Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Detox

Fresh potatoes on table
 by Victoria Santalesa

The Health Benefits of Potatoes

So you go to your favorite juice joint and order your lunchtime smoothie? What do you put in it? Almond milk, coconut milk, carrot juice, ginger? What about potato juice? “Potato juice,” you say, “is that even a thing?” And if it is, do you want it? After all, aren’t potatoes full of starch and carbohydrates? Last you heard, the only thing potatoes were good for is making fries, chips, and vodka. Well, prepare to have your mind blown!

Potato juice has a long history of being used as a remedy for everything from skin disorders to inflammation to cancer and is an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients. Have a look at the endless benefits for yourself.

For Your Skin

Dark Circles
If dark circles under the eyes are one of your pet peeves, here’s potato juice to the rescue. Just soak some cotton balls in spud juice and place them under your eyes before you go to sleep. In a week, the dark circles should be things of the past.

Anti-Aging
Applying a face mask made with potato juice and curd is a great way to reduce fine lines and hydrate skin. Mix potato juice with olive oil to help eliminate dark circles and crow’s feet.

Blemishes
The anti-inflammatory properties in potato juice is an effective acne treatment. Apply directly to blemishes for best results.

Angular Cheilitis and Eczema
Angular cheilitis is a skin disorder which causes swelling and redness of the corners of the mouth. Potato juice is an anti-inflammatory that can help tone down lesions when applied to the affected area. Potato juice also contains vitamin B complex which can prevent vitamin B deficiency associated with this condition. Drinking potato juice can also be used to treat eczema, another common skin disorder.

For Your Hair

Hair Loss
If you want to speed up hair growth, mix potato juice with egg white and honey. Apply to hair and let it sit for two hours before rinsing with a mild shampoo and water.

Dry Hair
A combination of aloe vera and potato juice can restore the moisture to dry, fly-away hair.

Grey Hair
Use potato juice to rinse shampoo from your hair instead of water to darken gray hair and give it a radiant glow.

For Your Health

Detox
Another benefit of spud juice is its ability to flush toxins from the body. Toxin overload can break down the immune system. Drinking potato juice can ward off health problems caused by bacterial and fungal infection by detoxifying and boosting immune resistance.

Joint Pain and Arthritis
Potato juice’s ability to perform as an anti-inflammatory makes it a great remedy for gout, back pain, joint pain, and arthritis. Drink it before breakfast in the morning for optimal effect.

Weight Loss
Drink it twice daily to help you slim down–once in the morning on an empty stomach and again two or three hours before you hit the hay.

Digestion
Drink potato juice on a regular basis to improve digestion and thwart constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and indigestion. It is also known to have positive effects for those who suffer from GERD and can be used to treat peptic ulcers when combined with carrot juice.

What do you know about potato juice? Let us know how you get the most out of your spuds!

in Eat Well 0 comments
Woman drinking a detox smoothie
 by Victoria Santalesa

Feel Better With A Weekend Detox

  Do you dream in chocolate?  Do you leave a basket of fruit on your table when the neighbors come and quickly swap it for the donut box when they go?  Do you have a secret stash of Snickers bars under your bed?  If this describes you, you may be a good candidate for a weekend detox.  Now let’s get this straight.  A weekend detox is not just for the nutritionally deprived.  It is a more like going on a two-day health bender in which your diet and health habits are regulated with the goal of cleansing your system, restoring blood pressure, and getting your digestion and blood sugar back on track.  Sound like a nutty adventure?  Let’s take a closer look.

Why the Weekend?
One thing you should keep in mind is that there is a reason for it being called a weekend detox.  Firstly,  limiting your food intake in this way is definitely not the best way to stay focused in the office and should only be done for a short time period.  Also, you need time to prepare your foods and might end up having to use the bathroom excessively because of the water, tea, and juices that constitute a good portion of most diets. Thus, a leisurely day with some degree of privacy may be best.

The Nutritional Component
The detox menu varies depending on the plan you follow.  The most severe ones are limited to system flushing liquids and smoothies, but more of them incorporate a restricted list of foods.  Here are the general rules of detox eating.

Antioxidants
Eating brightly colored fruits and veggies, whole grains and beans get rid of harmful substances and make them water soluble, so your system can flush them more easily.  Think spinach, kale, and cranberries.

Eat foods with Glutathione
What’s that?  Glutathione is an antioxidant that is produced by your own body.  It can be found in garlic, onions, eggs and foods rich in sulfuric compounds.  It is useful in removing toxins, including mercury and arsenic, from the body.

Drink water and tea
There is no denying that elimination is one of the primary goals of detox.  Water helps you with Number 1, Number 2, and perspiration.  While detoxing, try to drink 8-12 glasses of water or decaffeinated tea.

You may also want to add some  detox teas as  a bonus. These generally contain dandelion which supports digestion and liver function, licorice which expels mucus, and ginger, which stimulates circulation and gets rid of toxins.  Licorice tea, in particular, contains a compound that is 50 times sweeter than sugar, which may help to control a sweet tooth.

Eat Clean
Remember, your goal is to eliminate food that contain the toxins you are trying to eliminate.  Avoid processed goods including fast food, fried food, caffeine, dairy, alcohol, red meat, sugar and white flour.

Parting Notes
Avoid eating after 7 PM and get eight hours of sleep.  This will kick-start your system and help develop lasting healthy habits, or at least, help you get reacquainted with your fruit basket.

in Eat Well 0 comments
Fruit infused detox water
 by Mayank

Delicious Detox Water Recipes

Drinking water is a great way to hydrate your body while getting rid of unwanted toxins. While pure water certainly helps to achieve this, you can increase your results by adding certain fruits, vegetables and spices to your water. Detox water, also known as infused water, has been gaining popularity for some time now and is not a beverage that is limited to luxurious spa experiences. Making your own detox water is ridiculously easy and your options for flavor combinations are limited only by your imagination. The benefits of a detox water include removal of toxins, better digestion process, your body naturally releases fat cells and it can improve your mood. To get the benefits of these concoctions, Resveralife has picked three of the easiest, tastiest and beneficial detox waters for you to try.

Lemon cucumber detox water.

Lemon Cucumber Detox Water
This flavor combination is a favorite among day spas, but not just because it tastes delicious. Lemons are excellent immune system boosters as they contain a high concentration of vitamin C. Adding lemon to your water increases water’s ability to clean the toxins from your body. Cucumbers are anti-inflammatories, meaning they reduce inflammation throughout your body. Because cucumbers are composed mainly of water, this vegetable helps keep you hydrated for long periods of time. To make lemon cucumber water all you need is a gallon pitcher, one whole lemon and a medium sized cucumber. Cut the lemon and cucumber to your preference (either wedged or sliced) and add to your pitcher. If you want to inject a bit more flavor, add some fresh mint leaves to the lemon and cucumber. Add ice to the pitcher on top of the fruit and fill with water, then allow it to steep in your fridge overnight. When all of the water is gone, you can refill the pitcher using the same lemon and cucumber about three times before you need to cut more fruits and vegetables.

Apple cinnamon detox water.

Apple Cinnamon Detox Water
This detox water not only helps flush harmful toxins from your body, it is also a great way to satisfy a craving for something a bit sweeter without resorting to sodas or fruit juices packed with sugar. Apple cinnamon detox water contains virtually no calories, as the calories that come from the apple are negligible. Cinnamon in the water helps stimulate your metabolism and aids your internal organs in cleaning themselves while apple provides essential vitamins and minerals needed daily. To make apple cinnamon detox water, thinly slice one apple and add to your gallon pitcher. Place a cinnamon stick in with your apple and add ice. Fill your pitcher with water. For the most flavor, allow to sit for at least one hour before serving. Like the lemon cucumber detox water, you can use the same apple slices and cinnamon stick around three times.

Grapefruit tangerine detox water.

