How to Detox Your Body

If you find yourself feeling less than energetic, a bit out of sorts, and generally dealing with sluggishness, aches, and digestive troubles, you may need a detox. While many people are quick to discount the concept of detoxification, it’s actually a centuries old practice in many cultures around the world.

What exactly is detoxification? While there are a number of different methods, it all boils down to cleansing toxins from the body, providing clean nourishment, and getting adequate rest. Detoxing your body will not only leave you feeling energetic and refreshed; it can also boost your immune system and protect you from illness, so that you stay as healthy as possible.

Detoxification works by purifying the blood. Most toxins are processed in the liver for elimination from the body, although other organs play important roles as well, including the lungs, lymphatic system, skin, kidneys, and intestines. When these systems are overloaded, they can’t properly filter impurities from the body, negatively impacting your functioning and quality of life.

Start with the basics by cutting out alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, saturated fats, and refined sugars. All of these create a toxic strain on your body, compromising your immune system and ability to heal. You should also limit your use of toxic chemicals in cleaning and personal care products. Opt for products with natural ingredients instead.

Managing stress is another important aspect of any detox plan. Stress causes the release of adrenaline and other “fight or flight” hormones in the body. While everyone appreciates a good adrenaline rush now and then, a constant overload of stress hormones will take a toll on your body. Techniques like meditation, yoga, and other forms of physical or mental exercise are great stress relievers.

Once you’ve made these broad changes to reduce your toxic load, you may be ready to delve into a more thorough detox program. This type of detox can be intense, and shouldn’t be undertaken constantly. An intensive detox at least once every year is generally a good idea. But, those with health conditions, children, and pregnant or nursing mothers should exercise caution with any detox program and should ensure they are receiving adequate nutrition based on their circumstances. In these cases, it’s a good idea to consult with a doctor before you begin.

The most common detox routines involve a week long program. One approach is to start by fasting on clear liquids for two days, and then gradually increase food consumption over the following five days. Generally, fruit is first reintroduced into the diet, followed by vegetables, then grains, then legumes, and finally animal proteins. Another option is a 3 to 7 day juice fast. Fresh juices made at home are the best option, and they can be made from seasonal fruits and vegetables and consumed in generous quantities, as can fresh, filtered water.

Other ways that you can detox your body is with a raw food diet which include eating foods that contain plentiful fiber and sticking to as much as possible with organically grown foods. You can also drink green tea and take herbs like burdock, milk thistle, and dandelion root to aid in cleansing the liver. Plentiful water and a multivitamin supplement that is rich in vitamin C will also help flush toxins from the body.

There are many techniques for releasing toxins through the lungs and skin. Exercise helps release toxins through the sweat glands and through exhalation, and it also provides much needed stress release. Hydrotherapy, saunas, detoxifying foot baths, and dry brushing the skin are also effective detox methods.

In the long run, taking care of yourself day to day will help ensure that you avoid overtaxing your body with toxins in the first place. But, just as your home needs a thorough cleaning every now and then, even the healthiest among us benefit from a thorough detox program at appropriate intervals.

Detoxification Explained

What exactly is detoxification? Detoxification and detox diets come in many forms and refer to all the different programs that rid the body of toxins. We need to detox our bodies because our environment which includes the air we breath, the water we drink, and the food we eat are toxic. Therefore, everyone needs to participate in some type of detoxification to maintain a healthy life. Although basic detoxification begins with diet, detox programs may include nutritional fortification for the liver, lungs, kidneys, bowels and blood.

Detoxification diets for the body may refer to the cleansing of the bowels, kidneys, lungs, the liver or the blood, since these are the organs involved in detoxification of chemicals and toxins from the body. The liver acts as a filter for the removal of toxic substances and wastes from the blood. The kidneys filter wastes from the blood into the bladder, and the lungs remove harmful gases we breathe.

Our body is designed to process natural substances easily, but any foreign substance will serve as a danger to our immune system, which is vitally important to maintain properly or our system breaks down and we get sick. Basically, just maintaining these organs is essential for one’s good health to continue.

While there are many detoxification programs available, they differ in their actions and their intent. Some detoxification diets work only with the bowels, others may cleanse the liver or the blood, and others may aid the kidneys or the skin in their functions. By combining these detox programs into a total health program, one can effectively restore their health to an optimal level and look younger in the process. When the body can eliminate toxins, then health is restored and energy and vigor are revitalized. Many different approaches to detoxification and wellness will work, even though they attack the problem at different levels. Any program that supplements detoxification will improve health. Other factors must be considered in detoxification, like nutrition, water, and exercise, rest, sunshine, and fresh air.