Detoxification is a process by which the body gets rid of unwanted toxins which build up because of environmental pollutants or excessive consumption of junk, refined and processed foods.
Your liver is the main organ involved in clearing out toxins at regular intervals, but really your whole body from your skin to your digestive system is involved in the process. Before I talk about ways to help your body to detox, let’s understand what it means to detox.
What Are Detox Diets?
Detox diets are generally a short-term measure designed to eliminate toxins from your body. Typically a detox diet can involve fasting, a juice ‘cleanse’, restricted diet, water and other steps like herbal teas. Advocates of detox diets claim they are a great way to flush unwanted toxins from the body.
Why Should You Detox?
If you live well, indulge only in moderation and never in excess, your body should naturally eliminate toxins with its natural detoxification process. However, if like me you are prone to crappy diet, poor exercise and a generally unhealthy lifestyle, sometimes it’s good to give your body a hand!
I’ve been trying to take better care of myself, and while I don’t believe in drastic juice cleanses, or forcing yourself to chug disgusting drinks laced with strange combinations of additives, I do think there are some steps you can take to help your body to detox.
My Top Tips To Help Your Body Detox
1) Drink More Water
Water is not just essential for survival but is super important for the removal of unwanted toxins. You can read more about why water is so important in my post 8 Reasons You Should Be Drinking More Water, but in short, being well hydrated is crucial for your body’s natural detoxification process to work. So when looking at any detox process, start by simply increasing your water intake.
2) Eat Fresh And Clean
The excessive oil, salt, and sugar found in processed, refined & packaged foods, act as toxins that can build up in your body. Not just that, pesticide sprayed fruits and veggies can also be very harmful to your body.
Hence, if you are looking to help your body to detox, avoid highly processed refined foods and instead cook meals with whole fresh ingredients, especially those naturally high in antioxidants like green leafy vegetables. Also, try to limit your intake of refined oils, substitute with good oils, such as extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, hemp oil, and flaxseed oil.
Additionally try to limit your intake of refined sugars, white flour and salt and where possible, opt for organic foods.
3) Exercise
Exercising is a way of saying yes to a healthy body! When you exercise you encourage circulation in the blood and lymph systems and you sweat out toxins. Exercising not only helps you to stay fit and healthy, but it also helps you get rid of unwanted toxins.
Even when you’re not *officially* working out, small changes can help: take the stairs, do a five-minute power yoga session, do squats while you’re talking on the phone, park a couple of blocks away from your destination and then walk. Whatever steps you take to be more active, simply get up and move more!
4) Sleep
Sleep is your body’s natural healing mechanism. So getting a good night’s rest is one of the best ways to help your body to detox. Need some help getting a good night’s sleep? Check out my Top 5 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep!
5) Stretch
Human beings are now more sedentary than ever. For me, it’s so easy to get up, drive to work, sit at a desk for 9+ hours, drive home and then sit in front of the TV. This means I could easily be sitting (almost still) for most of my waking hours! An easy way to overcome this is to take a break once an hour, even if only for five minutes, to stretch and move around. Besides what’s more satisfying than a good stretch?
6) Use A Sauna Or Take A Hot Bath
“Hyperthermia”, or using heat to heal, is a great way to detox. You can sweat it out in a sauna or your own bathtub to use heat’s healing powers. So I recommend taking a hot bath with some added Epsom or mineral salts and calming essential oils, like lavender to release all your tension and stimulate the removal of toxins.
7) Spend Time in Nature
According to Ty Bollinger at The Truth About Cancer Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” is a Japanese term for being in nature in order to gain the physical benefits it can offer. He goes on to say that a 2010 review of 24 studies found that forest bathing kicks in nerve activity that can help heal and detoxify.
He also provides some great recommendations if you don’t live near a forest! Trying going to the beach, a park, an indoor greenhouse, or even a hotel courtyard. It really is true that nature can be found almost anywhere!
8) Body Brushing
Brushing your skin for detoxing? You bet! And right before a bath or shower is the best time to do it. Using a soft-bristle brush, gently start at your feet and arms and work your way towards your heart. Dry brushing helps assist the body in its cleansing process by increasing blood circulation and stimulating the lymphatic system. Dry brushing also exfoliates the skin’s outer layer and stimulates the sweat and oil glands, providing more moisture for the skin.
9) Drink Green Tea
Grreen tea is the oldest herbal tea known on earth, dating back more than 4000 years since its discovery in China. It was originally used in Chinese and Indian medicine to heal and soothe just about any ailment. In recent years, however, it has since gained global popularity for its many beneficial properties. Green tea is a powerful source of antioxidants, caffeine, and nutrients, so is an excellent tool to help your body detox!
10) Focus On The Positive
Most of these tips focus on chemical and environmental toxins but I want to conclude by focusing on mental toxins. Some of the most detrimental toxins are those which affect our mental health like stress, anxiety, self-doubt, and negativity. So my last tip to help your body detox is to focus on the positive. Breath deeply, walk, smile, laugh, be happy and remove toxic people out of your life!
So those are my top tips to help your body detox and I challenge you to start trying to help your body to detox naturally today! Let me know your thoughts or progress in the comments below!
