In full transparency, I REALLY don’t like the word *detox.*  I feel like it conjures up negative feelings and creates a temporary false reality.

The flip-side? BOTH our emotional and physical bodies need to detox in order to function properly.  

GOOD news is, that we don’t need to go on a juice cleanse to detox!

We only need to create healthy habits that allow our bodies to daily go through their natural detox properties.  You see our bodies are natural detox machines, we only need to give them the proper care they need!

Nope, slaving away at the gym or counting calories is not going to make you a healthier person, in fact it might just make you more miserable!

It’s time we quit the cycle of ups and downs and discover a sustainable, joyful and practical way of doing this thing called life.

This New Years I want to encourage you to avoid the extremes and instead pursue conscious living in all aspects!

5 Ways to Detox Daily and Create Sustainable Habits

Determine Your Mindset

Now, you might be wondering, how does mindset and finding my why have to do with detox? Well, I want to set you up for a lifetime of success and that starts with your mindset!

Alot of what happens in life, for example me having type 1 diabetes, is beyond our control.  But we CAN control our response to the situation.  We can choose to remain positive, search for alternatives and find the good in a bad situation or we can choose the path of negativity.  Negativity only brings your energy, adrenals and health down and will require that much more energy to bring it back up.

But YOU have to find the determination within yourself to commit each day to living your best life, for yourself and for your loved ones!

This is why the best, highly marketed, pretty designed detox programs will not work in the long run!  YOU first have to determine your mindset.

Choose food as it is properly found in nature

Personally, I don’t believe there is one perfect diet or way of eating, because each of us are unique!

My favorite food “rule” to live by is eat food as it is properly found in nature—in this modern era, I would have to add, eat food as it was originally intended to be eaten.  For example, cows were made to eat grass, so grass-fed beef is best, chickens were not designed for feed lots, and modern wheat is no where near recognizable as it’s original ancient strains.  Eggs come with both a yolk and a white (eat the yolks friends!) and cow’s milk is naturally full of fat!

With this rule in mind, as long as you are not over-eating or eating too much sugar, your diet in general will be pretty great! Depending on a person’s needs, lifestyle or issues you are trying to work through, tweaks can be made here and there to create a plan that is best for YOU.

Too often, I feel like we get hung up (and even stressed out) to eat a certain way and put too much guilt and shame on ourselves.  This is no way of living and will only add more stress and negativity to your life.

Switch to Safe, Non-Toxic Beauty and Skincare Items

Yes, that volumizing hair spray, spray tan and scented deodorant you use may be a glory of the 21st century, but with that glam comes a BIG price.  The toxins used to make those products, soak into your blood stream through your skin or respiratory passages and can wreck havoc on your hormones, energy, weight, fertility, digestion and interrupt your body’s natural detox properties.

Good news is, we CAN control what we choose to put on our skin, hair and face!

Start with the Better Beauty 5!

• Deodorant: Charcoal Deodorant, Lavender Deodorant
• Foundation: Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation
• Lip Stick/Lip Balm: Lip Sheer (Plum and Twig are my favorites), Lip Balm
• Moisturizer: Rejuvenating Day Cream, Balancing Face Oil, Beauty Balm
• Sunscreen: Protect All Over Sunscreen, Sun Face Stick (easy application!)

“Detox” Your Home and Create a Positive Atmosphere

Your home should be your safe haven, in every sense of the phrase—both the items that enter your home and the emotional atmosphere you permit.

As the body does most of its detoxing at night, choosing organic cotton sheets, towels and non-toxic cleaning products.  This decreases the strain put on your liver and helps facilitate natural detox that should take place each day and night!

My favorites are Coyuchi Organic Cotton Sheets, Coyuchi Bath Towels (SO soft) and Branch Basics cleaning products (they TRULY work).

Creating a positive atmosphere and home environment create a place where you can truly find rest and peace.  This calm emotional state puts your physical body into a calm state and can boost your health, energy and encourage natural detox.

What words, tones, volumes and emotions that enter your home can make a huge difference on your health, especially your adrenal glads which are vital to just about everything.  Yes, even if your neighbors are negative or creating a ruckus that impacts YOU!

Walk Away from Stress

Stress is the number one negative factor in your health and impacts just about everything!  

Often we can’t control the incoming stress, but we can create systems to control our response.  Setting aside quiet time for a minimum of 20 minutes per day is one of the best ways to make each day great, and trust me you will notice a difference!  Meditation, walking, stretching or making your favorite beverage is a great way to spend your quiet time.

Learning to say no to things that *really* don’t matter in the big picture of life not only will create contentment and relaxation but also open other doors for you to say the RIGHT yes!  If I can encourage you in any way this new year it is to learn to say no, knowing that you aren’t being rude but rather protecting yourself so that you can live, love and serve others better!