How to Detox Your Body for a Healthier You

Undoubtedly, the Christmas and New Year holiday period can be one of the most indulgent times of the year. While celebrating with friends and family we often focus on enjoyment and throw caution to the wind. That means, forgetting about what’s good for our bodies and consuming way too much unhealthy food and alcohol. Don’t worry, we’re all guilty of this bad habit, but now that 2017 is here, it’s time to get things back on track. A post-holiday detox can be a great way to cleanse your body and make a fresh and healthy start to the new year. Making sure it’s a natural detox that’ll increase your wellbeing and not one that’ll deprive you of sustenance is, of course, essential. So, if you’re going to detox, here’s how to do it right.

What is Detox?

Detoxing is the process of cleansing the body to promote better health, particularly through the use of lifestyle changes. Although there are a lot of different methods and ways to go about this, the aim is always to flush bad toxins from the body in order to help your natural systems operate with the most efficiency. The term toxin can refer to any substance that can be poisonous or cause negative health effects to the body. Designed to purify the body, the best detoxes are natural and help to enhance the body’s natural processes of eliminating toxins and waste. Typically, detoxes involve abstaining from certain harmful things and introducing healthier options that optimize body processes.

Why Detox?

Detoxing can be a fantastic way to eliminate toxins from the body and provide it with the elements it needs to get back on track. Whether you’re feeling lethargic, bloated, sick, or just not quite right, a detox can improve your body’s function and cure ailments. In turn, this will provide you with more energy and a better well-being for a higher quality of life. The best part is, detoxing needn’t be difficult. To see great results there’s no need to go to extremes. Most natural detoxing techniques can simply be integrated into your regular life. Once you start to make these changes, you’ll find that your physical, mental, and emotional health will all improve and that you will generally feel better.

How to Detox Your Body

• Use daily cleansing techniques, such as drinking enough water and eating organic food, as well as more intense and less regular detoxing techniques, such as juicing.
• Get more exercise to sweat out toxins and reduce stress.
• Replace a meal each day with a nutritious detoxifying smoothie to get rid of substances your body doesn’t need and kick your digestive system into overdrive.
• Undertake regular skin brushing to enhance toxin elimination, improve circulation, and stimulate the lymphatic system.
• Allow your digestive track and organs to rest and recuperate by avoiding solid foods (fasting) for one day a month (choose a weekend as you will need to rest throughout the process).
• Truly detox your body by quitting smoking and limiting your consumption of alcohol and caffeine.
• Get regular massages to target pressure points and release any build-up of harmful toxins.
• Start your day off with a glass of warm lemon water to promote digestion and aid the body in expelling waste.
• Cut down sugar and simple carbohydrates from your diet.

Types of Detox Programs

Detoxing can take many different forms and can easily be tailored to meet your needs. Long-term detox programs tend to be great for everyone and involve making overall lifestyle changes and introducing new regular practices for a healthier way of life. Short-term detoxes, on the other hand, focus on clearing the body of toxins quickly and can be more extreme. In moderate use, they can be ideal for those who are suffering ailments that could be due to toxins.

Short Term Detox Programs

Short-term detox programs are designed to quickly eliminate toxins from the body and restore health. One of the most common types is a 24-hour juice cleanse, which involves replacing all food with nutritious juices for a day. Likewise, apple detox diets involve eating nothing but apples for three days to decrease caloric intake and cleanse the colon. Other types of short-term detox programs include colonics, skin cleansing, intravenous injections, and chelation therapy (a toxicology treatment for removing heavy metals from the system).

Long Term Detox Programs

Long-term detox programs are designed for continued use and involve making lifestyle changes as well as introducing new beneficial practices. Ideal for improving overall health and wellbeing, these programs often focus on exercising more and eating better. Exercise aids the detoxification process through the excretion of sweat while eating more vegetables and fruits and avoiding simple carbohydrates and sweeteners improves digestion and the excretion of waste. Likewise, drinking plenty of fluids, such as water, natural juices, and herbal teas, flushes toxins from the body. Other long-term detox methods include homeopathy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, massage, herbal soaks, meditation, Epsom salt baths, and taking vitamins and supplements.

Foods to Detoxify Your Body

Changing your diet can be one of the most effective ways to detox your body. While there are, of course, foods you should avoid, such as sugar and fast food, there are plenty that you should consume more of. These detoxifying foods will help to naturally rid your body of toxins and promote good health.

Lemon

Lemon is great for increasing the body’s production of digestive juices. This is beneficial to your colon and means that more toxins can be flushed through. On top of that, lemon can also help to cleanse the liver and gall bladder, clear toxins from pores, and aid upper respiratory issues.

Turmeric

Turmeric may seem like just another spice, but it’s actually a superpower when it comes to detoxing. It helps to cleanse the liver, which is particularly useful post the holiday season. For the best results, turmeric can be made into a tea, otherwise, it makes a lovely addition to curries.

Dandelion

Although not too many people eat dandelion greens anymore, they are great for detoxifying your body. Ideal for boosting liver function, dandelion boosts health and makes an ideal replacement for rocket. Alternatively, if you cannot find dandelion greens, try a dandelion tea for a delicious detoxing treat.

Oats

Oats are full of fibre and serve as a diuretic, meaning that they aid in flushing out toxins through both your kidneys and colon. Try blending them into a healthy smoothie or consuming some cholesterol-reducing oatmeal.

Lentils

Lentils are a great option for anyone looking to detox their body. Not only are the high in vegetable protein, but they also keep you feeling full without the fat, calories, and toxins that are often found in meat.

Taylah McKee

Writer

Taylah Brewer holds a bachelor's degree in fashion and business and is a skilled writer with several years of experience in the world of online content creation and copywriting. She is passionate about fashion, beauty, and all things lifestyle-related and has been writing for The Trend Spotter since 2016. She currently works as the Head of Digital & Ecommerce at White & Co.