Learn the best detox techniques to boost your energy, brighten your mood, and improve your overall well-being
Detoxification
Why it Matters
In today's world, toxins are everywhere. They're in our water, food, cosmetics, household products, and even the air we breathe. While we can't avoid toxins altogether, we can practice healthy lifestyle habits to enhance our body's detox abilities.
Here's the good news: when your body isn't bogged down with toxins, more energy is available for healing. The result? Brighter mood, clearer mind, better digestion, and increased energy.
Here are the main players in your body's detoxification system:
Liver: Filters toxins from your blood and helps eliminate harmful pathogens, excess hormones, heavy metals, and chemicals.
Kidneys: Filters toxins and then excretes them through your urine.
Digestive tract: Helps expel toxins and excess waste through your stool.
Lungs: Converts toxins into CO2 which then gets exhaled.
Skin: Your largest eliminatory organ and your body's first line of defense. Your skin helps you detox via your sweat.
Lymphatic system: Known as "the garbage men" of your body. Your lymphatic system transports white blood cells that fight infection via lymph, a fluid that circulates throughout your body.
Simple ways to support detox include:
Drink plenty of water: This keeps your bowels moving and helps the kidneys do their job. Aim to drink approximately 2 liters of filtered water each day.
Manage stress: Living in "fight or flight" mode impairs detox. So practice daily stress relief. Yoga, meditation, journaling, and listening to calm music are all good options.
Deep breathing: Helps your lungs filter toxins and promotes relaxation. Try some box breathing or breath of fire.
Exercise: Staying active improves circulation and keeps your bowels and lymph moving.
Green juice: Alkalizes and hydrates your body while supplying chlorophyll to promote detox
Need more potent detox support? Whether you're on a heavy metal cleanse, candida protocol, or just want to upgrade your gut health, the following eight methods will help.
Detox methods
To Boost Your Health
Dry Brushing
This Ayurvedic technique improves blood flow, exfoliates the skin, moves the lymph, and may even reduce the appearance of cellulite. All you need is a natural bristled brush. Start at the feet and brush in long sweeping motions towards the heart. Dry brushing is best done before showering or bathing.
Rebounding
Believe it or not, jumping on a mini-trampoline can help you detox. The up-and-down motion stimulates the lymphatic system to help flush out toxins. As an added bonus, it may help reduce cellulite too. Try rebounding for 3-5 minutes at a time, working up to 15 minutes a day.
Tongue Scraping
What goes on in your mouth affects your entire body. Scraping your tongue first thing in the morning helps you remove harmful bacteria, toxins, and dead cells. The result? Better breath, enhanced sense of taste, and improved oral health. When choosing a tongue scraper, opt for stainless steel options like this one.
Oil Pulling
Oil pulling is an oral detox technique that comes from Ayurveda. It involves swishing around a tablespoon of coconut or sesame oil in your mouth for around 10-20 minutes. This helps flush out harmful bacteria in your mouth, prevents tooth decay, strengthens the gums, and prevents bad breath. Afterward, spit the oil out into a trashcan and rinse your mouth with warm water.
Detox methods
To Boost Your Health
Sauna
One of the easiest ways to rid your body of toxins is to sweat them out. As an added bonus, sauna stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (aka "rest and digest mode") which is crucial for effective detox. You can use a sauna at a nearby gym or spa, or consider investing in a home sauna like this one.
Epsom Salt Baths
Epsom salts contain magnesium, a mineral that helps your muscles relax and is critical for detox. Soaking in an Epsom Salt bath helps flush out harmful toxins while easing stress and promoting relaxation. Simply add 2 cups of Epsom salts to a warm bath and feel your stress melt away.
Castor oil packs
This folk remedy promotes liver detoxification and stimulates the lymphatic system. To make a castor oil pack, soak a piece of wool or cotton flannel in castor oil and place it on the right side of your abdomen. Then apply a heating pad for around 30-45 minutes. For a deeper dive into castor oil packs (and to learn the tricks), check out this post from Wellness Mama.
Coffee enemas
While it may sound weird, this method involves injecting warm coffee into your rectum and colon and then retaining it for around 15 minutes. Coffee enemas cleanse the liver, relieve constipation, reduce inflammation, promote immunity, and boost your energy. They also flush out harmful yeast, bacteria, parasites, and heavy metals. For a coffee enema walkthrough, check out this video.
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