Body Cleanse Diet: The 7-Day Detox Plan

Considering doing a body cleanse diet? There’s so many options out there and it’s really important to choose the right cleanse for you. In previous posts, we’ve discussed how to identify if you need to do a Cleansing Diet. We’ve supplied a how-to guide for the Master Cleanse Diet, as well a complete guide to the Cleanse Diet. Yet, many readers felt that the Master Cleanse diet is too much of a challenge, especially when done for a prolonged time.

If that sounds like you, don’t worry! With so many cleanse options out there, you can certainly find one that will work for you. That’s why, in this article, we will discuss a 7-day body cleanse diet plan which is more accessible for beginners. This body cleanse diet plan will not be a total starvation plan like the Master Cleanse diet, and as mentioned, can be effective in only 7 days.

The purpose of any cleanse diet plans is to cleanse your organs and detoxify your body at the same time. As an added bonus, they are often an effective way to lose weight rapidly due to the strict diet regime. Admittedly, this 7-day body cleanse diet plan will not be as effective as, say, the Master Cleanse diet if your aim is to lose weight fast. However, it can be as effective in detoxifying your body in an arguably safer way. This method will also shed a few weight when done correctly, so no worries on that front.

Without further ado, here is how you do the 7-day body cleanse diet.

What To Do

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The most important thing before you start this body cleanse diet plan is to check your calendar and schedules. You will need to make the most of your 7 days, so find a week where you are free from parties, events, or functions that might hinder your plan. Try to find a week where you are also not too busy with work.

The first few days can be really rough since your body commonly will react to the sudden dietary change, including loose bowel movements or mild to a severe headache. At the very least, find a good day with a relatively easy schedule to start the diet since the ‘withdrawal’ symptom can last for 24 to 48 hours.

What You Should Avoid For 7 Days

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You might find this list daunting but don’t be overwhelmed! We’re going to give you everything you need to know. You should avoid the following foods during the 7-day cleanse:

• Milk products (except unsweetened yogurt)
• Sugar, honey, artificial sweeteners including maple syrup
• Coffee
• Cigarettes
• Alcohol
• Grain products: wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice, and spelt in all forms
• Dried fruits

Your Menu For 7 Days

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Like we said, this diet is pretty lenient. It might be a significant diet change for you, but you’ll still have plenty to eat! You can consume as much of all of the foods on this list:

• Fresh fruit (organic is best)
• Fresh vegetables (again, organic is best)
• Fish (fresh, frozen or canned)
• Lean red meat and chicken without skin (note: limit this to two servings throughout the week)
• Kidney beans, lentils, and chickpeas
• Eggs (organic is best)
• Organic extra virgin olive oil or organic, unrefined coconut oil
• Seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raw unsalted sesame
• Raw unsalted walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamias
• Decaffeinated green tea and white tea
• One to three liters of water daily

Your Body Cleanse Diet Plan

1. Start your day with a glass of lemon juice. Squeeze half of a lemon into a glass of lukewarm water. Drink before breakfast to kick-start your metabolism.
2. Exercise is key! Try to exercise for a minimum of one hour every day with medium to vigorous intensity. You’ll be amazed how great you feel at the end of the 7-day cleanse.
3. While your aim is to detox your body, don’t disregard the importance of detoxing your mind. Try to build in 15-minutes of meditation per day. You can do this with a book or podcast about meditation or even a yoga class.
4. Raw foods are recommended during this body cleanse diet plan. Fill your days with salads, bowls of fruit and raw sides with your dinners.
5. Drink a lot of liquid! Aim to drink three liters of liquid every day. This will have a great effect on your kidney detox. Purified or spring water is best, but you can supplement with controlled amounts of fresh fruit or vegetable juice. Herbal laxative tea or decaffeinated green tea is also a great option.
6. A good bath will support circulation and help detoxify your skin. You can use natural fiber body brush, a salt bath, or loofah while you shower. Giving your body time to soak the toxins out is best.

