Rejuvenate yourself with a body detox
When do you know if your body needs a detox? Loads of partying, eating different cuisines of food, and drinking alcohol could leave you feeling bloated and sluggish. Poor eating and drinking habits give you a broken metabolism and leave you feeling sick or groggy. Not having a proper metabolism causes weight gain, increases cholesterol, more food cravings, and also causes trouble sleeping.
If these conditions sound familiar to you, you need to give your body a cleanse. The best way to reboot your system and completely rejuvenate yourself is to detox your body. Detoxifying has been in practice for centuries in different cultures of the world. It merely means removing and eliminating toxins from your body through resting, cleansing, and proper nourishment. Get rid of those toxins that hold you back from being the best version of yourself by following simple yet effective ways for the body detox.
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Drink plenty of water
- Vegetable Juices
- Eliminate white flour from your pantry
- Eat legumes for a strong mantel
- Load yourself with the richness of fruits
- Flush out toxins by drinking tea
- Eat nuts or seeds every day
- Include natural fats and oils in your cooking
What are toxins?
Toxins are harmful substances in your body that are the results of metabolic activities that can affect your health.
Internal toxins are produced on a daily basis by our body’s natural functions. Our body continually uses energy to replace worn-out cells and build tissues. This process produces waste or internal toxins that need to get eliminated. While our body has natural ways to break down toxins, there are also built-up toxins. If we don’t detoxify these toxins, it has harmful effects on our bodies like damage to surrounding tissues, organs, and cells and it also clogs your system.
External toxins get introduced to the body through foreign substances like food or the general environment. These toxins can be ingested or absorbed through the air, water, physical contact, or food. Some toxins that you absorb on a daily basis could be from environmental pollutants, drinking from cheap plastic bottles, consuming canned food, cleaning products that emit dangerous fumes, and even pet products.
How does a body detox work?
Detoxification(1) is highly essential when you have built up toxins in your body. It removes poisonous or harmful substances by cleansing your system. The body’s toxins get stored in the liver which is where they are processed and eliminated. A detox will remove these impurities from the liver. Apart from the liver, a detox also cleanses the kidneys, intestines, lymph nodes, lungs, and skin. A good detoxification process efficiently gets rid of the harmful toxins that get accumulated in your body over time. Listed are some common signs of toxins in your body indicate a need for body detox:
- You feel exhausted all day even if you get enough sleep. Toxin build-up can cause stress and fatigue. Toxins affect the adrenal glands which make you tired.
- You gain weight and have trouble losing it. Toxins accumulate in the fatty areas of the body, and it could be challenging to lose weight due to toxins.
- You have headaches that you can’t seem to get rid of it. Substances found in food items like MSG, food preservatives, and artificial sweeteners have toxic properties that trigger headaches.
- Aches and pains all over your body can indicate a toxic overload. Toxins can stimulate the pain receptors in your body causing your muscles and joints to ache.
10 Best Ways for Your Body Detox
1. Sleep
The best way to rejuvenate your body is to get a good night’s sleep without any interruptions. Sleeping reduces your cortisol levels and stress, which significantly improves your health. Sleep is the best way to heal. So, clear your schedule and commit to your bed for a straight 10-hour sleep to wake up feeling fresh.
2. Sweat out toxins with exercise
Getting rid of your toxins through exercise will leave you feeling energized and fresh. A morning walk, yoga, or going cross-country biking could do wonders for your system. Wash off your toxins with a hot shower afterward and feel completely fresh. Follow a routine and notice the changes in your lifestyle right from day one.
3. Drink plenty of water
Drink a tall glass of water as soon as you wake up. Water is extremely essential for refreshing your body and energizing your cells. Hydrating throughout the day keeps your body working at top performance and keeps you healthy.
4. Experience the magical vegetable juices
Vegetable juices are excellent ways to give your body the essential nutrients it needs. Make juices with loads of veggies like kale, beetroot, cilantro, apples, carrot, and more. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are best for your body detox and keep feeling healthy.
[Read: Carrot Juice Benefits]
5. Eliminate white flour from your pantry
White flour and white bread may not be too good for your body. It overworks your digestive system and makes it harder for you to have regular bowel movements. Whole-grain foods are always a great substitute. They are much healthier and delicious as well. Other good alternatives are brown rice flour, kamut flour, quinoa flour, cornmeal, spelt flour, and buckwheat flour.
6. Eat legumes for a strong mantel
Legumes are excellent sources of protein and soluble and insoluble fiber. They also contain amino acid which is excellent for your body. Include beans, lentils, and other legumes in your diet(2) to cleanse your body of toxins and keep it healthy.
