A leading health and wellness entrepreneur has shared her five-day cleanse to follow to feel drastically healthier by next week.
Carla Oates, who is the founder and CEO of the bio-fermented, probiotic wholefood powders and elixirs range The Beauty Chef, said it’s possible to alter your health for the better in under seven days provided you follow 10 simple tips.
‘Give these tips a try for five days and I promise you’ll be feeling lean, clean and green in no time,’ Carla revealed in a new e-book on resetting your health.
A leading health and wellness entrepreneur has shared her five-day cleanse to follow to feel drastically healthier by next week (pictured: Carla Oates)
The first thing Carla (pictured) said you should do is boost your hydration to make sure you’re drinking between two and three litres of water every single day
1. Boost your hydration
The first thing Carla said you should do is boost your hydration to make sure you’re drinking between two and three litres of water every single day.
‘We already know that drinking plenty of filtered water each day is essential for good health, but staying well hydrated is also vital for healthy digestion,’ Carla said.
Drinking lots of water helps the body to cleanse itself and get rid of any waste or toxins.
‘When you’re feeling fatigued, sluggish and bloated, there’s a good chance your body is retaining these excess waste products – putting extra burden on your detoxification systems, as well as your skin,’ Carla explained.
If you struggle to drink water because you find it bland, consider adding fruit like lemon or cucumber to give it more flavour.
Once you’ve upped your hydration, the second thing you need to do is load up your plate with plenty of fibre and make sure you include fibre in every meal or smoothie (pictured)
2. Load up on fibre
Once you’ve upped your hydration, the second thing you need to do is load up your plate with plenty of fibre.
‘More than any other food group, fibre helps to nourish your digestive system and support healthy cleansing,’ Carla said.
‘While our bodies have three stages of detoxification, it’s during the final stages that fibre plays a key role – binding to toxins in the bile and gut, assisting with elimination.’
To increase the fibre content of your meals, you could look to include plenty of fruit and veg with everything you eat.
3. Ditch gut-compromising foods
On the flipside, any gut-compromising foods need to be ditched for the five days for good health.
‘Both gluten and dairy can contribute to irritation and inflammation in the gut – which is why we recommend removing both from your diet during your five-day Cleanse and Reset,’ Carla said.
You will also benefit from steering clear of refined sugars, alcohol and caffeine.
Once you’ve rid your diet of ‘gut-compromising foods’, Carla said you need to add some fermented items to your diet like kimchi, kefir and yoghurt (pictured)
4. Favour fermented foods
Once you’ve rid your diet of ‘gut-compromising foods’, Carla said you need to add some fermented items to your diet.
‘Probiotic-rich fermented foods are not only essential for a healthy gut – helping to encourage microbial diversity and combat inflammation – but they also help to support our body’s natural detoxification pathways by neutralising certain chemicals and toxins so that they don’t have to then be processed by the liver,’ Carla said.
Good fermented food options include sauerkarut, kimchi, kefir, yoghurt and miso.
Aim to include at least one to two serves per day.
5. Dry body brush
Dry body brushing is the ancient practice that sees devotees brush their body in order to stimulate the lymphatic system and rid the body of toxins.
‘When we’re sick, run down or exposed to lots of chemicals and toxins, our lymph system can slow down – leaving us even more vulnerable to fatigue and infection,’ Carla said.
But by helping to keep this system flowing effectively, you can help to support effective detoxification and boost your body’s ability to fend off pathogens.’
Carla (pictured) said you should incorporate some form of movement into every day, whether that be yoga, Pilates, walking or something more high intensity like running
6. Move mindfully
Alongside dry body brushing, mindful movement is key to a successful cleanse.
Carla said you should incorporate some form of movement into every day, whether that be yoga, Pilates, walking or something more high intensity like running.
7. Eat the rainbow
While we all know that fruit and vegetables are key for any healthy balanced diet, it’s also important to eat a wide variety of different colours.
‘Where possible, opt for dark blue, purple or red fruits and veggies – including purple carrots, sweet potato, beetroot and berries – as these are richer in antioxidants,’ Carla recommended.
The expert includes as many colours as possible in any given day of her own diet.
While we all know that fruit and vegetables are key for any healthy balanced diet, it’s also important to eat a wide variety of different colours (pictured)
8. Go green
Swap harsh chemical-laden cleaning products for plant-derived, natural products and it’s not only your home that will feel the benefits – but your body too.
If you’re unsure where to start, Carla said it’s best to avoid anything that contains phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), parabens and synthetic colours or fragrances.
9. Detox your beauty cabinet
In the same way that cleaning products can harm your health and body, so too can the items you put on your skin and with your makeup.
‘In fact, many chemicals used in skincare and makeup products are considered dangerous in high concentrations and can not only overload our body’s natural detoxification processes, but also disrupt our delicate endocrine system,’ Carla said.
‘By making the switch to green, Certified Organic and natural products however, you can ease the burden on your hardworking elimination organs and also reduce your risk of skin irritations and allergic reactions.’
It’s always important to read the ingredients list.
10. Focus on sleep
Finally, Carla revealed sleep is one of the keys to getting your dream body.
‘Getting enough high-quality shut-eye does more than leave us feeling rested and recharged – good sleep actually supports our body’s ability to detox itself, too, helping to remove any toxic substances and wastes that may have accumulated during the day,’ Carla said.
If you struggle to sleep, then try to focus on creating an environment that helps to bring on sleep – without any blue light or technology.
You should also avoid exercising too close to bedtime, which can impact your shut-eye.
The Beauty Chef has a Cleanse powder that is ideally suited to detoxing. For more information about the powder, please visit the website here.
