A kidney cleanse can be helpful for improving the efficiency of your kidneys and helping to limit and reduce kidney issues, such as kidney stones.  A kidney cleanse typically lasts three days and helps to flush toxins from the organs, improving your overall health.

Choose three days to participate in the cleanse. A long weekend can be ideal since you don’t have to contend with work while you are adjusting to the diet restrictions.

Consume only water, apple juice, watermelon smoothies and parsley teas over the course of three days. Create your own apple juice with a juicer to ensure that you are not consuming the added sugar and flavor that is prevalent in store bought juices.

Watermelon Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 to 3 cups of watermelon

4 ice cubes

Mix the watermelon with the ice and blend until smooth for a crisp and flavorful addition to your kidney cleanse.

Parsley Tea

Ingredients:

3 tbsp chopped parsley

Boiling water

Steep the parsley in boiling water for five to 10 minutes. Strain out the parsley and drink while still hot.

Participating in a week long cleanse can help to rid your body of the toxins that are built up over time by eating processed and fatty foods. This can impact how efficient your body’s organs are as well as jump start your metabolism. How to tackle the cleanse can be a challenge, however. Refer to the seven simple steps below to enable yourself to partake in the cleanse successfully and with ease.

Choose a Cleanse

There are a variety of cleanses to choose from, such as a master cleanse, a juice cleanse, a raw foods cleanse, or simply a cleanse of your own design. A cleanse should eliminate all fatty and processed foods and can target specific items, such as a cleanse where gluten, processed sugar, meat and/or dairy products are eliminated. Consider your lifestyle and your personal strengths and limitations when choosing a cleanse that works for you and has the highest possibility of success.

Prepare a Menu

Setting a menu for yourself for each day of the week helps to remove the guesswork for the cleanse and allows you to prepare. A menu can serve as a roadmap for the cleanse that eliminates scrambling to throw together a meal that follows the cleanse rules. Plan out three meals a day for each day of the cleanse. Set aside recipes for each meal so that you are prepared for each day. Don’t forget to include snacks for each day that are cleanse friendly. This helps to remove the temptation to cheat on the cleanse.

Stock (or un-stock) Your Refrigerator

Plan out a cleanse shopping trip in the days before the cleanse begins. Having everything you need on-hand can make tackling your already set aside recipes that much easier. Fill the refrigerator with cleanse friendly snacks as well, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, that you can grab on the go. You may also want to consider removing food items that do not suit the cleanse, such as meats, dairy products and especially junk foods, such as chips and cookies. If you do not want to waste food, consider freezing meats for after the cleanse is completed. You can also donate unopened foods to a local shelter or food bank. If others in your household are not participating in the cleanse, try moving all the non-cleanse food to a separate drawer in your refrigerator or cupboard so you do not constantly see them.

Prep Foods

Preparing as much of the foods in your recipes as possible beforehand makes following the cleanse day-to-day even easier. Slice up fruits and vegetables you have planned for the next day’s salads and smoothies the night before. Prepare and pack your lunch the day before as well, in addition to any snacks you have planned. This enables you to make a quick breakfast and be out the door with your prepared lunch without having to get up any earlier to prepare it, which could become a deterrent. By prepping, you help remove any excuses for cheating on the cleanse.

Incorporate Exercise

Exercise can be a crucial complement to a cleanse. Set aside time each morning, night or even on your lunch break to take a walk. Even simple and quick exercise integrated into your day can be helpful. For example, opt for the stairs instead of the elevator. Intentionally park your car far away from entrances to get in a few extra steps. Look up classes at your local gym, such as yoga or Pilates, to complement the week long cleanse. Once hooked, you may even continue these new exercise habits after the week long cleanse has completed.

Make Water Accessible and Appealing

Water is a critical component for every cleanse. Drinking eight to 12 glasses a day can help you to flush toxins from your body more effectively and also stay hydrated. By being adequately hydrated, you will likewise feel better throughout the day. Exercise will be easier and you will also feel better as a whole. Fill a large water bottle every morning to keep with you throughout the day. You could also freeze water bottles each night for ice cold beverages throughout the following day. Make water more appealing by adding slices of cucumber, lemon or lime to it.

Monitor Results

Keeping a journal of your results can help to keep you motivated. Likely, the first couple days of the cleanse will be the most difficult. You may feel tired and irritable as your body adjusts to the new foods and lack of caffeine. As the days progress, however, you will likely feel more alert and energized. By journaling about your progress you can help keep record of the journey that you can use as inspiration and motivation for your next cleanse. You may also want to keep a daily tally of your weight, if weight loss is one of your goals. This can also serve as a motivating factor for this cleanse as well as future cleanses. Tracking bowel movements can also be helpful. Cleanses help aid the body in digestion and help eliminate digestive issues. By monitoring this trend as well, you can help yourself to fully see the impact of the cleanse on your body.

When considering the various cleanses you can participate in to improve your health, a cleanse that specifically targets your skin may not be the first to come to mind. However, the skin is a vital organ that is essential to removing toxins from your body. The ultimate and basic goal of a cleanse is removing the built up toxins from your body. Your skin is a helpful tool for doing so. By improving your skin health, you can likewise help to more efficiently flush toxins from your system. This cleanse can easily become a part of your daily routine, not taking up any more time than it takes to make a pot of coffee. Fit this 10 minute cleanse into your daily routine to give your complexion a fresh and bright glow and simultaneously improve your overall health.

Morning Beverage and Breakfast

Begin your day with a tall glass of water. Water is a key component to a cleanse as it helps to flush toxins from your body. This makes the toxin elimination process easier on your body’s organs, especially your skin. Aim to drink at least eight to 12 glasses of water each day. A juice cleanse is a fitting and helpful complement to a skin cleanse, so consider participating in a juice cleanse to compound the positive effects of the skin cleansing techniques. If you opt against a full juice cleanse, remove as many fatty and processed foods from your diet as possible and replace them with fresh fruits and vegetables. A fresh fruit smoothie is an ideal option for breakfast that helps to promote healthy skin. Skip the pot of coffee as caffeine can hinder the progress of your cleanse.

Brushing (Not Just Your Hair)

While you likely already fit brushing your hair into your daily regimen you now need to brush your skin as well as part of the daily skin cleanse. Brushing your skin not only helps to eliminate dead skin cells but it also promotes blood flow, improving circulation, which in turn helps to remove toxins. Choose a brush with natural bristles to use on your skin. Your skin must be dry for the brushing so shower after the brushing is completed. Gently, but firmly, brush the bristles across your skin, starting with your feet and working your way up the body. Refrain from using the brush on your face, however, as the bristles are too rough for delicate facial skin. Instead use exfoliating gloves or exfoliating rubs made from natural ingredients, such as oatmeal, on your face. From head to toe, this should only take a few minutes each morning.

Shower

Exposing your skin to hot and cold water can help to further stimulate your blood circulation. During your morning shower, choose intermittent water temperature combinations in lieu of the traditional consistently warm water. Run the shower water hot for three minutes and follow it up with a minute of cold water. Repeat the process if desired. The increased circulation helps to more efficiently deliver nutrients to healthy skin cells while simultaneously removing toxins.

In order to maximize the effects of a cleansing fast, integrating some cleansing stretches can be helpful. A stretch that elongates the abdominal and back muscles and strengthens those muscles can help aid the body with digestion. This can make it easier for your body to break down the raw foods you are consuming. It can also help to rid your body of toxins faster and more efficiently. The goal of a cleansing fast is to improve the function of the body’s organs, specifically the digestive organs and rid the body of toxins. By stretching regularly in combination with the fast you can help to make the cleanse as effective as possible. Yoga stretches are highly beneficial to cleansing fasts, due to the combination of the movements and the poses with the complementing breathing.

Lotus

The lotus pose is typically used for meditation. It promotes proper posture and also helps to stretch and loosen the hips. The pose is similar to sitting cross-legged on the floor, but with a greater stretch of the legs and hips. The stretch is centered around proper back posture so begin by sitting upright on the floor. Lift your right foot with your hands and gently place it onto your left thigh. Lift your left foot with your hands and carefully place it on your right thigh. Aim to line up the feet with your hip joints and press your shoulders back to help strengthen your posture and elongate your torso. Practice slow and deep breaths as you sit in this pose.

