1–3 DAY TRY A JUICE FAST: Juices are an excellent way to switch body pH from acid to alkaline. It is very important to give your digestive system a rest and an all juice fast is the perfect way to recharge your system. Drink vegetable and fruit juice only for a minimum of 1 – 3 days. Drink more vegetable juices than fruit juices, which should be limited to one or two glasses daily. When on a juice diet, drink 6-8 glasses of non-allergic clean water also. Water will help the assimilation of nutrients. Will do wonders for your body, mind and spirit.

Juice fasting is a great way to restore your system to health and lose weight at the same time. Often your body tells you it is hungry when you really just need to drink some water, so drink one of these juices every time you feel hungry. This way you’re staying health and not engaging in unnecessary binge eating.

I just list ingredients below – all you need to do is throw them in the blender and add some water. Feel free to change the ingredients, the most important thing is to find recipes that suit you and that you are comfortable drinking.

START WITH LEMON WATER: First thing in the morning, drink one lemon squeezed in 12 ounces of warm filtered water. Lemon activates your liver to release toxins and helps to cleanse and move the roughage that stays behind in your intestines.

START WITH APPLE CIDER:Apple cider vinegar is traditionally used to remedy digestive distress, support liver detoxification, normalize digestive juices, and reduce intestinal bloating. Mix 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar with 12 ounces of warm water, and drink in the morning on empty stomach. Feel free to add a little honey or maple syrup. Lemon water will also help.

HERBAL TEA BRINGS RELIEF: Relieve that feeling of fullness with herbal teas that target your digestion. Steep 1 teaspoon each of mint, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, sage, and basil in a cup of hot water. Drink after each meal to soothe and prevent bloating. Peppermint, chamomile, and ginger teas are other good choices for settling the stomach. Throughout the day, drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water to flush your system.

GINGER TEA TO THE RESCUE: Ginger is an ancient Chinese remedy to minimize the symptoms of hangovers. Ginger has been found to soothe the digestive lining and balance gastric juices, making it a great remedy for overeating too. This remedy is even more effective if you drink it in between alcoholic beverages.

Cut a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root into thin slices. Bring three cups of water in a pot to a boil. Add the sliced ginger and reduce heat to a simmer. Brew for about 5 minutes. Then strain the ginger and sip the tea slowly. You may also add honey to taste.

ELECTROLYTE DRINK: Mix 1 quart boiled water, 2 tablespoons honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1 lemon. This mixture can be kept in the refrigerator for 24 hours, and then a new batch should be made.

USE VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES: Imagine yourself healthy and completely healed.

BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF: Remember that the body heals itself at its own pace. Don’t rush the process. Love yourself, love your body and stay positive and focused.

TAKE THE TIME TO REST AND RELAX: Take 10 minutes a day to be silent and let go of everything and everyone.

STRESS: Loma Linda University studies found that laughter is one of the best things to fight stress. Also, practice deep breathing and meditative prayer before each meal and at bedtime.

WALK IT OFF: After a large meal, take a 10-20 minute stroll. Aside from the proven benefits for your heart, walking is the perfect gentle exercise for promoting digestion and encouraging cleansing of the lymphatic system. Walking helps food move along the digestive tract, improving digestion and absorption. For an added benefit, walk while massaging your abdomen with your palms in a circle around your belly button.

YOGA AND EXERCISE: Regular exercise is very important to distribute the nutrients evenly in the body. Begin very slowly if you are sick or haven’t exercised recently. Any kind of exercise 10 minutes twice a day is advisable. Drink a large glass of water after exercising to help eliminate the toxins produced from the workout.

DETOXIFYING EXERCISE: Try a body-mind exercise that was designed by ancient Chinese physicians to help stimulate the liver and drain the excess toxins from the body:
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart in front of a tree. Inhale while raising your right leg and exhale while placing your right foot on the ground in front of you between your body and the tree. Inhale while raising both arms from the sides until they come together over your head. Exhale while lowering your hands in front of your face. Visualize a green light running down your face as your hands move down to your chest. Inhale as you move your hands to the right rib cage over your liver. Exhale as you move your arms down your right abdomen and right leg, as if pushing down and out with your hands. Visualize the green light moving the toxins out of the liver, down the liver meridian on the inside right leg, and out the big toe.

Have you lost your well-being to stress and 21 st Century Lifestyle?

Weight loss is about much more than dropping pounds. Just ask anyone who has successfully lost weight, only to find himself for herself fighting those same pounds a few months or years later. Clearly the nuts and bolts of weight loss – eating habits and exercise – require a physical commitment. But lasting, successful weight loss involves a powerful emotional component as well.

Developing a healthy attitude toward our bodies, our weight and food can be quite challenging today’s society. On one hand, food is a major element of just about every social gathering and occasion. We celebrate with food, fight stress with food, we even mourn with food. On the other hand, the media constantly presents us with impossible body ideals that are unrealistic and even unhealthy for the vast majority of us. Air brushing, Photoshop and other tricks of the trade allow models and celebrities to appear thinner than they are in real life, giving us the perception that we too can and should strive for that appearance. Even Barbie, the famous doll, is way out of proportion.

Where does this leave us? For some it can be an emotional dependence on the wrong kinds of food. For other, a negative image of our bodies and false hope in getting thin without too much effort. More importantly, now that you’ve made the physical commitment to find a healthier you, how do you make the emotional commitment?

A good place to start is by finding your motivation. Are you losing weight to look better? To fit into a swimsuit before an upcoming cruise or reunion? To provide a healthier example to your children? To combat Type 2 diabetes? To save money on your medical bills? The stronger, more meaningful and realistic your motivation, the more likely you’ll succeed with your program. For that reason, those who are motivated by health tend to make lasting changes more than those who are motivated by magazines or social events. Weight-loss experts encourage accepting yourself to be the best you can be.

If you are one of the millions with “lose weight” on your New Year’s resolutions list this year, resolve something new: resolve to love yourself no matter what, and then plan the lifestyle changes toward a healthier body.

When beginning a weight –loss journey, be prepared to think long-term. Many weight-loss centers ban the use of the ward “diet” because it tends to be associated eating plans. Rather than focusing on a ‘diet” commit yourself to learning about what changes are necessary to fuel and nourish your body with healthful foods. It’s amazing what a simple change in mindset can do. The exact same nutrition program can be viewed by one person as a diet and another as a lifestyle change. Can you guess who will see greater success?