This body cleanse diet program will provide you a relative freedom over other cleanse diet methods, such as the mentioned Master Cleanse diet. Try to do it for a full week and feel your body energized, your mind more relaxed, and not to mention, shed some weight.

Your Ultimate Guide To The Cleanse Diet

Cleanse diet, or also often known as detox diet is a vibrant way to lose weight fast. As the name suggests, this diet is aimed at cleansing your body from unwanted toxins. And although it’s an effective way for weight loss, cleanse diets can also recharge, renew, and jumpstart your body for a more healthy and energetic life. Cleanse or detox diets might be a common concept for a lot of people, but many people failed to grasp its core principles and essences, and in turn, failed to get the most of their cleanse diet.

Cleanse diets can come in many forms, methods, and can use various different menu and recipes, although mainly involving strict diets of fruit and vegetable choices. Yet, their goals are the same: cleansing your body parts like kidney, colon, and liver from unhealthy toxins such as excess caffeine from coffee, parasite, excess sugar, fat, and lose water weight among many others. In this post, we will discuss several safe and effective methods of cleanse diets. However, before we delve into that, let us first discuss several benefits and effects of the cleanse diets.

Benefits of Cleanse Diet

As mentioned, there are many different diet plans for cleanse diets, and each plan might have a different aim or benefits. However, here are some general benefits you can expect from doing any cleanse diets:

• Cleansing toxins stored in major digestive organs, such as liver, kidney, stomach, gallbladder and colonic area. Including candida yeast and its toxic byproducts (link)
• Stronger immune system after the detox is completed
• Better blood circulation
• Also effective to detox your body from parasites
• Naturally improve brain functions, which in turn improving sleeping problems, chronic fatigue, and concentration commonly found before the detox

Cleanse Diet Methods

Here, we will discuss several popular cleanse diet methods that are easy and effective, along with the instructions and directions. Check out our other article for even more information on how to do the master cleanse diet.

Alkaline Detox

As the name suggests, the alkaline detox or alkaline cleanse will involve consuming solely fresh and raw alkaline soup, smoothie, and juice between 3 to 10 days (and beyond if necessary). The idea behind this diet is that alkalizing nutrients are easily absorbed and assimilated, so that your body will absorb a lot of calories while cleansing, and will not lose the necessary energy.

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Below are some recipe examples of the alkaline menu, which is essential for this diet plan, both of them can easily be made at home:

The Green Drink

Ingredients

• green powder
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 1 gem lettuce
• green pepper (half)
• cucumber (half)
• a handful of alfalfa sprouts

Mix them in a juicer and you are good to go!

Tomato and Avocado Alkaline Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 spring onion
• 1 avocado
• 5 garden tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon of dill seeds
• 1/4 cup of ground almonds (not packaged)
• 1 cup broth of Swiss Vegetable Bouillon
• Dash Cayenne pepper

Blend all of the ingredients, except one tomato. Warm the blended soup in a pan, only until it is warm enough and not raw. Top it with the slices of the last tomato.

The review for the alkaline diet remains very good ever since it was introduced, and it is relatively easy to do since you will retain nutritional energy from the easily absorbed calories although you avoid other foods.Not only the recipes are easily absorbed, they are great to flush out toxins in a very quick manner. The result? Very effective to jump start your energy level, as well as helping you lose weight. The alkaline detox is great to use in conjunction with other diet plans, such as the GM diet, ketone diet or the Candida diet. Have all the benefits of being a vegetarian in just three to ten days.

The Master Cleanse Lemonade Diet

The urban legend stated that this diet was popularized by Beyonce herself. Although the fact surrounding that remains a mystery, the lemonade diet has been proven one of the most effective cleansing diets, especially if you are also aiming to lose weight.Essentially, the lemonade diet is consuming exclusively the homemade lemonade recipe 12 times a day for 10 days or beyond.

Here is how you do it:

• Fresh lemon or lime juice, mixed with cayenne pepper, maple syrup, and water. Drink this juice 9 to 12 times a day.
• A pure salt water bath is preferred during the regimen.
• Herbal laxative every morning and night during the diet.
• Do not take any other food or beverage during the ten days period.

