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I received the question of what fruit helps with high blood pressure.   This is a great question and I knew this person was thinking outside of the Medical Box by asking about fruit. The good thing is that the way of True Detoxification corrects high and low blood pressure easily along with all other conditions. Live, raw foods and more specifically, the more astringent water fruits (oranges, grapefruits, grapes, lemons, limes) work the best and will move stagnant lymph or acids to the kidneys for elimination while alkalizing the body at the same time. This removes stress from the body and brings about balance. You also need to make sure your kidneys are filtering that acidic lymph out of the body via urination. This is key. The way to know if your kidneys are filtering lymph is to see if your urine is cloudy, no matter the color. If it is, then at least 1 kidney is filtering. This is hard to see looking directly into the toilet, so capturing the urine in a large glass container will tell you as well since the lymph will settle to the bottom (a little gross, I know, but effective). The longer you keep detoxifying with the fruit and vegetables, the more your kidneys will come back online if they’re off. It may also take specific herbals to help the kidneys to get going. So the whole approach of eating the astringent fruits, alkalizing the body with these fruit mainly and other raw foods, decreasing the acidic foods (meat, grains, dairy, refined sugar, baked goods, etc) as much as you can (if not remove them from your diet entirely while detoxifying), and making sure the kidneys are filtering with herbs if needed, will bring your blood pressure down. The fruit, lymph, adrenal and kidney connection: The systolic or top number (ideally 120-130) has a direct relationship to the adrenal glands – the glands that produce neural transmitters (adrenal, ephinephrine, dopamine – etc.) and provide energy to our body organs and muscles when needed. So when that number is consistently up  – there’s mainly constant stress causing adrenal exhaustion. The diastolic or bottom number (ideally 60-70) has a direct relationship to the kidneys which the adrenal glands sit on top of. It’s the kidneys’ job to filter acids from the lymph system and take them out of the body via urination. So when that number is up your kidney’s are slowing down because of adrenal stimulation and starting to lose their ability to filter the lymph/acids. . Stressors require the adrenals to produce more neural transmitters – some for energy jolts and others for shutting down other organs (like the kidneys) that detract from you dealing with the “emergency”. An example of this is the fight or fight scenario, so this is a natural body function. But if you are constantly stressed then you are constantly having mini fight/flight episodes that will eventually decrease the lymph filtration abilities of the kidneys. So again, the lymph then backs up through out the body causing acidosis. There are other reasons why lymph backs up in the system that will affect your adrenals and systolic number as well – antibiotic medications which kill the bacteria in the lymph nodes – big no-no, mucus forming foods which cause immune responses, and steroid medications that “replace” the body’s natural production that starts in the adrenals, to name a few.   But 99% of the time, when you get the kidney’s filtering and get the acidic, stagnant lymph moving and eliminated from the body via the kidneys/urination, you will correct the problem – cancer, diabetes, high blood pressures, etc. You name it.     SO eat those astringent fruits to get things moving! So go Fight for your Health Freedom with fruit

Here at Detox Your Way, we are constantly encouraging everyone to eat more fruit as it’s not only a perfect energy source, it is also nature’s medicine and your #1 Tool for Detoxification, with even vegetables coming in 2nd place. Sugar is energy. If you avoid it you don’t get the energy you need and you’ll never feel the vitality you want. Fruit sugar or Fructose is a carbon – a simple carbohydrate. Carbon is the base chemical of this planet and our bodies and is essential to life. Mother nature created delicious fruit for us to consume not because it was bad for us, but because it supports and fuels our physical bodies! So let’s examine the miseducation of several medical myths associated with fruit sugar.   Fruit Sugar and Diabetes Many diabetics are concerned about the fruit sugar negatively affecting their blood sugar levels. But there’s no need to worry. Fruit Sugar or Fructose as a simple sugar or monosaccharide is absorbed directly into the cell wall; and therefore, does not require any insulin. That’s great news for diabetics. That means you can enjoy fruit without it doing harm. And most importantly that means that you can start detoxing with fruits to reverse the condition. There was actually a study that showed that eating fruit not only lowered your risk of developing diabetes, but also reduced complications in people who already had the condition.   Fruit Sugar and Candida Ok – so what about the fruit sugar and yeast or candida albicans overgrowth? Well, Fruit is actually beneficial in an environment of fungal or candida overgrowth. The alkalizing and cleaning/astringent properties of fruit help break up the congestion of stagnant and acidic lymph that the fungus/yeast feed upon. An overgrowth of candida can only occur when there is fermentation, toxicity, and mucus in the body from which the organism can eat and proliferate. This doesn’t occur with simple sugars from fructose because it is absorbed directly into the cell. I have a personal experience involving candida and fruit: I followed a candida diet that took out all fruit and sugar out of my diet for almost a year. During that year I was practicing hot yoga and constantly sweating out my electrolytes, which naturally occur in fruit. I was eating salmon and brown rice and broccoli for most lunch and dinners and eating boiled eggs for breakfast. Let me tell you – I honestly had the lowest energy I had experienced in my adult life!!! It was like the walking dead. I was totally depleted and acidic. I just felt weaker and weaker until one day I ate an orange and WOW! I felt the immediate jolt of energy and power. I dropped that candida health specialist that day and never looked back. And as long as I eat alkalizing fruit and vegetables – I don’t deal with candida at all.   Fruit and Cancer & Tumors There is another medical myth that sugar feeds cancer and tumors. SO NOT TRUE. Cancer is only acidic damaged cells and tumors are only accumulated, stagnated, acidic, lymphatic waste that have not and cannot be eliminated properly from the kidneys. So those kidneys need to filter out the lymphatic waste or it will back up all throughout the body. That’s these conditions exist, not because of sugar and certainly not fruit sugar. Sugar feeds all the cells of the body. That’s the way human beings were designed! And fructose is the highest, most energetic, simply processed and appropriate sugar for the human body.   Fruit Sugar DOES NOT increase your blood sugar levels. Fruit Sugar DOES NOT feed candida or yeast overgrowth. Fruit Sugar DOES NOT feed cancer cells or make tumors grow. Fruit sugar is an amazing, simple source of carbon. It is highly energetic and life-giving. Fruit above all other food groups will give your body what it fundamentally needs to detoxify and heal. So eat as much fruit as you can and feel your body get cleaner and stronger!

The Protein Myth We all tend to throw around the word protein a lot when speaking of nutrition. I’ll go out on a limb and say that the general perception of protein every since its discovery in 1838, specifically animal protein, is that it is the end-all, be-all for nutrition and building muscle. I’ll further assert that animal protein is widely considered to be not only the best source of protein, but the only real source. Nothing could be further from the truth. Protein (nitrogenous built structures) is actually the wrong conversation. It’s really not about the protein. It’s about the amino acids or nitrogenous compounds required to build the tissues and muscles. The body can only assimilate simple amino acids – those found in fruit and vegetables, unlike in animal flesh. Animal flesh is an inefficient, secondhand way to get the simple amino acids the human body requires. The metabolic process necessary to break down complex, already “built” animal protein into simple amino acids or the smaller nitrogenous compounds requires additional chemical processing in the body. This additional processing robs the body of energy and the acidic by-products from it begin building up in the tissues and joints, causing inflammation (heat) and go on to lead to stiffness, gout, arthritis, etc. Plant proteins on the other hand, are simple amino acid structures that the body can use without an over expenditure of energy. Their metabolic process is also alkaline and doesn’t produce toxic substances for the kidneys and lymphatic system to dispose of. This allows for the direct utilization of the amino acids for the building of our own structure or proteins – i.e. muscles and connective tissue. There are many herbivore animals that do not consume animal protein, yet “miraculously” seem to build muscle perfectly fine – clear evidence that it isn’t necessary to kill and consume the meat of another animal to grow strong and healthy. However, fitness experts and medical doctors seem to ignore the following examples of herbivores in nature when encouraging the consumption of animal protein: Rhinoceros Deer Camels Hippopotamus Zebras Elephants Horses Goats Sheep Gorillas Bison Cows   Furthermore, there have been many studies that show the benefit of a meatless diet on blood pressure and heart disease. Animal proteins, such as meats and dairy are very mucus forming – a natural immune response to ingested toxins. You may have experienced mucus at the back of your throat almost immediately upon eating a heavy protein meal or dairy. That’s because the body creates mucus to protect its organs from the toxicity of these foods. This mucus is processed by the lymphatic system, which can easily become congested with the continual mucus response and cholesterol production (the body’s natural antacid) required to neutralize the acids. In short, the amino acids from fruits and vegetables are much more efficient to assimilate and beneficial to the alkalinity of the human body than animal protein. Not only will they provide the protein you need, but they will also help detoxify and heal any damage caused by the consumption of a high animal protein diet.

