When you hear the word “detox”, you probably have this image in your head of green juices, fasting, and maybe even those detox patches you place on the bottom of your feet.
While many self-proclaimed health gurus tote their own detox diets and methods, the fact remains that detoxifying our bodies from the harmful chemicals we are exposed to daily is important. Not only can it prevent some pretty serious diseases, undergoing a detox can make us feel so much better. By increasing our energy, boosting our moods, improving our metabolism, clearing up our skin and so much more, a good detox can be a life-changer.
However, not all detoxes are the same. Some can be ineffective, while others may even be harmful.
In this video, I will take you through four simple steps that you can take to safely and effectively detox your body at home.
These tips are great for eliminating the toxic chemicals that can build up in your body, for jumpstarting a healthy diet, and for taking your energy from mediocre to out of this world. So if you're looking to cleanse your system, watch this video now!
Transcript: How To Detox Your Body In 4 Simple Steps
When you hear the word “detox”, I’m sure you have this image in your head of green juices, fasting, and maybe even those detox patches you place on the bottom of your feet.
Well detox or detoxification doesn’t have to be that way but before I share, in this video, the principles of detoxification, let’s talk about what detoxification actually is.
Detoxification is a natural metabolic process your body undertakes to help eliminate the environmental, dietary and internally created toxins we are all exposed to on a daily basis.
Now even if you don’t live in the city, there are toxic chemicals in the air you breathe, in the water you drink, and in the soil in which your food is grown. Chemicals have been created for many different purposes: to kill pests, to make foods ripen faster and grow bigger, to lengthen their shelf life. They’re used to make fabric, to make your skin feel smooth, to stop you from perspiring, to change your hair colour, to make you smell good, and the list goes on.
Unfortunately, science has shown us that these chemicals which were designed to make our lives easier are now being discovered to cause some serious health issues from birth defects, hyperactivity, learning disabilities and other neurological disorders, to chronic fatigue, autoimmune diseases, allergies, and cancer.
So the process of detoxification changes these toxins into less harmful compounds and excretes them from your body. It is often the first step that you must take in order to rid your body of disease.
So if you feel tired, inflamed, if you suffer from allergies, skin issues, or have difficulty losing weight, these are all signs that your body may be struggling to get rid of these toxins which have accumulated in your tissues and cells.
Ok so that’s pretty much most of us. Now with detoxification, there are four main principles or goals that you want to achieve.
1. You want to reduce your toxin burden.
And in order to do that, you need to identify what are your sources of exposure in your environment or diet. Is it pesticides, food additives or preservatives in your foods? Is it heavy metals in your drinking water or cookware? Is it harsh chemicals in your cleaning products and personal care items? Is it cigarette smoke? Is it mold in your house or workplace?
Sometimes, finding out what toxins you’re exposed to can be difficult and this is where testing can be your friend. There are some tests like the Hair Toxin and Mineral Analysis which can investigate heavy metal levels or tests like the Organophosphates profile to determine insecticide exposure.
Once you’ve identified what these toxins are, now you need to go about reducing that exposure. This could involve purchasing a water filter, buying clean personal care and cleaning products, using stainless steel cookware, and buying organic foods.
2. The second goal is to strengthen your liver detoxification pathways.
The liver is the main character in detoxification as it processes toxins, waste products, drugs, and hormones so that they can easily be excreted from the body.
Toxins that are water-soluble are filtered by the kidneys, while toxins that cannot be dissolved in water must first be metabolized into an inactive form in the liver and excreted from the body via the digestive tract. An imbalanced gut microbiome can produce its own toxins known as endotoxins which can put additional stress on the liver as the liver must simultaneously metabolize all of the toxins that are entering your body. So it’s also important to strengthen the army of bacteria in your gut so they can support the detoxification process.
How do you go about supporting the liver and microbiome? Essentially by increasing your intake of leafy green vegetables, decreasing alcohol and caffeine consumption, quitting smoking, addressing any nutrient deficiencies, using herbs such as Milk Thistle and Dandelion which assist the liver, and consuming fermented foods and probiotics.
3. Neutralising free radicals is the third principle of detoxification.
What on earth do I mean?
In the process of detoxification, toxins release compounds called free radicals which can cause oxidative stress and damage to your cells. Essentially, they can damage the cell membranes, alter the instructions coded in a strand of DNA and change the movement of what enters or leaves a cell. This damage can lead to cell death and has been linked to a number of diseases including cancer.
So to neutralise these free radicals, you need to make sure you’re getting plenty of antioxidants. Antioxidants counteract these free radicals by acting as natural “off switches,” and therefore reduce their ability to do damage. Now your body’s cells naturally produce some powerful antioxidants such as glutathione, coenzyme Q10 and alpha lipoic acid (all of which you can also take as supplements), but you can also get antioxidants such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E from your food. These are generally found in brightly colored, plant-based foods.
4. The fourth and final principle is to support your organs of elimination.
Even though the liver is considered the primary organ of detoxification, other organs such as the kidneys and the skin also play a role in removing toxins and waste products out of your body.
To support a healthy kidney function, you need to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of clean water to help the kidneys remove toxins. There are foods that help support good renal functions such as blueberries and beetroot.
You can support elimination via the skin by getting yourself to sweat. So yes, if you’re one of those people who sweat a lot, this can actually be a good thing.
There are several ways to induce sweating for the elimination of toxins. The most common are through exercise like running or using a sauna.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week and while you may not have a sauna in your house like the Finns do, many countries now have public saunas you can enjoy.
And there you have it- the four principles of detoxification. Now before you go and purchase your sauna membership, you should know that a detox is not for everyone. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, a detox is a no, and if you have a specific illness or are taking medications, you should check with your healthcare practitioner first.
But if you have done a detox in the past and had great results, please share with us in the comments what it did for you. Detoxification can really kickstart a treatment program and get you feeling on top of the world so please also like and subscribe to help me get this info out there.
And if you would like to know more about how you can support your gut microbiome in this detoxification process, check out this video here.
What Do You Think? Comment Below: