The secret to your health starts with your mouth.

With a good diet and positive focus, you can change your body and change your life.

As most of you know, we love to go on about the importance of nutrition, and how diet has such a huge impact on our oral health.  You also may have heard us mention how our state of mind plays an important role in removing tensions from the body. So we want to offer you a 7-day mind and body detox, which aims to eliminate all toxins, sugars and processed foods from your diet as well as suggesting some very simple exercises, that we promise you, if you stick to, your body and mind will begin to feel so relaxed, so rejuvenated and so nourished, that you will begin to see some great results in your oral health, your bodily health, and your emotional and mental health. Hurrah!

Upon waking…

Spending 5 – 10 minutes lying on your back in your bed, we invite you to do a gentle body scan.Start with bringing awareness to your head, down to your neck, shoulders, back, chest and so on, simply observing any sensations that come up rather than labeling them. Keep your breath slow and deep as you scan the body. Bringing awareness to the body helps to remove tensions and become aware of what may need some of your extra attention. 

Drink a full glass of water (preferably filtered, warm and with a slice of lemon) for instant rehydration. If you like to begin your day with a hot beverage, try a non-caffeinated herbal tea, which will also help to get those bowels moving!

We recommend scraping your tongue with a tongue scraper 5 – 10 times to rid toxins that have built up overnight. Check out our article, Ayurveda: The Ancient Practice That Zaps Away Toxins, to find out more about the benefits of tongue scraping. When brushing your teeth, we recommend using our 100% natural tooth powder, which is packed full of vitamins and minerals and puts all the good nutrients back into your gums. For extra good gum care, give your gums a nice gentle massage using our tooth powder. 

Get your body moving!

30 minutes of light exercise. If you can get outside into the fresh air then we recommend you do so! Fresh air boosts circulation and the immune system, calms the mind, cleans the lungs and increases your energy. A brisk walk or some light stretching, with focused breathing, is perfect for getting your body and mind clear, invigorated and energized to start the day.

Write in your Gratitude journal

We are big fans of positive focusing and suggest that you write in your journal every morning about what you love about your life, your body and your environment. This builds up such a wonderful feeling of gratitude that you will begin to start noticing a difference in how you feel almost instantly. And watch out for exciting ideas that begin popping into your head throughout the day!

BREAKFAST!

Berries, such as blueberries, cranberries, and strawberries offer excellent nutrition for your oral and overall health as they are rich in antioxidants and help your body to absorb essential nutrients and minerals. 

Don’t be shy with citrus fruits such as kiwi’s, grapefruits and oranges. They are a great source of vitamin C, which helps to absorb nutrients into your gums, strengthen the blood vessels and connective tissue, and reduce inflammation.

Add an optional dollop of full-fat natural Greek yogurt (with live cultures). Yogurt is highly nutritious and is an excellent source of protein. It’s packed with wonderful vitamins and minerals such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and probiotics which prevent tooth decay, gum disease and even fight bad breath.

And for the finishing touch, sprinkle some cinnamon on top, which is a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, not to mention, tastes delicious.

If you want to go for top-notch nutrition and opt for a completely sugar-free, carb-free breakfast, then include lots of protein and fat in your diet.

Don’t be afraid of saturated fats! Cholesterol from healthy fats is fantastic for your overall health and helps prevent inflammation and gum disease, while also strengthening gum membranes and your immune system. So load up on extra virgin oils and butter when cooking.

A healthy balance of fruit and vegetables, eggs, fish, and full-fat dairy we believe to be the BEST mix when it comes to maintaining optimal oral and overall health, and emotional well-being. They are packed full of vitamins and minerals that help brain and immune function, as well as helping the body fight off bacteria. Vitamin D especially aids your body’s ability to absorb calcium, which is essential for keeping your bones and tooth enamel strong. Take a look at our article, The Fantastic FOUR And Why We Need Them,  which explains the essential fat-soluble vitamins we need in our diet for optimal health and which foods to find them in.

BREAKFAST SUGGESTIONS

• Slices of orange, kiwi, and grapefruit with cinnamon
• Berry and avocado smoothie with milk and honey
• Your choice of berries with yogurt, honey, and cinnamon
• Soaked chia seeds in full-fat milk, topped with berries, cinnamon and honey
• Scrambled eggs in coconut oil or full-fat butter, add some veggies and slice half an avocado
• Two boiled eggs with asparagus fried in coconut oil and some smoked salmon
• Smoked salmon with full-fat cream cheese and lots of boiled greens

LUNCH AND DINNER

Pack your meals with as many leafy green and cruciferous veggies as you can. They are FULL of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help improve oral and overall health.