Fasting. Come on, Really? Fasting can’t be good for you. Isn’t that kind of drastic? Only fanatics go to that extreme. I thought only those weird people that live on communes did that. What would I look like telling my coworkers I can’t go to lunch because I’m  fasting. Whatever, man! Yeah, well – real people fast. It’s not crazy or far fetched or drastic. It’s actually natural and necessary. Temporarily allowing your body to address other concerns besides digestion is good for you. It’s instinctive in nature – animals do it when sick or injured and us humans are the same – we don’t have appetites when we aren’t feeling our best. That’s when our body’s intelligence kicks in and says – “I can’t eat right now, something came in last night when that kid coughed on us in line at Target – gotta deal with that first.” So when we have major issues going on, it’s a good way to get back on track and our bodies can handle it. Luckily, there are alternatives to the traditional water fast that may be more effective and easier to fit into your current lifestyle. You still might have to tell your coworkers no thanks to lunch, but who cares. You’re on a mission Let’s look at the different ways to fast:   A Fruit-Only Fast A Fruit Only Fast is where you eat only fruit for a period of time. You can eat a variety of fruit (following the rules of food combination), but it is more detoxifying to eat one type of astringent fruit for 3, 10, 20, and even 40 days. Amazing results can occur from eating grapes alone, or oranges, or grapefruits. These are the more nourishing and astringent fruits that will yield the most detoxification. Dr. Robert Morse has mentioned several times about how he has seen several types of cancers eliminated on 35, 70+ days on just grapes.     Fruit Juice Fasting Fruit Juice Fasting means eating no food and drinking only the juice of fresh fruits. This is a higher level of detoxification since the body will require only a small amount of digestive energy. Fruit Juice fasting is good for everyone wishing to detoxify, but will greatly help those with advanced health weaknesses. A combination of fruits can be used, but combining the astringent fruits together will go deeper, faster. Grape and lime juice; grapefruit, orange, and lemon juice have been two of my personal favorites on my healing journey. I experienced a noticeable reduction of swollen lymph nodes in my armpit within 7 days using orange and lime juice. What about Vegetable juice? Vegetables in general are builders and not cleaners like fruits are. Their role comes in more so after you have cleaned yourself out and are starting the process of regeneration. So yes, vegetable juices, especially green juice is extremely beneficial for your body and helps to build it back up. In my personal experience I can tell you that the fruit juices will help detoxify you more so than green juices will. I’ve spent a few days drinking nothing but mandarin orange juice and started draining mucus from my sinuses – blowing my nose constantly. Then I had a “taste” for something less sweet, thinking that it would be a change and would still expel the mucus from my head, but after drinking some fresh, organic spinach and green apple juice, the runny nose stopped and I was no longer detoxifiying at the same speed. My advise is to start with the fruit juice. If you are detoxing too fast or really have a taste for something more savory, dabble with a few leafy greens in your juice. It will still be alkalizing to your system, so still healing, but just not as detoxifying. Just keep in mind that detoxification is the key to reversing illnesses, then your body can regenerate itself.     The Master Cleanse The Master Cleanse is a detoxification method made popular by Stanley Burroughs. Also called the Lemonade diet, it combines water, lemon, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. The book advises anywhere from 10 – 40 days and recommends fruit juice for a few days to transition back into eating a mainly raw food diet. The maple syrup has natural occurring minerals and vitamins. Lemons and limes are the most astringent, detoxifying fruits, but would be unpleasant to eat; therefore, they are perfect for juicing and the Master Cleanse.     