The lemonade diet is very easy to start but can be a challenge to finish for the total ten days without other foods to eat. However, the reviews for the lemonade diet remains positive over the years, so it will be worth the challenge. Not only lemonade and cayenne pepper combo cleanses your body effectively, it is also great to lose rapid weight and will definitely show results in your slender body and flat belly. Admittedly, the greatest challenge for this plan lies in the weekend, so you can probably start in the weekend where your motivation and energy level is still high (You will hit only one other weekend during the regime). One of the key highlights of this diet is that the ingredients are very cheap and simple to find, accessible for everyone. You can prolong the masters cleanse lemonade diet for 20,40 or even 60-days, with some users even reported a 15 to 17-pound loss!

The Wonder Soup Diet

Ingredients:

• a whole head of cabbage (you can also use half, depending on your portion)
• 6 medium to large onions, roughly chopped (you can reduce the onions if you don’t like them)
• 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
• five carrots, sliced
• two cups of chopped baby spinach
• 3 diced cloves of garlic
• Tomato paste (NZ-made is preferable)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• four cups of chicken broth liquid
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Mix all of the ingredients up in boiled water in a large soup pot. Simmer for roughly 45-minutes or until the vegetables are fully cooked. You can grill the fresh vegetables before adding them to the water.

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The Wonder Soup is an essential part of the 7-day GM Diet plan, which is one of the best diet plans to lose weight rapidly. The Wonder Soup with cabbage as its core ingredient will provide enough nutritional energy during the GM cleansing diet, and after a full seven days, you will get the lean gut you have been dreaming of. Try the 7-day GM diet by following our guide, and download our PDF guide here.

Ultimate Flat Belly Raspberry Lemon Detox Water

This raw vegan paleo cleanse diet is dairy, gluten and sugar-free, and is very easy to do. For the recipe, make 2 quarts or 64 oz of infused water consisting of:

• Two cups of premier organic raspberry
• 8 cups of spring or filtered water
• 2 dried Medjool dates (optional for flavor, try this one)
• 1 organic lemon, cut into half-inch slices
• 1 drop of lemon essential oil (optional, try this one)
• 1-gallon clear jar with lid (like this one)

Will not require juicing them, but simply follow these steps to make your infused water:

1. First, place the raspberries into the very bottom of your jar. If you are using the Medjool dates, they come next and layer the lemon slices on top of them. Pour the spring or filtered water and place the lid on top.
2. Place the infused water into the refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator and pull out the lemon slices after another 1 hour. Squeeze the lemon slices into the water (for their juices).
3. Add the lemon essential oil into the jar, stir the water. Put the lid back on and put back into the refrigerator overnight. You can leave the raspberries and Medjool dates for up to two days.

If you are looking for a 24-hour plan or 48-hour weekend detox plan, this raspberry-lemon detox water can be a great choice. The 1-gallon infused water can be consumed for a day, and if you are planning for a 48-hours cleansing diet, you can simply make two of them.

Fruit Detox

One of the easiest and most popular cleanse diet methods: the fruit diet, and also arguably the most natural way. As the name suggests, here you limit your diet to exclusively fruits, with apple and citrus fruits being the most popular choices. For a maximum effect, you can do the fruit detox exclusively for 21 to 30 days.

Besides the diet plans we have described above, there are also other popular cleanse diet methods out there, such as the cranberry drinks and juices detox, Jamba juice detox, Wild Rose diet, Liver Cleansing Diet by Dr. Dodds and many more.

Bonus Tips: Canine Detox

Cleanse diet is not only important for us humans, but can also be useful for the liver health of your canine pets like your dogs or cats. This is a nice article from Animal Wellness that might be useful for you pet lovers.

Cleanse Diet Supplements

There are many supplements dedicated for cleanse diet plans, designed to be taken either pre -meal, post -meal, or solely as the nutrient source throughout the cleanse diet.Let us first address the elephant in the room: there are no ultimate extract or super pill that will guarantee the success of your cleansing diet. However, they can indeed help the hard work of the cleanse diet by being a side supplement. What are they? Here are a few that can be useful (and safe):

Garcinia Cambogia

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Popularized (albeit controversially) by Dr.Oz, Garcinia Cambogia pills are still a popular choice for cleanse diet supplements with its appetite suppressant and fat burning properties.

Check out Stanley Burroughs amazing book on this cleanse. There’s so much helpful information if you’re really wanting to give this cleanse a try!

Omega-3 Fatty acid pills

Omega-3 is an important nutrient during your cleanse diet period to support your fat burning process and lower triglycerides.

Fit Tea 28 Day Detox

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A product dedicated for a detox program with many good reviews. A two-week (14 day) version is available. A similar product by GNC, Herbalife, Arbonne, and Advocare are also available.

Quicktrim Cleanse

A similar product, endorsed by Kim Kardashian herself.

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Books About Cleanse Diet

There are many books about detox and cleansing diet available in the market. Here are some of the interesting ones:

The Liver Cleansing Diet: Love Your Liver and Live Longer

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This is a very popular book by Sandra Cabot with a lot of valuable information if you’re interested in trying a liver cleansing diet.

Whether you think the master cleanse is for you or you’re still skeptical, we encourage you to continue reading! Taking steps to improve our health can be a challenge but with the proper means, it can be really rewarding.

For continued reading, check out our article on Signs You Need A Cleansing Diet

 

Signs That You Need A Cleansing Diet

The cleansing diet also called the detox diet is very popular nowadays, even regarded by many as the holy grail of losing weight rapidly. However, losing weight is not the sole aim of the cleansing diet. As with how the name may suggest, the cleansing diet regimes are aimed to cleanse your body from unwanted toxins, which can be the culprit of many diseases, low energy levels, and how your body easily gain and regain weight.

The short-term benefits of the cleansing diet have been well proven time and time again. Almost all of the mental and physical benefits gained from the cleansing diet is caused by the detoxification of the liver. The overtaxed liver can leave you feeling sluggish throughout the days, and can, directly and indirectly, affect your ability to lose and gain weight.

Wondering how to determine if your body needs a cleansing diet?

Here are ten signs that you might need a cleansing diet:

• Sugar cravings and other blood sugar issues.
• Increased visceral fat (belly fat) that is hard to lose.
• Fluid retention (increased water weight) and congested sinuses.
• Gallbladder issues.
• Excessive sweating and overheating.
• Acne, itchy skin, rosacea.
• Weight loss resistance.
• Fatigue even with enough sleep, especially in the morning.
• Insomnia and difficulty maintaining sleep.
• Moodiness or mood swings.

Many of these symptoms may seem overly general or broad. However, if you have four or more of these symptoms, it’s likely that a cleansing diet would do you some good. A traditional cleansing diet typically lasts 21-30 days.

Before you jump into a strict cleansing diet regimen, you might want to try a few of these steps to eliminate your symptoms:

1. ‘Cleanse’ Your Coffee With Cardamom Seeds

Image Credit: Organic Facts

We’ve all heard of the bad effects that excessive caffeine can have on your body. Yet, reducing your caffeine consumption is easier said than done. To counter the disadvantages of caffeine, use cardamom seeds. Cardamom increases your ability to metabolize caffeine, leaving less caffeine residue (and less bad effects) in your body.

Try adding three to five cardamom seeds to brew in your coffee each day.

2. Eat More Broccoli Sprouts

Image Credit: Natural Health 365

Broccoli sprouts might have lower nutritional contents that the full-sized broccoli, but it contains more sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is a very powerful anti-cancer substance, and can also boost cleansing enzymes in your body for the next 72 hours and more.

Sulforaphane will also boost your absorption to vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene, which in turn will boost your antioxidant activity. You can also get broccoli sprouts as supplement pills, such as this one.

3. Eat More Antioxidants

Image Credit: Powerhealth.gr

Speaking of antioxidants, many people throw this term around, yet don’t know their actual benefits for the body. Put it this way: toxins metabolized by the body (such as cigarette smoke, caffeine residue, and pesticides) can damage your body by generating free radicals, increasing its wear and tear. These wear and tear will ultimately affect your ability to burn fat, among many other things.

Antioxidants help neutralize these free radicals and help repair the body from the damages. Consume more onions, green and black tea, citrus, berries, parsley, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potato, and many more.

Bottom Line

If your body shows four or more of the signs and symptoms we mentioned in the beginning of this post, consider trying the three tips we have provided above. If your body still doesn’t show any signs of improvement, it’s a clear sign you actually need a cleansing diet. Check out our full guide to cleansing diet, several methods and recipes, and how to get the most of your cleansing diet here.

How To Do The Master Cleanse Diet

In our previous guide for cleansing diet, we have discussed the Master Cleanse Diet briefly, which remains one of the most popular cleanse diet methods. Arguably, the Master Cleanse Diet was popularized by Beyonce herself almost a decade ago. Ever since then, many people have tried the master cleanse diet with great results, often losing more than 10 pounds after just a week with the strict regime.

However, although the Master Cleanse Diet has been proven effective, doing it in the right way can be very challenging and we can say that it is easier than done.

With that being said, here we will provide an in-depth guide to the Master Cleanse diet, and how to make the most of it.

The Core Recipe of the Master Cleanse Diet

The Master Cleanse diet consists of a very simple recipe, which is also a key factor for its popularity. The ingredients are very accessible to virtually anyone and are also very affordable. They are:

Organic lemonade or lime juice, depending on your preference.

Organic maple syrup. Coombs is a popular choice because of it’s delicious taste and high-quality production.

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Organic cayenne pepper, you can also easily buy it online.

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Purified water or spring water

2 tablespoons lemonade

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

10 ounces of spring or purified water

Mix all ingredients together!

The Salt Water Flush

The salt water flush is an essential part of the Master Cleanse diet. The flush eliminates toxins at the start of the diet. You can also use a laxative tea as an alternative.

Here is how you make the salt water flush:

Add 2 teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt to a quart of warm water. Drink them on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

Warning: several eliminations will most likely occur during the next hour. If not, you can increase the amount of salt slightly. Add water to your taste.

Additionals

Besides the core recipe and the salt water flush, you will need a pack of peppermint tea and herbal laxative tea.

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The Steps

• Start your day with a salt water flush or laxative tea on an empty stomach. Expect several eliminations for the next couple of hours.
• Drink at least 6 glasses of the core lemonade recipe.

If cleansing and detoxification is your main goal, you can follow that recipe. You can also increase the amount of maple syrup in the mixture especially if you are underweight and don’t want to lose additional weight.

If weight loss is your main goal, using less maple syrup is not advised. Removing it can maximize your weight loss results, but your body needs that sugar in order to fuel it through the day.

You can drink an occasional cup of peppermint tea to help with your digestion and give yourself a bit more nutritional energy. This is optional but definitely recommended.

End your day with a herbal laxative tea two hours before you go to bed.

The Routine

This recommended routine should last for about ten days. However, it can be a challenge for beginners. You can do a 3-day trial the first time, go back to your normal diet, and try again for 7 days before you can reach the 10-day target.

You can prolong the regime beyond 10 days, especially if weight loss is your target. Users have reported doing the Master Cleanse diet regime for 21 to 30 days with great success. Let your body and mental strength be the judge, as sticking to this diet can be very challenging.

The key to the strict diet is that every time you are hungry, drink another lemonade or peppermint tea. It is good to manage your working schedule and have more rest during the diet, and doing it with a partner or a group will be more fun. Not to mention, having that support system around you can significantly increase your chances of success.

It’s important to remember though, that keeping your strength and mental clarity in good shape is the most important. Do not become too focused on weightloss that your body suffers. Only do this diet in short amounts of time if you are struggling. Always be safe and make sure you are making wise choices about your health!

Lemongrass Essential Oil and Its Health Benefits

Lemongrass used to be solely an exotic ingredient for many Southeast Asian cuisines, especially those from Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. However, in the recent years, Lemongrass has risen in popularity for its health benefits. The lemongrass essential oil, in particular, is now well known as one of the most potent essential oils, with a lot of properties to support your healthy living.

Today, we will discuss those health benefits of the organic lemongrass oil and how to apply it for a healthier live.Before we begin, however, let us learn a little bit deeper about the Lemongrass essential oil itself.

What Is Lemongrass Essential Oil

Technically, every plant that belongs to the Cymbopogon genus can be classified as Lemongrass, and they are widely available in tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, Africa, Australia, and other tropical island areas.As mentioned, it is popular for cooking usage in Asia, especially SouthEast Asia and India. However, although there are over 50 species belonging to the Cymbopogon genus, only two are popular for both culinary and essential oil uses: the Cymbopogon Citratus and Cymbopogon Flexuosus.

The essential oil is distilled from the leaves of the plan and is usually of bright yellow color with lemony and earthy scent.Healthy Use of Lemongrass Essential Oil

Healthy Benefits of Lemongrass Essential Oil

1.Skin Health

Skin healing is one of the major benefits of the lemongrass essential oil. You can easily mix lemongrass oil with your soaps, lotions or shampoos to enhance their cleansing effects. It is also a natural deodorizer, so you can also mix it with your deodorants to combine the skin healing and deodorizer effects. The lemongrass essential oil can sterilize your pores and strengthen your skin tissues, so it is also very good at combating acne. Lemongrass oil can make your skin shines and appears young.

2.Detoxification

Lemongrass oil can also detox your digestive system, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and bladder. The recipe? You can simply add the lemongrass oil to your tea or soup. Alternatively, you can make your lemongrass tea by infusing the lemongrass leaves with boiling water.3.Relieve Muscle Pain

3.Relieve Muscle Pain

By rubbing the lemongrass essential oil on your body, or mixing it with your bath, it can improve your blood circulation. As a result, it will relieve muscle sprains, cramps, and improve your blood circulation.

4.Relief Headache

Massage your scalp and temples with diluted lemongrass oil to relieve any pain or pressure.

5.Strengthen Hair

Massaging your scalp with lemongrass oil can also strengthen your hair follicles, combating hair loss and itchy scalp. It will also make your hair shiny and fresh, while making it odor-free with its fresh citrus aroma.

6.Sleep Aid and Relaxation

Lemongrass oil can relieve stress, anxiety, and insomnia, thanks to its fresh and calming smell. It can either be used as an aromatherapy or as massaging oil. Alternatively, you can add lemongrass essential oil to your body lotion.7.Reduce Inflammation and Combat Cholesterol

7.Reduce Inflammation and Combat Cholesterol

Lemongrass oil contains limonene, a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. As the result, lemongrass oil can treat diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis, and many other inflammatory-related diseases. Lemongrass oil has also been proven to be effective in lowering cholesterol level, sustaining a healthy level of triglycerides and reducing LDL (bad cholesterol).

8.Insect Repellent

Lemongrass oil is a natural bug repellent and can repel bugs such as ants, mosquitoes, and fleas. If you have dogs, it will also be effective -and safe- to use on your favorite pet. Use a sprayer to mix about 5 drops of lemongrass oil with water, and you can use it as an insect repellent spray.

9.Stimulate Menstrual Flow

Mixing lemongrass oil with your tea, or making your own lemongrass tea can help with menstrual cramps, nausea, and the mental aspect of menstrual cycles. It will also stimulate your menstrual flow for a healthier menstrual cycle. With that being said, avoid using lemongrass oil during pregnancy.

10.Anti-Bacteria

Lemongrass oil contains both citral and limonene contents, which is powerful agents to kill bacteria and fungi. As the result, lemongrass oil can help you avoid getting fungal-related infections, as well as common cold and flu.

