6 Ways To Detox Your Body.
A Detox or Cleansing, once or twice a year can help rejuvenate your body, whether its for weight loss, to help remove buildup of toxins, or just for general wellbeing.
The body has a huge potential to heal and repair, and the right detoxification programme, done correctly, can be extremely beneficial.
We are exposed to toxins everywhere – from the air we breath, to the foods we eat, even as a result of our metabolism.
It is estimated that the average person is exposed to an average of 100 synthetic chemicals daily! Think about shampoo, facial wash, deodorant, phthalates found in plastics…and many more.
When embarking on a new detox programme, its important to ensure your body is ready for it and that it’s gentle and nurturing to your body. If it’s the wrong programme, it can leave you feeling worse than before. Ensuring regular bowel movements, which means a minimum of one, well formed bowel movement per day. If this is not the case, you will need to work on cleaning up your diet.
- Reduce or eliminating caffeine, sugar, gluten and alcohol. These all irritate the gut flora. Add a fibre supplement to your food, such as chia seeds, flaxseeds or hempseeds. Magnesium citrate helps relax the bowel muscles to help peristalsis. Vitamin C can help soften stool, and the amount varies and depends on the individual needs.
- Support the Liver and the detoxification pathways, which is a two phase system, known as Phase 1 and Phase 2. Common medications can inhibit the liver’s ability to adequately process and remove toxins. Herbal teas, such as dandelion can help flush toxins through the liver. Polyphenols in foods such as green tea, turmeric, ginger and spices have been shown to reduce cancer and other illnesses. Glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables also help to detoxify and lower the risk of cancer. Sulphur containing foods such as onions, garlic, leeks and eggs also help support the liver.
- Hydrate – Drinking 1.5 to 2 litres of pure/filtered water throughout the day. Can also include herbal teas in this, but drinks containing caffeine or sugar, do not count.
- Exercise – The best stress-management tool. Exercise benefits by increasing energy, self esteem, improving sleep and also in reducing fat storage, where toxins can accumulate.
- Breath – Remember to breathe. Oxygen kills bacteria, viruses, and helps us to feel more energised. Deep belly breaths throughout the day can reduce stress.
- Low temperature saunas or steam baths are useful to eliminate chemicals, such as pesticides, solvents and prescription drugs. Amazing for detoxification.
Detox programmes can vary in time. If you are new to it, try starting very gently with a 24 hour detox, and gently bring that up to 3 days. Some detox programmes run for as long as 30 days, and can have a great benefit to health and how you feel. Detox programmes can be run for many reasons, weight loss, energy levels, sleep and digestive health.
Sounds great, right?!
