We are all exposed to a lot of toxins on a regular basis and your body can find it difficult to deal with them. This can affect various aspects of your health and wellbeing. Toxins can build up in your body and be stored in your tissues and cells. Scary stuff, right? Detoxing your body is a great way to reduce your toxic burden and help your body to function at its best.
So how toxic are you? There is no way to know for sure. Being “toxic” is a word used to describe the fact that the many toxic substances that you are exposed to, enter your body and do not necessarily leave. Toxins can be from the environment, your food or created in your body as part of your normal body function. Even stress and negative attitudes can produce more chemicals that need to be detoxed out. If toxins are in the body, they must leave the body and there are a few systems in the body that must do the detoxification. The key player is the liver which can rid the body of all toxins.
Here are some suggestions for how you can detox your body:
1) Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water helps to flush out toxins and keeps the body hydrated, which is essential for proper bodily functions. Some of the things you may notice if you’re not properly hydrated include headaches, fatigue and not being able to concentrate very well.
We’re often told that we should be drinking 6-8 glasses of water every day but how much one really needs can vary from person to person.
How much water are you drinking during the day? Don’t rely solely on how thirsty you are to tell you if you need to drink. Look at the colour of your urine and use that as a rough guide about your hydration levels. If you notice it’s dark, take that as a sign to drink a bit more water. If it’s pale yellow, be assured that you’re doing a great job with hydration!
Starting your day with a glass of warm water and lemon is an easy way to help your body to detox. Sipping water through the rest of the day will support your body’s detox efforts.
2) Load up on veggies and fibre
All fibre aids in the elimination of waste materials, so it contributes towards detoxing hormones and other toxins out of the body.
Vegetables are a great choice for detoxing, especially broccoli, kale, spinach and Jerusalem Artichokes. If you struggle to get plenty in your diet, try making a veggie smoothie. Adding apple, carrot or ginger helps to make it taste delicious – perfect even if you’re not a big fan of greens!
Fibre-rich vegetables also aid your digestion and support regular bowel movements to remove waste products from your body. This is important as toxins can build up in your digestive tract if you’re not eliminating regularly. This can make you feel tired, constipated and even have bad breath. Getting plenty of fibre means that everything moves through your system more quickly. Aside from veggies and fruits, good fibre sources include beans, legumes, nuts and whole grains.
3) Cut back on sugar
We all know how important it is for us to decrease our sugar intake. Decreasing your sugar intake can improve your immune system, your digestion, your hormones and even your brain health among many other benefits.
Sugar is essentially a toxin and as most of us eat far too much of it, it’s having a big effect on our health and wellbeing. Making the decision to detox from sugar is a definite must when you’re looking to detox. It’s not easy but you’ll likely feel a whole lot better!
Some foods where sugar is lurking are: white bread, pasta, sweets, cakes, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, baked goods and cereals.
Eating plenty of protein at breakfast is a key part of a sugar detox. Adding non-starchy veggies and healthy fats will help you to feel full till lunchtime.
4) Reduce stress
When you’re stressed, your body isn’t working as efficiently as it could and that’s not great news for detoxification. Being able to manage stress more effectively helps your body to get rid of toxins more easily.
Meditation, mindfulness and journaling are just a few of the practices that can help to keep emotional toxins to a minimum.
5) Exercise regularly
Exercise helps to boost your circulation and support your lymphatic system. Working up a sweat helps to release toxins and is also helpful for better digestion.
6) Get plenty of sleep
A good night’s sleep is important for helping your body to reset itself and that extends to detoxing too. Ideally, you should be sleeping seven to nine hours per night. You’re also more likely to make poor food choices when you’re sleep deprived and that can mean more toxins entering your body.
A variety of meditation techniques can help you to relax and control the “runaway” thoughts that can interfere with sleep. This can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and increase your sleep quality.
Trying to include just one of these suggestions into your daily routine will go a long way in helping you to start to detox your body.
What new action are you going to add to your routine this week?
Resources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation
https://www.powerofpositivity.com/when-you-dont-poop-every-day/
Medical Disclaimer: All information contained in this blog is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent health problems. For all serious health issues, please contact a medical or nutrition practitioner. The information provided in this blog is based on the best knowledge of the author at the time of writing and we do not assume liability for the information within this blog, be it direct or indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages.