To stay healthy, you purify your body from time to time. A substantial detoxification leads to losing weight, better well-being, and a strong liver.
When I mention a detox plan, only dieting comes to our minds. More than often we completely forget that it is not only toxins in our food which add burden to our health. But for pesticides accumulating in our bodies, we need to concern ourselves with the ways we prepare, cook and store our yummy stuff. Strange as it may sound, ask yourself a question “How clean is my kitchen?”. Eliminating harmful substances from our kitchen appliances leads to sustaining a healthy home. The kitchen must remain ‘toxin-free’ zone at all costs. A good kitchen provides a foundation for our wellness. I have created a plan on how to make your kitchen a safe area in less than a week. Check out what food is a real nourishment to our bodies and fuel us with good energy. I have put an emphasis on toxins you can avoid in your daily menu and highlighted solutions on detoxing your kitchen in simple steps.
How will it benefit me?
Storing a potentially no harmful food stuff in close vicinity of chemical items means that toxins get absorbed by the initially edible items. If you are determined to detox your lifestyle, gathering the core issues on what is a detox plan, how to induct it in our daily lives and what are the main benefits for me and the household is a pure necessity. The chances are you are not acutely aware of the advantages of purifying your kitchen. Therefore, I prepared the answers for nagging questions concerning your healthy being.
Do I need a detox plan?
Metabolic reactions in our body systems remove naturally and on regular bases toxic ingredients that are side products of our daily food intake. What happens though when chemical substances as processed food, preservatives, additives or artificial sweeteners enter our bodies? Our body must deal with an overload of external chemicals as they interfere with our body efficiency. What is more, industrial toxins as prescription or over the counter drugs, chlorinated or fluorinated water and usage of cleaning products find a way into our system through ingestion, respiration or direct skin contact. As a result, our immune system collapses, leaving us feeling worn down, very often with a permanent fatigue. We worry about being overweight, bloated and constantly constipated. Swollen ankles and wrists are another health issues giving us trouble. Finally, we notice our memories playing tricks, as low concentration and forgetfulness are taking their toll.
How detoxification of kitchen influences my life?
Knowing that chemicals can be absorbed by previously edible food from fumes, water, cleaning products or by cooking accessories, you ought to detox your kitchen, countertops, cabinets and appliances to remove any potential sources of contamination. Natural methods are best remedies to kill germs and bacteria in our surroundings. What is more, the development of technology is not always our ally. We cannot imagine our lives without a microwave, a dishwasher or an induction cooker. Unfortunately, these electrical products are the source of harmful radiation which affects our eyesight and internal organs, resulting in liver damage and an eyesore. We must be acutely aware of the invisible electromagnetic field around each appliance that emits infrared rays influencing our body systems in a destructive way.
What requires a kitchen detox plan?
To maintain a safe kitchen, you need to follow three basic rules:
- Purging the kitchen accessories and appliances using natural remedies,
- Getting rid of junk food, stocking up on healthy vitamins found in organic fruits and vegetables,
- Shopping for natural ingredients and ‘slow food’;
Rule no.1 Purge and cleanse
It has been proven that commercial, bought in stores cleaners contain chemicals that are used to repel grease and stains in our household. Some well-known oven sprays and multipurpose cleaning products are forbidden on the mass market. According to one study from 2011 in the “Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism, early menopause” chemical based cleaning products are directly linked to damage of internal organs and cancer. Even buying hair or body care shampoos and gels are hazardous. Some of us have been aware of the danger and opted for ‘fragrance-free’ or ‘unscented’ products. Unfortunately, such label means only that such product is odor free, not chemicals free. On more than one occasion fragrance ingredients mask synthetic compounds. The only possible solution is to buy natural, organic products scented with essential oils and natural fragrances. In your kitchen drawers, you can find some useful remedies concerning your health issues. Baking soda, lemon juice or vinegar have lots of potentials, and I prepared short recipes for homemade cleansing lotions.
Cleansing kitchen detox formulas
- An all-purpose surface cleaner in the kitchen.
Vinegar can be used for efficient scrubbing kitchen countertops, counters, top of the refrigerator and other flat surfaces. Mix 236,5 Milliliters (1 cup) of vinegar with 473 Milliliters (2 cups) of lukewarm water (never boiling) and pour the mixture into an empty spray bottle. Shake well before spraying over the work surfaces. Wipe dry the smudges using kitchen towels or a soft, clean cloth. To add fragrance, choose favorite essential oil and measure from 5 to 7 drops.