Where to Buy Pure Lemongrass Essential Oil

Most likely, your nearest pharmacist will have an over-the-counter option available. However, you can easily get it online nowadays. There are many brands available in the market, and you do have to be careful in choosing the safe ones. Here are our recommendations:

1.doTERRA Lemongrass Essential Oil (15 ml)

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2.Invivo Essential Premium Lemongrass Oil (4 oz)

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3.Healing Solutions Lemongrass Essential Oil (10 ml)

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The Myths and Truths of Weight Loss

Ever wonder why your weight loss plan always fail? We all know that losing weight is hard, and maintaining it is even harder.

Yet, the fact that many people failed to understand the principles behind weight loss, and worse, got stuck in harmful myths, often worsen the chance of success. Understanding the hard facts about why weight loss is so difficult can help you stop beating around the bush, which in turn, can help you do a better diet and workout regime.

With that being said, here we will discuss some of the common myths about diet and weight loss, and how to turn your newfound knowledge into success.

1.Genetics dictate your ability to lose weight

Truth or Myth: Myth

 

The right statement is: genetics will affect your ability to gain weight.

The dreaded FTO gene will dramatically boost your ability to gain weight, it’s a well-known and proven fact. However, studies have shown that it won’t affect your ability to lose weight. What does it mean then? People with FTO gene will have a harder time to maintain weight. They can either control their calorie intake their whole time or opt for a more rapid weight loss plan.

While genetics can definitely be a disadvantage for your dream of a great body and health, it’s also definitely not a judged verdict. You can still overcome obesity.

2. Weight lifting will help weight loss

Truth or myth: Truth

 

It is especially true when you have passed your 40s. After you passed your 30s, you lose 3 to 8 percent of your total muscle mass every decade.

Muscle mass will burn calories even while you are sleeping. Thus, losing significant muscle mass will also hinder your ability to lose weight.

With that being said, for older people, strength training is actually a better way to lose weight compared to cardio activities. Besides maintaining (or enhancing) your muscle mass, it will also promote testosterone production in males, and growth hormones in women. Both of those hormones are scientifically proven to help burn fat while also giving you a more youthful appearance.

 

3. Only organic fruit and veggies will help you lose weight (read: no pesticide please)

Truth or myth: Myth

 

It shouldn’t be an excuse to avoid fruit and vegetables. It’s true that pesticides can significantly affect weight gain, and so does chemical BPA in plastics. However, studies have shown that doubling your fruit and vegetable intake weighed tree pounds less compared to those who didn’t.

To eliminate pesticide residues from your fruits and vegetable, you can use produce-specific washing products that contain ethanol, glycerol, or sodium lauryl sulfate, as they have been proven effective to remove more than 50% of the pesticide residue.

If you are able to consistently consume organic products, good for you! If not, it shouldn’t be an excuse to avoid fruits and vegetables. It is a lot more beneficial and long-lasting than you thought it would be.

 

4. Supplements can help you lose weight

Truth or myth: Myth

 

The supplement market, both for fitness and weight loss, is a massive multi-billion dollar industry. Unfortunately, while there is no clear evidence that they can help promote weight loss directly. If any, some can help you lose weight in short-term, but they are not long-lasting and can be dangerous for your heart.

However, muscle-promoting supplements have been scientifically (and visually) proven to help muscle gain, which in turn will help you lose weight, as discussed above. Aim for a healthy, FDA-approved muscle supplement instead of ‘magic’ pills that claim to help you lose weight.

 

5. You can eat more as long as you move more

Truth or myth: Myth

 

Ah, the most common misconception about losing weight. Can you actually lose weight if you eat a lot, as long as you eat more? After all, as long as the calorie burnt exceed your calorie intake, we will lose weight, right?

Sadly, the math is not that simple. To shed just a pound of fat, you will need to burn, give or take,  3,500 calories more than your intake. It is incredibly hard, if not impossible.

You have to keep both a healthy diet and a healthy workout regime to succeed with your weight loss plan. If any, a healthy diet without workout will benefit you more.