Our bodies are constantly flushing out toxins from food, medicine, and supplements to stay healthy. But the human body can sometimes fail to get all these harmful substances out. This could result in issues like brain fog, constipation, low energy, and aches and pains.
If you’ve been feeling any of these effects from excess toxins, a total body cleanse can help you ease your discomfort. Take a look at how this method works and how you can do it on your own.
What is a Full Body Detox?
A full body detox is a way of reducing and flushing out toxins in your system. This method can promote healthy eating and aid in your exercise and proper hydration. A total detox can involve these ways to eliminate excessive amounts of toxins:
- Going on a specific diet
- Fasting
- Increasing water or juice intake
- Taking supplements
- Undergoing hydrotherapy of the colon or colonic irrigation
- Using enemas (tools often used for severe constipation) or laxatives
- Using a sauna
- Lowering exposure to toxins
What are the Benefits & Risks of a Total Detox?
Most people won’t need a full body detox as the body flushes these toxins out naturally. Even so, regular detoxification can help you reduce your weight. This would also cause you to eat more fruits and vegetables and drink more water, giving your body more antioxidants.
However, a total detox can also mean you’re eating less food. Some detox methods make you drink juice or tea, resulting in electrolyte imbalance. Some detoxification processes also introduce oxalate-rich juice into your diet. Excess oxalic acid in your system can be harmful to your kidney.
Detox products can also have laxatives and can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration from doing so. Suddenly going into a full detox diet can have harmful side effects like diabetes as well. If you want to try a detox product or diet, talk to a doctor or dietitian first so you can understand their possible side effects and know safer alternatives.
How Can You Cleanse Your Body Safely?
A total detox may pose health risks, but you can still eliminate toxins from your body with safer, healthier habits. Even the simplest diet or lifestyle changes can help you feel healthier, making detox diets or products unnecessary.
Here are some healthy habits you can develop to help decrease toxins:
Reduce Your Alcohol Intake
Multiple studies have tackled the positive and negative effects of alcohol on the body. On the one hand, research suggests that drinking low to moderate amounts of alcohol can keep your heart healthy. Meanwhile, too much alcohol can put you at risk for health issues like:
- Coronary heart disease
- Heart attack
- Stroke
Drinking too much alcohol contributes to increasing your body fat and triggering inflammation. Alcohol can also take a toll on your liver.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivation prevents your body from removing waste and helping your brain reorganize. When this happens, you could experience toxin overload. Multiple researchers have stated that the following conditions can stem from sleep deprivation:=
- Stress
- Anxiety
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
Getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night can help you reach optimal health. If you can’t fall asleep, give these tips a try:
- Set a regular sleep schedule and stick to it.
- Get some bright light during the day.
- Limit your exposure to blue light.
- Take fewer naps during the day.
- Avoid drinking alcohol at night.
Drink More Water
Along with keeping you hydrated, water can:
- Keep your body at an optimal temperature
- Lubricate your joints
- Help your body digest food and absorb nutrients
- Eliminate waste to cleanse your body.
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has set daily water intake at:
- 3.7 liters (125 ounces or 15.5 cups) for men
- 2.7 liters (91 ounces or 11.5 cups) for women
However, the amount of water you’ll need can depend on your diet, location, and lifestyle.
Cut Back On Sugary & Processed Food
Health experts say that sugary and processed food are the root causes of current public health emergencies. Canadian, American, and French researchers have found that overeating and consuming junk food can cause:
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Diabetes
These health problems can target your liver, kidneys, and other organs, preventing your body from cleansing itself properly. For a healthy detoxification system, make sure to eat less junk food. Skip the junk food aisle at the supermarket and go for fruits and vegetables instead.
Include Antioxidant & Prebiotic-Rich Foods In Your Diet
As we’ve mentioned earlier, a total detox can help your body get antioxidants. When free radicals and toxins build up in the body, they can become unbalanced and cause oxidative stress. Consuming more antioxidant-rich foods can help you reduce this toxin build-up in your body. We recommend getting food with any or all of these nutrients:
- Vitamins A, C, and E
- Selenium
- Lycopene
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
Foods and drinks with high antioxidant content include:
- Berries
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Cocoa
- Vegetables
- Spices
- Coffee
- Green tea
A full body cleanse can help you maintain a healthy gut as well. A strong gut is essential to a healthy detoxification system. Consuming prebiotics is one good way to ensure a healthy gut. These fibers strengthen probiotics or good bacteria in your stomach, letting it produce short-chain fatty acids. You can get prebiotics from these foods:
- Tomato
- Artichoke
- Banana
- Asparagus
- Onion
- Garlic
- Oats
Consume Less Salt
While others are after optimal health, some people detox to reduce water in their bodies. Your body can get too much water with excess salt intake, making you feel bloated. Too much salt causes your body to produce antidiuretic hormones that can hinder your regular urination and detoxification. Drinking more water can help decrease the amount of these hormones while letting you urinate better and more frequently.
Consuming more potassium-rich foods is another helpful way to lower your salt intake and detox your body. Potassium neutralizes some of the harmful effects of sodium. Give your body its fill of potassium with any of the following foods:
- Potato
- Squash
- Kidney beans
- Banana
- Spinach
Incorporate Exercise Into Your Daily Routine
Make exercising a habit to lower your risk of various ailments, including:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Several forms of cancer
What’s more, studies from American and British health experts show that regular exercise minimizes various forms of inflammation. To get yourself in shape, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends:
- At least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises every week
- At least 75 to 150 minutes of high-impact physical activity every week
Eat Sulfur-Rich Foods
You can make sulfur-rich foods a part of your full-body detox diet as well. Consuming these foods comes with the following benefits:
- Sulfur-rich foods can help your body eliminate heavy metals better.
- They can help improve how glutathione, a major antioxidant, works in your body. Glutathione is essential to detoxing.
Some sulfur-rich foods you can eat include the following:
- Onions
- Eggs
- Broccoli
- Garlic
Work Your Way to a Healthy Lifestyle
Excess toxins can trigger health problems like physical pain. By detoxing your body, you can counter those negative effects. A full body cleanse can be as simple as eating the right food and exercising regularly for optimal health.
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