Detox: Who, What, When , Where, and Why

beckyh2112 asked me "What does detoxing entail?" Her question plus a few other comments and questions have prompted me to make this entry to explain that, what my detox will entail, and the purposes behind my going through the process.

A detox can mean a variety of things to different people, and often has negative connotations in a person's mind, since it does often involve radical changes, deprivation, and other unpleasantness. It can be taken to an extreme, like any eating or behavior, and if one does this, it can be harmful. Detoxing can cover everything from switching to a vegan or raw diet for a period of time, smoothie or juice fasts, or even water fasts. It can also simply involve removing an addictive substance from one's diet, such as caffeine, sugar, nicotine, alcohol, etc.

As for why I'm doing this- I'm not embarking on this journey for the purpose of a quick flush and fix. I'm looking to make some long term changes, not just in my eating habits, but in my life. It's not just about flushing the congestion out of my body; it's about clearing the congestion around me as well. That includes physical congestion such as clutter, as well as mental, spiritual and emotional congestion. This is not going to be something that happens overnight; I'll be making baby steps. One positive change at a time.

For me, this is a Life Detox.

Some of what I will be doing as far as my body detox is concerned is as follows:

- making sure to drink plenty of water, at least 6-8 glasses/portions per day
- shifting away from refined sugars, not just in cooking but in prepared foods
- decreasing and eventually hopefully eliminating my consumption of prepared/processed foods
- increasing my intake of veggies, fruits, lentils, and non-wheat grains
- decreasing my sodium intake
- decreasing my intake of OTC medicines.
- beginning an exercise regime, centering around core strength and flexibility.

Other items on my Life detox list:

- decreasing clutter, and hopefully my dependence on Stuff
- establishing a cleaning routine that is easy to upkeep, versus having to spend one whole day cleaning a week.
- setting aside a period of time each week to make art
- getting finances back in order
- switching away from chemical household cleaners and utilizing more natural cleansers. This will be difficult, since I always associate the smell of Clorox with Clean, since that's what we used when I was a kid.
- establishing a sleeping routine
- reading every day
- reconnecting with friends
- reconnecting with family

That's the overview. Those lists aren't all inclusive, of course, but that should give y'all an idea of what I'm aiming for with the process. I'm hoping to start the first of September with the food/body detox. I'm already starting on some of the other aspects.

Questions? Comments? Smart remarks?