Detoxing tips from celebrity trainer Shawn Rene Zimmerman

Celebrity trainer Shawn Rene Zimmerman offers detoxing tips. Courtesy of PMG Sports

My life is pretty cool, I've got to say. I've been blessed with amazing opportunities but with a million responsibilities comes lack of sleep, getting off my workout routine and for me, a mountain of stress and weight gain. I'm sure a lot of folks can relate. When life gets unmanageable, sometimes the most important things — like our health — are what we sacrifice.

Though it's been tough, I'm lucky enough to work at a sports marketing agency here in the Triangle and be surrounded by fellow colleagues who are fitness fanatics like myself, as well as clients that are incredibly motivated, passionate and talented Olympic athletes and celebrity trainers. They help keep my daily work routine anything but a boring desk job; from lunchtime gym sessions to bonding over Whole Foods grocery lists. Recently we decided to start a detoxing cleanse together.
A detox not only strips away unwanted pounds, but more importantly, it helps to rid the body of bloat and toxins that often cause fatigue, sour-looking skin and low energy levels. If you need an all-around mental and physical boost, a short cleanse is the way to go.
Before we started our cleanse, I enlisted the help of celebrity trainer Shawn Rene Zimmerman. As a magazine cover model, one of the "Top 100 Fitness Models in the World" (from Inside Fitness Magazine), exercise physiologist, sports medicine specialist and fitness world champ, I figured she'd know a thing or two about healthy cleansing.
After doing her plan for two days — and mixing in Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl Daily Cleanse and Restore Green Lemonade drinks — we both lost two pounds! Even though for us the cleansing was not about losing weight, it’s still motivating and the jump-start many people need to continue their healthy journey. Enjoy Shawn Rene's cleanse options below.
XoXo, Carrie
Shawn Rene Zimmerman's Three Day Cleanse Options*
1. Tropical Water

• Fill pitchers with water and several lemons, oranges, and cucumbers (cucumbers are high in electrolytes and B vitamins to sustain energy. B vitamins also help prevent dieters from becoming anemic when cutting red meat out of their diet)

2. The Red Baron

• 1 organic whole beet (good for liver cleansing), 2 organic whole carrots, celery and 1 apple (add more apples to make sweeter).

3. The Shawn Rene Tropical

• 1 cup of raw spinach, 1 cup of raw kale, 1 fresh orange, ½ fresh grapefruit, 1 whole fresh lemon, 1 whole Cucumber, 2 apples, 1 raw beet, 1 cup of fresh blackberries, 1 cup of fresh blueberries, 1 cup of fresh grapes, 1 Ginger (this makes more then 1 serving)

*Choose one and only stick to cleansing for three days.
Why detox?

• Nutrients are more rapidly absorbed: The juice requires hardly any digestion, so the nutrients get absorbed into the system quickly.

• More fruits and vegetables: When detoxing, more fruits and vegetables are consumed than one could actually eat. As a result, you are drinking a densely packed amount of vitamins, minerals and other plant-based nutrients.

• Liver detoxification: One of the main functions of the liver is to clean the blood, and remove toxins and metabolic waste. Certain nutrients are needed to provide the juicing benefits of liver cleansing: Antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, N-acetyl cysteine, B-vitamins riboflavin and niacin.

• Alkalizing: Making body PH level less acidic is important. Vegetables are alkalizing; fruits are not as they are mostly acidic in nature. Benefits of alkalizing:

• Improved brain function.

• Improved heart function.

• Slowing down the aging process.

• Improved joint function – helping with arthritis.

• Less disease-prone body environment. Acidic environments breed diseases.

• Better digestion.

• Improving heart health: Antioxidant vitamins C and E prevent the damaging effect of free radicals on artery walls by preventing blood from sticking, clotting, and becoming toxic. They also help to lower triglycerides levels. Great levels of vitamin C can be found in most vegetables and fruits.

• Weight Loss and inches lost

• Improvement in skin, hair, nails and eyes

• Increased energy levels: Detoxing means incorporating foods with more vitamins and minerals, which are responsible for the necessary chemical reactions promoting health and vitality.

• Immune System Boosting: Detoxing provides antioxidants, found in fruits and vegetables, which are essential to a healthy immune system (and they have extreme anti-cancer properties as well).