Bridge

The bridge pose helps to stretch, strengthen and elongate the abdominal muscles. It is also a basic starting point for more advanced stretches and poses. Begin by laying on the floor on your back with your arms stretched over your head and your legs out straight. Bend your knees so the soles of your feet are pressed to the floor and your knees are pointed towards the sky. Curl in your arms so your palms are pressed to the floor with your fingertips pointing back towards your feet. Press your abdomen upwards with your weight spread evenly between your feet and hands. Your body should now form an arch.

Bridge With Leg Raise

Advance the bridge stretch by adding a leg raise in the bridge. This helps to deepen the stretch and further elongate the body, specifically the core muscles which can be beneficial to digestion. Move into the basic bridge pose and hold the position. When you feel sturdy and comfortable in the pose slowly raise one leg off the floor. Your weight is now distributed between both hands and the foot that is still firmly planted on the floor. Bring the lifted leg up until the foot is pointed towards the sky. Point the toe on the raised foot up and keep the raised leg as straight as possible to maximize the stretch. Hold this position, keeping your breathing deep and controlled, then slowly return the raised leg to the ground. Repeat the stretch with the other leg.

Why is it that when you set a goal for weight loss, those last few pounds are always the most difficult? This is because your body holds onto a layer of fat in order to protect itself from the toxins we typically consume from processed and fatty foods. This explains why you have trouble shedding those last few stubborn pounds – they are serving a purpose. A simple way to finally rid yourself of this excess weight is through a detox cleanse. A cleanse helps to decrease the level of toxins in your body and causes you to simultaneously ingest fewer toxins, which enables you to break down those last few stubborn pounds.

Choose a plan that suits your current lifestyle. A detox can be done over a weekend, for a full week or even several weeks. A longer detox is better suited to a plan that allows for high-nutrient foods and isn’t a solely liquid cleanse, such as a juice cleanse. Select a detox regimen that also fits within your personal capabilities and lifestyle. If willpower is a challenge you may want to consider starting with a shorter cleanse and trying a longer cleanse a few months later. This allows you to work your way up to a greater challenge. Staying within your means also helps to prevent you from cheating on the detox regimen, which can be damaging to your weight loss progress. By working your way up to a longer cleanse slowly, you help to build your willpower and thus increase your chances for weight loss success.

Decrease the amount of unhealthy fats you consume and substitute high-nutrient level foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. You could even go so far as following a raw foods diet for an extended period of time. This consists of only consuming foods in their natural state. The foods cannot be heated above 118 degrees and cannot be processed or contain preservatives. The diet consists primarily of raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts.

Make your own vegetable soups. Soups are an ideal way to consume only high nutrient foods and lots of liquids while still feeling like you are consuming a full meal. Making the soups yourself with a food processor ensures that you know exactly what you are eating. Store bought soups often contain sodium and preservatives, which can hinder your detox, and likewise, weight loss efforts.

Drink plenty of fluids. A juice cleanse can consist of a variety of juices or just one type of juice for a period of days. Making the juices yourself with a home juicer is your best option since you will not have to worry about the sugar, preservatives and added flavoring typical of store bought juices. The juices can complement a detox that consists of only high-nutrient foods or can be done as a fast.

Remember that water is a key aspect of your daily regimen. Water is the ideal beverage for any diet, but especially on a detox diet. Drinking plenty of water, which entails a minimum of eight glasses a day, helps to flush your body of the toxins that can hinder weight loss. Water serves as a powerful cleansing agent that prohibits dehydration, which means you will not only be able to shed pounds but also prevent bloating.

Don’t revert back to bad habits once the detox is complete. The work does not end with the end of the detox. If you were to immediately begin consuming high fat and processed foods once the detox is finished, your body may cling onto the ingested fat, reversing the effects of your detox cleanse. Instead, consume as healthy a diet as possible once the cleanse is completed. This will help to both preserve your weight loss progress as well as continue it past the detox days. It will also help you to live a healthier overall lifestyle.

Participating in a successful cleanse can seem like a challenge. It can be difficult for your will power, your social life and your daily convenience. However, there are many benefits to participating in a cleansing detox that will outweigh the few hurdles you will need to overcome. A typical cleanse will limit or prohibit the consumption of processed and fatty foods, though a cleanse can vary from limiting the types of foods you consume to consuming only liquids for a period of time. A cleanse is used to flush your body of toxins and give your body a fresh start. After the cleanse is completed you will likely feel better overall as well as enjoy a sense of accomplishment. The knowledge that you succeeded in a challenge that benefited your overall health is an accomplishment that will invoke a feeling of pride, which can increase your morale as well as aid your body.

Organs

The intestines can store toxins that can deplete their efficiency. By cleansing the body of these toxins through fasting you increase how well the organs function. Your liver, kidneys and stomach will become more productive and as a result your overall health can improve. Since during the fast you are consuming minimal toxins, your organs not only do not have to deal with the existing levels of toxins in your body but they are also not processing new toxins. This can provide a boost to the healthiness and productivity of the organs.

Weight

Having trouble ridding your body of those stubborn last few pounds? The body holds onto a layer of fat to protect itself from the toxins stored in the body. By ridding the body of toxins through a cleansing fast the protective layer of fat is broken down as well. The organs no longer need protection so the cleanse enables you to rid yourself of that stubborn layer of fat that would have been extremely difficult to deplete otherwise. A cleanse can also help to jump start your metabolism, which likewise can aid weight loss.

Skin

Toxins can also have a negative effect on your complexion. By cleansing your body of the toxins through the fast you likewise help to clear your skin. The skin is used to help rid the body of toxins. By decreasing the amount of toxins you intake through a fast, your skin no longer has to work to flush them out.  The result can be a brighter, cleaner complexion and a healthy glow.

Energy

Since your body’s organs are not being used to help to flush out the toxins a traditional diet can accumulate, the energy typically expended can be used elsewhere. The cleansing fast can create a surplus of energy which can make you feel more alert. This increase in energy can spur additional activities and exercise, which likewise can result in additional weight loss and an increase in overall health.

Immune System

Although a cleansing fast can trigger cold-like symptoms, this is not an indication that the cleanse is making you sick, in fact, it is the opposite. A fast helps you to rid your body of toxins and those toxins can exit the body in a variety of ways, such as through a runny nose or cough. Once the toxins in your body are lessened and you are not consuming new toxins through fatty or processed foods, your body is able to expend additional energy fighting off germs. This results in a boost to your immune system.

Create a raw food soup for a wholesome and rounded raw food diet meal. The Spanish soup, Gazpacho, is traditionally served cold, making it ideal for the raw foods lifestyle.

Ingredients:

1 cup pineapple, diced

1 cup mango, diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cucumber, diced

½ cup yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped

¼ cup onion, chopped

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

¼ cup basil, chopped

1 cup water

¼ cup lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until all the ingredients are blended but still chunky. Chill and serve.

A smoothie can make any vegetable so fun and appealing even your children may not realize how healthy the dessert beverage is, making it an ideal choice for a raw diet treat.

Ingredients:

1 cup kale

1 cup spinach

1 cup pineapple, chopped

¼ cup pineapple juice

¼ cup coconut milk

¼ cup fresh coconut, grated

4 ice cubes

Mix the spinach and kale together in a blender until smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. Serve immediately.

Add in ½ cup of grapes to add another dose of sweetness to the smoothie.

A salsa is an ideal way to blend together fruits and vegetables seamlessly in a delicious concoction. In lieu of chips, slice a firm, crisp vegetable, such as cucumbers or squash.

Salsa

Ingredients:

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 apples, chopped (choose the type of apple based on your flavor preferences, such as a Granny Smith apple for a sour twist or a Macintosh for a sweet touch in the salsa)

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp jalapeno juice

1 small jalapeno, chopped

10 grapes, halved

¼ cup onion, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Chips

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers or squash

Slice the cucumber or squash into ½ inch thick slices

Combine all the salsa ingredients in a bowl and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for one to two hours to allow the ingredients and flavors to blend. Serve with the sliced vegetable of your choosing.

A smoothie allows you to work a variety of vegetables into your diet by masking their flavor with that of sweeter fruits. This can serve as an ideal raw foods diet beverage or a tasty dessert.

Ingredients:

¼ cup blueberries

½  cup strawberries

¼ cup raspberries

½ cup spinach, chopped

4 ice cubes

¼ cup almond milk

Mix all the ingredients except for the spinach in a blender until fully blended. Add in the spinach and blend until creamy. Serve immediately.