- Windows cleaner
For smudge-free and sparkling clean windows dilute 236,5 Milliliters (1 cup) of vinegar with 236,5 Milliliters (1cup) of hot water and sprinkle evenly on glass. Make sure to wipe the clean glass surface using a dry cloth or a kitchen towel.
- Remove soap residue from sinks
Mix 4 pinches of salt with 236,5 Milliliters (1 cup) of vinegar and spray sink in the kitchen and bathroom. Leave it to moisten and use a wet rag to rub away the soap dirt.
- Refrigerator Spray
Mix 118 Milliliters (half a cup) of vinegar with 354,7 Milliliters ( 1 ½ cup) of hot water and add 15 drops of natural essential oils. Pour the liquid into a spray bottle or a bucket and shake well before using. Make sure to turn your fridge off before cleaning its interior parts.
- Kitchen floor cleaner
Vinegar can be used on different flooring materials as non-wax surfaces, tile, laminate, linoleum or sealed wood. Not only it removes dirt, spills, and stains but also disinfects it by adding few squeezes of lemon juice. Here are three simple homemade recipes using natural ingredients:
- add half a liter of vinegar to every five liters of hot water and mop the floors thoroughly,
- for scrubbing and polishing squeeze in 118 Milliliters (½ cup) of lemon juice into the bucket of water and vinegar,
- mixing a bucket load of hot water, vinegar, lemon juice and 177,4 Milliliters (¾ cup) of extra-virgin olive oil gives your floor a high shine;
- Cleansing inside of washing machine
By adding half a liter of vinegar to an empty laundry cycle, you can remove soap residue from your washing machine giving it a new lease of life. There must be no clothing inside and run the cycle as usually you would wash your dirty garments.
- Cleaning oven
Commercial bottles of oven cleaner products contain toxins that can cause asthma and allergy. These fumes are hazardous to our system and can be absorbed through the air and direct skin contact. For safe cleaning your oven, prepare a mixture of a handful of baking soda with lukewarm water. Dilute the ingredients in a bucket or a bowl. Disinfect and scrub your oven till all stains and dirt disappear.
Rule no.2 Get rid of junk food and highly processed items from the fridge and cupboards.
Make a list of products banned from your kitchen and jot down basic and healthy foods that are worth buying. By removing items like packed cereals, crisps or white bread, you are intentionally getting rid of them from your thoughts. Use a smart tip, if there is no forbidden food in the refrigerator, you cannot eat it. This way you are focusing only on the great stuff that is available. If there are loads of unhealthy products in your pantry, donate them to shelters or homeless people. Your decision could save many lives. To add a daily nourishment to your menu, make a standing order for a box of organic fruits and vegetables delivered each morning to your doorstep. Always remember what Jamie Oliver has repeated like a mantra ‘Eat five portions of fruit and veg a day.’ Following his advice on a daily intake of fresh products you are showing a fantastic example to your children.
Rule no.3 Stock up your fridge, pantry, and cupboards with toxin-free food
Get your foundations right with a balanced diet and smarter shopping. First of all consider the golden rule that the refrigerator must be full to the brim and the pantry should remain empty. Following that rule, you keep on eating mostly freshly produced items, not highly processed food with artificial preservatives. The bottom line of your detox diet plan should base on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, good oils and healthy proteins. Cut back on non-healthy snacks and sweetened sodas. Try to avoid canned foods as many metal cans contain BPA (Bisphenol A). Bottles and containers are also made from polycarbonate plastics that is known of chemical ingredients.
In the ideal world, you would detox your kitchen and replace all unhealthy products with highly nutritious energetically foods to attain better health, lift your mood and make preparing masterpiece dishes more enjoyable. However, follow my advice on scanning nutrition labels on food containers more thoroughly. First and foremost, beware of food with healthy signs on the labels. Not always these are the garments that are truthfully good for you. More than often it is a marketing maneuver to make you buy such product. What is more, focus on the real ingredient list which is often less accented than the accurate nutrition facts. Food industry tries to confuse clients and design labels that are difficult to comprehend. Make a note that the first word in a list is the key ingredient in a product. Its position on the list conveys the real amount of that ingredient in our garment.
Strip down the list of the words you cannot pronounce, recognize or it is written in Latin. Trust your instincts, if you do not know the name, you will not use it in your detox kitchen.