by Lauren Rae, CPT for TRYM Fitness
“New Year, New You!” is a common phrase among health and wellness coaches this time of year. Most people, including myself, recommend aiding your body’s natural ability to detoxify with a cleanse every quarter. So why not start fresh in the New Year?
Cleansing allows your body to rid itself of the harmful toxins stored in the cells of your liver, kidneys, and intestinal lining. When this detoxification occurs, your body can build a better defense against illness and disease, burn fat more efficiently, and create an overall sense of well being. Because there are just as many receptors in the lining of your digestive tract as in your brain, as these receptors become bogged down with the chemicals and environmental toxins we come into contact with it becomes harder and harder to be, look, and feel healthy.
If the idea of a cleanse has you feeling a little nervous, you can encourage natural detoxification with this easy to make beverage with ginger root, organic lemon juice, and cucumber. Here’s how these common ingredients combine to help unleash a new you.
Ginger
Ginger should be a staple in any healthy diet because of its incredible medicinal properties. This powerful little detox root will help jumpstart your metabolism, aid in digestion, and soothe the stomach and intestines because it is an anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, and antioxidant. As a result, intestinal upsets like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation can be relieved. Spicier than you would think, a little goes a long way! Start out with a few thin slices and add more as needed.
Organic Lemon
Citric acid plays the important role of boosting nutrient levels in the digestive system while producing digestive juices and improving digestion itself. This can allow proper digestion and elimination, offering a natural detoxification element for the colon. Lemons are known as an “anionic food,” 
meaning they have a high level of negative ions which mirror and enhance the work of digestive fluids like saliva, bile, and stomach acid. Strangely, the acidity of lemons balances out pH levels and can help to bring your body to an alkaline state. This can help with acid problems like heartburn and acid reflux. Lemons also love your liver! Their antiseptic properties help reduce bad bacteria in your liver to ward off respitory problems, sore throats, and healthy skin.
Cucumber
Cucumbers are a very mild vegetable with a dark green skin, rich in fiber and beneficial minerals including potassium, magnesium, and silica. The flesh of a cucumber is primarily composed of water, offering natural hydration. A whole cucumber contains high levels of ascorbic acid and caffeic acid to soothe the body and reduce inflammation. Cucumbers love your kidneys! The cucumber is known as a natural diuretic that helps to expel uric acid by flushing the kidneys of toxins. This property allows the body to rid itself of excess water, therefore dropping that extra water weight!
To make the cleansing water you just slice up a finger of ginger root, cucumber, and organic lemon and let it sit in purified water over night. You can reuse the ingredients 2–3 times by adding fresh water to them. The amount you use simply depends on the size if the container you have. Drink throughout the day and use in additional recipes or to make tea!
