that is released from your diet or exercise.