The average person’s routine today is, by no exaggeration, toxic. Not getting enough sleep, questionable diets lacking in nutrients, not staying hydrated, not exercising, or too much intake of sugar, salt, alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful substances are some of the primary causes of this public health crisis.
If the COVID-19 pandemic has made us aware of anything, it’s that staying in good health is the best offense and defense in life. To that end, here are 7 super effective tips and tricks on how to naturally detoxify your body so you can feel energetic again.
What Is a Body Detox?
A body detox involves following some kind of self-care routine, diet, or using products to rid your body of all toxins. The goal of a body detox is to improve overall health, fitness, and wellbeing. While the term “detox” may sound like a buzzword, being able to detoxify your body is actually an imperative life skill that everyone must know.
You should know, your body is well-equipped to remove toxins without any effort on your part. That’s how our bodies can process everything we consume including coffee, alcohol, tobacco and still be alive. If it weren’t for the natural processes of the human body, most people would be dead from smoking so much as a pack of cigarettes.
However, if you tend to experience lethargy or consume unhealthy products in excess, you will feel your body start to weaken eventually. This happens because your body cannot remove toxins at the same pace at which you put them.
This weakened health makes it even harder for your body to remove the toxins you put in, exacerbating the whole problem. To remedy this as early as possible, use the tips in this guide to create an actionable detox schedule for yourself.
Pros And Cons of Body Detox
Pros
#1. Improved energy levels, stamina, and endurance
#2. Weight loss / fat loss
#3. Relief from illness
#4. Relief from day-to-day health issues like migraines, constipation, muscle aches, cramps, and fatigue
#5. Learn what your food sensitivities are
Cons
#1. Going on a low-calorie diet can reduce your energy levels in the short term, making it hard to exercise
#2. You may experience some gastrointestinal distress
#3. Detox diets are low in protein, which makes them ineffective for bulking
7 Ways To Naturally Detoxify Your Body
#1. Reduce Your Intake Of Sugar And Processed Foods
For most adults, sugary and processed foods are considered to be the major root causes of poor health.
High sugar consumption has been linked to the development of several chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders.
Processed food, depending on the kind, can contain 100 or more potentially harmful toxins. This includes microwave dinners, fast food takeout, chips, and other dry snacks.
Manufacturers of sugary and processed food, generally speaking, barely focus on providing the right balance of nutrients your body needs.
#2. Avoid Packaged Fruit Juices
Most packaged fruit juices are undisputedly unhealthy. They contain added preservatives to increase their shelf life. Preservatives along with the high sugar content can damage your digestive tract. But that’s not all.
Packaged fruit juices also undergo several chemical processes to increase their shelf life, which leads to a lot of precious nutrients and fiber getting lost in this process. Some companies add chemical agents to make up for the loss of nutrition, but they’re not the same as the natural ones present in freshly squeezed juice and can adversely impact your health.
In terms of benefits for your health, packaged juice doesn’t hold a candle to freshly squeezed juice. If you drink a lot of packaged juice, remember to substitute it with fresh juice instead for your detox.
#3. Purify Your Body With Water
The body needs water for an array of functions like skin hydration, thermoregulation, digestion, nutrient absorption, circulation, and excretion of waste products.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, men need to drink at least 3.7 liters of water a day and women need to drink at least 2.7 liters of water a day to remain healthy. This includes the water you get from fruits, tea, and other foods or beverages.
Your body’s processes produce a lot of waste that, if allowed to build up, can be detrimental to our overall health. Water becomes the medium through which these impurities are expelled. That is why staying hydrated is an important part of the detoxification process.
#4. Get Adequate Sleep
Just like food and water, sleep is also necessary for survival. The body carries out a plethora of detoxification processes that only take place when you’re asleep.
The average adult needs to sleep at least 7.5 hours every night. Studies have shown that adults getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night for a long time are more susceptible to poor health, weight gain, and memory impairment.
How does sleep help? A person completes five 90-minute sleep cycles whenever they are asleep for 7.5 hours or more. During these cycles, your brain moves from deep non-REM sleep to REM sleep. The first few cycles are dominated by non-REM sleep that cleanses your brain, body, and heart. REM sleep is needed for processing and learning all the information you’ve acquired throughout the day.
#5. Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Antioxidants protect your cells against harmful molecules known as free radicals. These free radicals are produced by your body for ordinary cellular purposes. Activities such as smoking or drinking alcohol can cause your body to produce them in excess.
Here’s a list of foods that are rich in antioxidants and will help you detoxify much faster. Just remember to be mindful of the calories.
- Pecans
- Dark Chocolate
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Artichokes
- Tea
- Kale
- Red Cabbage
- Beans
- Beetroot
- Green Leafy Vegetables (Lettuce, Celery, Spinach, etc.)
#6. Decrease Your Salt Intake
Too much salt in your diet can cause your body to retain excess fluid and bloat. If you cut back on your salt for a few weeks, you may notice a 1-2 pound difference at the least. Decreasing your salt will help you shed water weight much faster.
Excess salt also increases your chances of developing an excruciatingly painful condition known as kidney stone. The best way to counterbalance the effect of salt is to adequate amounts of water and eat potassium-rich foods.
#7. Get Active
Exercise stimulates your body’s production of sweat, which expels a lot of toxins. Intensive cardio helps to cleanse the lungs and make food pass through the gut quicker.
Exercise can also kickstart your kidneys to start filtering toxins easily, especially if you hydrate sufficiently with water. Getting active is one of the most challenging but also important parts of the detoxification process.