Grapefruit Tangerine Detox Water
Grapefruit, the quintessential diet food, really is incredibly beneficial to your body and it helps completely detox your body. Tangerine is an excellent source of vitamin C and it adds natural sweetness to your water. If you find you need a bit more sweetness, consider adding strawberries which will additionally provide you with vitamin C and anti-inflammatory properties. Slice the grapefruit, tangerine and strawberries and place at the bottom of your gallon pitcher. Add ice then fill with water. Reuse the fruit two to three times before replacing with freshly sliced fruit.

Detox water is a refreshing, tasty way to increase your water intake without getting bored by glass after glass of plain water. You can create any combination of detox water that you like, such as lemon ginger, raspberry blueberry, mango tangerine…whatever sounds good to you. Drink up and detoxify with these delicious recipes.

in Eat Well 0 comments
Woman looking at her phone in a beach.
 by Mayank

5 W's of Digital Detox

When was the last time that you took a break from all digital devices and just turned everything off for 24 hours? Chances are you don’t remember. Computers, smartphones, tablets and watches, among others, keep you constantly connected no matter where you are and what you’re doing. There are constant demands for your attention in the digital age and constantly responding to every notification, feed update or e-mail is not only overwhelming, it may be doing more harm than good. If you really can’t remember the last time you put technology away for an entire day, it’s time for you to consider a digital detox.

What is a Digital Detox?
A digital detox is pretty much what the name implies; unplugging from all digital technology for a set period of time. All devices (computers, tablets, laptops, smartphones, etc…) are switched off so you can enjoy some time away from the screens and focused on the other areas of your life that you may neglect. The amount of time you spend on a digital detox is up to you, but most experts recommend that you spend at least 24 hours away from all of your digital devices. It can be jarring to go from being updated on everything by the second to being completely screen-free, so start with 24 hours and work your way up to longer periods of time.

Woman working on a tablet.

When Should You Digital Detox?
The frequency of how often, and for how long, you participate in a digital detox is completely up to you. Realistically, there are times when being away from your work computer or your smartphone just isn’t an option, so pick a day where you know that you don’t have any obligations. If you have kids, then you may feel uneasy about keeping a phone off all day if kids are out of the house. If this is the case then either plan to have your kids spend the day with someone you trust implicitly, or make the detox a family event and spend some quality time reconnecting to one another.

Who Needs a Digital Detox?
Let’s face it, modern society is swept up in constantly checking social media accounts, news and entertainment sites, playing games or texting no matter where people are or what else is happening. Everybody can benefit from a digital detox now and then, especially you.

Beautiful resort.

Where do You do a Digital Detox?
The beauty of a digital detox is that you don’t need to go anywhere at all. You can keep technology off for 24 hours in the comfort of your own home and rediscover that book you’ve been meaning to read or tackling a home improvement project that you’ve been postponing. While some people think that digital detox is just a fad, there are others who take the idea very seriously. There is an increasing number of hotels, resorts and spas that are dedicated to providing a soothing, luxurious atmosphere that is completely free from digital distraction.

Why do a Digital Detox?
While staying connected every waking moment may seem like a productive way to spend your day, doing so can actually have adverse effects. When your attention is divided among so many different types of news, information and alerts, you are actually decreasing your attention span. A digital detox allows you to have conversations that reach a conclusion instead of just stopping because your phone is going off every five minutes. Additionally, a digital detox is an important way to make the loved ones in your life feel cherished. Spending time not staring at screens and actually making contact and allowing yourself to fully listen and pay attention during conversations shows those around you that you do value them. But perhaps most importantly, a digital detox gives you time to unwind, relax and recharge so that when you do return to work, you are returning more productive than before.

The idea of shutting everything off for 24 hours can be super overwhelming, but it provides so many benefits. To get the rewards a digital detox offers, practice resistance and leave everything off. A true digital detox does not allow “just checking one e-mail” or tweeting about your experience. Further, practicing a digital detox is not a once and done thing. You should aim to do so every few weeks in order to allow yourself to fully experience life and to return to your digital world with a fresh perspective.

in Live Well 0 comments

logo

UNLOCK
20% OFF

Sign up and get 20% off your first purchase!

No thanks, I'll pay full price