7. Load yourself with the richness of fruits
Fruits are rich in antioxidants and contain a wide variety of phytonutrients such as lutein, anthocyanins, and beta-carotene. Eat fruits every day to give your body the proper nutrients to get rid of toxins. Fruits like apples, bananas, citrus fruits, and more will do wonders for your health.
8. Flush out toxins by drinking tea
Herbal teas like lemon, dandelion root, nettle leaf, and ginger help flush out toxins and detox your body. Drink a fresh cup every morning and another one later in the evening to keep you energized throughout the day.
9. Eat nuts or seeds every day
Nuts like almond and walnuts are excellent for your health. They are rich sources of fiber and nutrients that help boost your immune system. Sunflower seeds and flax seeds are also a healthy snack rich in healthy fiber. Get rid of your toxins by eating healthy regularly.
[Read: Reasons To Eat 4 Almonds]
10. Include natural fats and oils in your cooking
A healthy cooking oil substitute would be natural fats and oils like organic coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil. These oils are excellent for detox since their natural properties aid the biotransformation process and provide your body with energy.
DIY Cleansing Drinks for Body Detox
1. Green drink for detox
For this drink you will need the following ingredients:
- Kale leaves – 3
- Carrots – 3
- Celery stalks – 2
- Beetroots – 2
- Turnip – 1
- Spinach – ½ a bunch
- Parsley – ½ a bunch
- Onion – ½
- Garlic cloves – 2
This detox made of leafy vegetables is a great way to cleanse your body. Blend these ingredients into a puree and consume throughout the day.
2. Fruit drink for detox
For this drink you will need the following ingredients:
What will you need?
- Orange juice – 8 oz
- Purified water – 4 oz
- Strawberries – ½ cup
- Banana – ½ cup
- Yogurt – ½ cup
- Ginger slice – ½ inch
- Garlic clove – 1 small
- Flax oil – 1 tbsp
- Lecithin granules – 1 tbsp
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice for taste – 1 tbsp
- Protein powder – 1 tbsp
Process
- Blend these fiber packed ingredients to form a puree
- Drink this throughout your day for a complete body cleanse
3. Detox water which will help you lose weight
Grapes help in controlling your blood sugar level and regulate insulin. Pepper is an excellent source for vitamin E and helps in improving digestion. This drink will not only help you lose weight but will also make you very healthy.
What will you need?
- Cucumber – 1
- Lime – ½
- Green grapes – 1 handful
- Mint leaves – as required
- Black pepper – as needed
How to make it?
- Slice the cucumber and blend them along with the grapes in a food processor
- Chop some mint leaves and add it to the mixture
- Then, add the lime and stir it
- Pour it in a container, add pepper and ice cubes and drink it throughout the day
4. Detox with honey
Honey helps in your metabolism process and promotes better digestion. It metabolizes fatty acids and cholesterol. Ginger contains antioxidants that soothe the gastrointestinal tract.
What will you need?
- Honey – 1 tbs
- Lemon – ½
- Ginger root – ½ inch
- Warm water – 1 glass
How to make it?
- Heat a glass of water but do not boil it
- Crush the ginger root with a mortar and pestle
- Add the honey, lemon juice, and crushed ginger to the glass of warm water and drink it while it’s warm
5. Buttermilk detox
Buttermilk has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It aids in weight loss, helps in digestion, and prevents skin diseases. Also, carrots contain beta-carotene which is a rich source of antioxidants. They help in improving your vision, weight loss, cardiovascular health and is also known to fight cancer.
What will you need?
- Buttermilk
- Thinly sliced carrots
- Mint leaves
- A pinch of salt
- Roasted cumin seed powder – ½ tsp
- Coriander leaves
How to make it?
- Pour the buttermilk into a container or a jar
- Chop a few coriander leaves and mint leaves
- Slice half a carrot into thin pieces
- Add the herbs and carrot slices to the buttermilk
- Add a pinch of salt and roasted cumin seed powder
- Stir well and drink
Takeaway
Your body gathers a lot of toxins daily. Not maintaining a healthy lifestyle leads to a build-up of these harmful toxins and causes weight gain, stress, digestion problems, and more. To remain healthy, cleanse and detox your body of toxins regularly. Apart from having healthy diet and exercise, make sure you smile, laugh, do things that make you happy and remove toxicity from your life. Live life with a positive outlook, and you will notice a tremendous change in your physical and mental health.