Dry Fasting Not widely practiced, but very effective is dry fasting. It involves not eating or drinking anything for short periods of time in order to kickstart the kidneys into filtering the acidic lymph in your body that is causing acidosis/disease. Dry fasting is not for everyone. It is only recommended for people who have already been doing high fruit/raw foods, fruit fasting, or juice fasting for a period of time. Starting out with a short 12 hour dry fast is pretty doable. Then you can build up to 18, 24, and 36 hours, and maybe even 72 hours if you have really been on your fruits for while. Dr. Robert Morse has found that periods of 1-2 days at a time, at the most, are enough for most people to get the kidney’s functioning. The ideal time to have prepared for a dry fast will vary widely, depending on your conditions and length of time eating alkalizing foods. I have personally performed two dry fasts, averaging about 18 -20 hours each. I didn’t feel bad at all, but didn’t want to do much. I had been doing a high fruit/raw food diet for about 2 months before attempting it and the amount of lymph that my kidneys kicked out via my urine (very cloudy) was amazing. If you have at least a month or two of fruit-only or raw food time under your belt and would like to attempt a dry fast, start slow. Here’s how to attempt your first short

What we eat is one of the most important things that impacts our health, along with our thoughts and environment. There are diets that support a healthy body and of course diets that don’t. Use the diets below to support whatever stage you are on in your self-healing journey. If you know that you are in need of an immediate diet change, you can go cold-turkey on a High Fruit, Raw Food diet for the deepest level of detoxification and impact on your health. If you are a newbie to detoxification and want to start small until you are ready to go further, check out our 3 Super Simple Detox Diets. Just know that you will experience some discomfort as your body may go through mild (low grade fevers, headaches, skin rashes, or constipation) to more severe (persistent diarrhea, painful aches, etc) healing crises. While this does signal that your body is moving to a new level of detoxification and victory is near; these experiences can be unpleasant. Should they alarm you, you may go back a level or two from your current detox diet until the symptoms are more tolerable. Then over a few days gradually move back up to the detox diet ladder. For all diets below – no alcohol, caffeinated beverages, sodas, bread products, pastas, dairy, processed foods, added sugars (white, brown, candy, chocolate, maple syrup), eggs, fast foods, or fried foods.   Highest Level of Detoxification: High Fruit, Raw Vegan Food Diet This diet will bring the highest level of detoxification and includes some savory raw soups that will be easy to digest and will slow down healing crises without stopping detoxification completely. To go even deeper with your detoxification, by pass the raw soups and allow the astringent power of the fruits to move the cellular stagnation. Breakfast: Fresh squeezed or pressed Fruit juice Fruit (don’t mix melons with other types of fruit or food) Snacks: Fruit, fresh fruit juice Lunch: Fruit, berries or melons (only) Dinner: Fruit, berries, melons (only) Blended raw soups with non-sweet fruits such as avocado, cucumber, red bell peppers, etc. (Only when desiring something savory or needing to slow detox) High Level of Detoxification: High Fruit/Steamed Veggies This diet will allow the body to detoxify rapidly, but will allow some savory salads along with the fruit. Breakfast: Fresh squeezed or pressed Fruit juice Fruit (don’t mix melons with other types of fruit or food) Snacks: Fruit, fruit juice, or veggie juice Lunch: Fruit, berries or melons (only) Dinner: Fruit, berries, melons (only) Blended raw soups with non-sweet fruits (avocado, cucumber, red bell peppers, etc) Large vegetable salad (plenty of leafy greens, variety of colorful veggies, no dairy, no meat, only small amounts of raw nuts – if any, avocado in small amounts, and small amounts of cold pressed oils) Moderate Level of Detoxification: Fruit and Veggies This a great diet to stay on after detoxification and wish to be vegan. Breakfast: Fresh squeezed or pressed Fruit juice Fruit (don’t mix melons with other types of fruit or food) Snacks: Fruit, fruit juice, or veggie juice Lunch: Fruit, berries or melons (only) Large vegetable salad (plenty of leafy greens, variety of colorful veggies, no dairy, no meat, only small amounts of raw nuts – if any, avocado in small amounts, and small amounts of cold pressed oils) Dinner: Fruit, berries, melons (only) Blended raw soups with non-sweet fruits (avocado, cucumber, red bell peppers, etc) Large vegetable salad (plenty of leafy greens, variety of colorful veggies, no dairy, no meat, only small amounts of raw nuts – if any, avocado in small amounts, and small amounts of cold pressed oils) Steamed vegetables Vegetable broth soup Baked sweet potato   Transition into a Detox Diet: Fruit, Veggies, Baked Lean Meats This is a good prep diet for the 7 Day Detox. It can also be excellent after you have thoroughly detoxified and regenerated your body, but don’t want to be a strict vegan. Breakfast: Fresh squeezed or pressed Fruit juice Fruit (don’t mix melons with other types of fruit or food) Cereals: oatmeal, millet, brown and wild rice, buckwheat (soaked overnight in water or juice, or barely cooked) Snacks: Fruit, fruit juice, or veggie juice. Raw Nuts Lunch: Fruit, berries or melons (only) Large vegetable salad (plenty of leafy greens, sprouts, various colorful veggies, no dairy, no meat, only small amounts of raw nuts – if any, avocado in small amounts, and small amounts of cold pressed oils) Dinner: Fruit, berries, melons (only) Large vegetable salad (plenty of leafy greens, various colorful veggies, no dairy, no meat, only small amounts of raw nuts – if any, avocado in small amounts, and small amounts of cold pressed oils) Steamed vegetables Blended raw soup Cooked vegetable broth soup Baked sweet potato Only every other day: Baked fish, chicken, turkey, and lean beef – only lightly seasoned with herbs and sea salts. No sauces or gravy.

  We’ve heard most of our lives that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. There have been numerous studies that show that regularly eating breakfast helps school children with their memory and ability to focus. As adults we also know that it’s easier to concentrate in the 9:00am meeting when our appetites are satisfied and our stomachs aren’t growling. So, logically this benefit would be even better if the quality of our breakfast was not only keeping the hunger at bay, but also giving us the best nutrition. So why Fruit? The most obvious answer is it’s delicious and from nature and the good mother earth herself created this delicious food group just for us. It’s a bonus that most fruit is also already packaged for on-the-go snacking and thus travels easily, but there are even more reasons to grab an apple (or whatever fruit you like) in the morning instead of that egg and cheese biscuit. 1. Fruit Detoxifies – Of all the foods fruit has the highest concentration of anti-oxidants and astringent/cleaning properties. Most fruits are alkalizing in the body (a ph above 7). This means that the metabolic process of utilizing fruit in the body leaves an alkaline “ash” in the body, unlike our typical breakfast of breads, meat and diary which are all highly acidic. This alkalizing effect supports the neutralization of acids and is therefore anti-inflammatory, aiding in the body’s natural detoxification processes. Fruit is also high in fiber which means that not only will it move through the digestive track easier, but will also assist in moving cholesterol and other digestive and metabolic waste out. 2.  Easy to Digest – Fructose is absorbed directly into the blood stream for easily accessible energy. It also burns slowly in the body and thus, produces sustained glycogen over a longer period of time. No crash and burn. A plus for those suffering from diabetes is that fructose doesn’t require insulin in order to be utilized as energy in the body, so there is no insulin spike. There is actually a recent study showing that fruit consumption even helps lower the risk of diabetes. Then there’s the fact that fresh raw fruit also contain their own enzymes to help with digestion and the absorption of nutrients. This is one of the main principles behind the living and raw foods movement. This high enzyme content doesn’t require our bodies to use it’s own enzymes to assist in nutrient utilization and preserves our own digestive energy. Since enzymes are energetic proteins high cooking temperatures lowers that energy to zero, essentially killing them. So as you can imagine, most of our traditional breakfast favorites – like pop tarts, muffins, and bagels with cream cheese don’t contain any of their own enzymes. 3. Immune Boost – the immune power of antioxidants help buffer free radicals or substances that cause oxidation. Oxidants (or free radicals) speed the decay of living tissue. Think about how an apple turns brown once it is sliced – that’s the affect of oxygen on the apple’s cellular structure. Both oxidants and antioxidants occur naturally in the body and are necessary, but with the de-natured food we mostly eat, along with emotional and environmental stresses – free radicals can go unchecked. Fruits and vegetables contain the most antioxidants of any food group. Thus, they are nature’s way of counteracting oxidants and making sure we keep our immune system functioning at its highest potential. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, carotenoids, flavonoids, lutein, and lycopene are only some of the antioxidants in fruits and veggies. 4. Hydrates – The 7 Day Detox outlines eating water fruit in the morning. Why? According to one study in 2009 by the University of Aberdeen, the water content in some fruit is twice as effective at hydrating the body than regular water, especially after an intense workout. Fruit contains salts that hydrate the cells such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. These minerals have to be added to drinks like Gatorade and Powerade in order for these products to help hydrate us, but are found naturally in fruits. And of course, there’s the natural fruit sugar and high alkalinity (unlike sports drinks with added sugar and a very acidic ph of about 3). Fruits such as watermelon, cucumber, and papaya have some of the highest water content. 5. Lightweight Fuel – Most Americans are accustomed to a “hearty” breakfast. Typically containing bacon (with nitrates and preservatives) or sausage, eggs and cheese, and some form of carbohydrate – pancakes (with syrup), muffins, bagels, bread, and biscuits, etc. While these are definitely considered comfort foods, they don’t fuel our bodies in the same way that fruit does. In general – the denser the food, especially cooked grains and meats, the more energy is required by our bodies to extract the usable nutrients and convert the remainder into waste to be eliminated. The opposite is true for fruit. Fresh fruit has naturally high energy levels. In the 30s and 40s Andre Simoneton researched electromagnetism and the energetic vibration of food. Measured in angstroms, he concluded that the human body needs to be at least 6,500 angstroms to be healthy. The electromagnetic energy of fruit is typically between 8,000 and 10,000. By comparison pasteurized milk has about 2,000 angstrom, refined white flour has about 2,000 – 1,500, and cooked meats range from 3,000 to none. What that means is that once the body works very hard trying to extract what nutrients are available from these low to no energy foods, we are in an energy deficit. So there! Hopefully, these are 5 compelling reasons to start your most important meal of the day with the energetic, alkalizing fruit of your choice! Check out 5 More Reasons to Eat Fruit for Breakfast  

Don’t exercise? WHAT? When everyone else is trying to convince you to get off the couch and get into the gym, I intend to challenge that widely thrown around point of view. I mean do you really, really, really need to? Maybe not. At least not right off the couch. Maybe it shouldn’t be your 1st priority if you want to feel better and look better. So what am I talking about? I’m talking about preparing for an exercise program with a detox beforehand. Being able to do 100 push ups and 100 burpees are fine and good, and there’s time to work up to that. But what I am proposing is to actually work up to even beginning to work out. So first things first – is there a difference between following a detox plan and following a workout plan when it comes to looking and feeling good? The short answer is Yes – there is definitely a difference. And second, when should you do one or the other?   Since the purpose of a detox program is to assist your body in releasing stored toxins so it can function at its best, it just makes sense that detoxing the body is always a good idea whether you exercise or not. In fact as you may have already suspected, exercise is one of the best ways to achieve and maintain a detoxified system. However, even the most physically fit among us could still have some level of toxicity within their bodies and could benefit from a detox. And further still, there are instances where it is more beneficial to follow a detoxification plan before diving into a workout: So let’s explore three good reasons to do a Detox instead of Exercising. 1. You don’t feel strong enough. Everyone has heard the disclaimer at the end of the commercials about “consulting with your physician before beginning any exercise plan”. In this instance, it does make sense, except you will be your own doctor. If you are very lethargic, lack energy, have continuous skin issues (toxic sweat from exercise can make skin conditions worse before getting better), suffer from food hangovers, or have swollen and painful joints – these may possibly indicate a clogged colon and congested liver. These symptoms typically cause medium to severe detoxification reactions when an exercise program is started before easing the toxic load. A two to four week easy detox would be the perfect way to prepare for an exercise plan in this case. For example, this general 7 day detox could be repeated as necessary. You can learn about detoxing the liver and colon and other detox plans in my monster detox post. 2. You want to be Slim more than you want to be Healthy. This thinking is pretty slippery and screams of caution before proceeding. The dilemma here is that although there is nothing wrong with being concerned with how you look, getting healthy should be your first priority.  Think about it another way: do you want to be slim and sick or not so slim, but have an overall feeling of good health? This is a trick question because it should be a no-brainer. And if you paused a little too long thinking about the “slim and sick” option, then, my friend, consider holding off on the exercise program until you’ve fully evaluated if you are ready. After all, when you focus on healthy detoxification, the weight loss will come. As an example here’s a mistake I personally made. A while back I asked a personal trainer friend for advice on how to loose 5-7 lbs in less than two weeks. Not impossible, but a very, very tall task. Because I used to be a workout warrior years prior, my friend prescribed 2 hours (yes, I said 2 freaking hours) on the treadmill 5-6 days per week, lots of water, and eating low/complex carb, protein filled meals every 2-3 hours. Now, I was already feeling sluggish and chronically tired and had been eating too many spicy fried fish sandwiches and DQ dilly bars. After two or three days of trying to do a 2 hour treadmill walk/run routine, I was zonked! Not only did I breakout in unpleasant places (and I mean real unpleasant!), I also felt like a zombie – complete with red eyes (from pre-existing adrenal exhaustion) and rubber arms. Although I used to do triathlons and such years before, my body was in no way prepared for that type of sudden stress. I had to drop back to 30 minutes/day and settle for missing my unrealistic goal. A good 7-14 days of clean eating and flushing my system with water would have made all the difference in the world. Even something as simple as adding more water in your diet will detoxify you by relieving fluid retention caused by too much salt, sugar, alcohol, etc. Instant slimming. Then if you wanted to take it a step further, you could add a little lemon or lime just to help de-gunk your bloodstream. The result? Easy-peasy weight loss without changing your diet or adding exercise. 3. You have Bad Eating Habits. One of the great benefits of a Detox plans is helping to reset your relationship with food. The hardest part to getting healthy or any exercise based weight loss plan is the eating. There’s no amount of working out and exercise that will help correct your bad eating habits. You can exercise forever and a day, but if you are eating two double whoppers with cheese afterwards, you are probably in desperate need of a detox. If you tend to overeat or eat a lot of sweets and processed foods, I find that an exercise plan actually can encourage the behavior. “Oh, I’ll just run an extra 45 minutes on the treadmill after work” or “I’m going to add a sixth day this week to zero out that whole meat-lovers pizza I ate last night”. But guess what? If you