We recommend loading up on veggies such as lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage, chard, broccoli, pepper, cauliflower, courgette, cucumber, carrot, watercress, bok choy, Brussel sprouts, celery and any other leafy green leaves you can find at a grocery store.

Chop, cut or grate as many chosen vegetables as you like into your own colorful creation.

The healthy grain myth…

Despite the common view that nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are an essential part of a healthy diet, we do not recommend you include them in this 7-day detox diet. Why? They contain high levels of phytic acid, which actually lowers your body’s ability to absorb vital minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. A diet high in phytic acid will eventually lead to bone loss, tooth decay and other mineral deficiencies.

Please note: soaking grains, legumes, nuts and seeds significantly reduces their amount of phytic acid so if you would like to include any of these in your detox we recommend you soak them overnight and rinse thoroughly. 

Listen to your body.

Bring mindfulness to your eating, your portion sizes, and take care to chew slowly and feel when you begin to feel full. Start practicing the ability to become aware of the first signs of feeling fullso you do not become bloated, which puts stress on your digestive system and limits your body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients.

Pick your flavor!

Herbs and spices are excellent for your digestive health, boosting metabolism, stabilizing blood sugar and even contain more disease-fighting antioxidants than fruit and vegetables. And they are GREAT for detoxing and cleansing.

Chilies, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, parsley, sage, and rosemary are just some of the wonderful flavors out there to choose from. 

Now you have all the ingredients, let’s get creative.

DETOX LUNCH AND DINNER SUGGESTIONS:

• Vegetable and sweet potato soup
• Jacket Potato with tuna (in water) sweetcorn
  and a yummy salad of your choice
• Jacket potato with cheese and a yummy
  salad of your choice
• Leafy green salad topped with feta cheese
• Avocado and prawn salad
• Grilled fresh salmon with asparagus and potato
• Grilled cod with mash potato and peas
• Fried vegetables cooked in coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil, add your choice of seafood or good quality meat. Add your choice of spices, vegetable stock. Serve with rice noodles or soaked whole grain rice or quinoa

Dressing options for salads:

• Lemon juice with olive oil honey and dijon mustard
• Apple cider vinegar with olive oil/flaxseed oil/sesame oil
• Full-fat Greek yogurt with olive oil, lemon juice, mint, and minced garlic

After dinner…

At 7 pm turn all distractions off! Your phone, TV, laptop…completely shut down for the evening. We realize some of you may have commitments so, of course, your techno-curfew is at your own discretion. But, we recommend the earlier you can shut down the better. Research suggests that people who refrain from using any technology at least two hours before going to sleep experience a much higher quality of sleep and less sleep ‘disturbances’, concluding that we should restrict the use of technology before sleep ‘for a sound mind and good health’. 

It’s bathtime!

Run a hot bath (if you have one). We suggest adding some relaxing essential oils like lavender or geranium, and if you want to go the extra mile with your detoxing then add some Epsom salts. Epsom salt is great for relieving tension, muscle pain, headaches, and not only does it help remove toxins from the body but it also puts magnesium back into your body, which is an essential mineral that many of us are unknowingly lacking in, but is vital for healthy immune and muscle function.

While you’re in the bath use some body oil of your choice (we recommend sesame oil as it’s a great astringent and deeply nourishes your skin) and allow yourself some much needed TLC by giving yourself your own personal full body massage. Gently massage the whole of your body, all the way down to your toes, paying particular attention to your abdomen, to wake up the bowels and help digest your food more efficiently over the next week.

If you do not have a bath, the self-massage can be done in the shower.

Night time journalling.

Keep track of how you’re feeling. Remember, because your mind and body are detoxing you are likely to go through some kind of withdrawal, which can be expressed physically or emotionally. You may feel a bit low, tired, experience persistent headaches (which is particularly apparent if you’re used to a lot of caffeine and stimulants) and you may break out in spots. But don’t worry, that’s your body getting rid of all the nasties that you’ve been carrying around for so long. It will pass in a day or two and soon you’ll be feeling healthier and clearer than you’ve ever felt before. Just try and stick with it.

Whatever you’re feeling, get it down in your journal followed by your reasons why you’re choosing to do this detox. Amongst other things,  the core reason why will always be something along the lines of wanting to learn to love yourself that little bit more. Well done you!

Try and go to bed before 10 pm and get ready to do it all over again!

Here’s to a healthier, happier, and cleaner you!