How To Detox Your Body

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There are times throughout the year that I just feel sluggish.  Yes, it is often after the holidays, during the long dreary days of winter, and has even been during the summer.  Have you ever been there with me?  I think most of us have.  And when that happens I know it’s time to detox my body.  I always feel better after we detox and cleanse.  Maybe that sounds great, but you don’t know how to detox your body.  Or you may be asking if detoxing and cleansing is safe or effective?

Yes!  You can do a simple detox that is safe and effective.  And it won’t cost you a fortune either.  Since we’re going through a cleanse right now-our whole family is doing this cleanse-I thought I would share what we’re doing.  Then you can see first hand how to detox your body and decide if you want to join us.  You can get a FREE printable of the detox we’re doing by filling out the form below.

Before we go into how to detox your body, let’s discuss what a detox is.  A detox is a way to encourage the body to convert toxins in the body to waste which can be eliminated.  People often refer to detoxes as cleanses and the terms are usually used interchangeable.  For the most part, they are the same although typically a detox focuses on eliminating toxins from multiple organs and systems of the body whereas some cleanses only focus on the digestive system.  For our purposes here, I will use both words interchangeable.

Many detoxes are associated with celebrities and weight loss.  Although weight loss is typical during a cleanse, quick massive weight loss is very harmful for the body and metabolism and should not be the goal. Detoxes and cleanses are a great starting point for weight loss though since most require a change of diet and exercise which if continued will result in healthy, long term weight loss.

Important notes about how to detox your body.

First and foremost, before you begin any kind of detox or cleanse, check with your healthcare practitioner to make sure it is right for you.  And ALWAYS listen to your body.  Begin slow and back off if you begin detoxing too fast or have any adverse symptoms.

When cleansing, you should have regular bowel movements, which is once or twice a day.  But if you experience loose stools you could be detoxing too fast and need to back off.  In this particular cleanse, we take charcoal which can cause constipation.  If this is something you struggle with, use caution or avoid taking charcoal.

How food helps to detox your body.

The best way to begin detoxing your body and improve any detox or cleanse you choose to do is to change your diet.  Simply avoiding certain foods and adding in other foods will go a long way in the detox process.  Since we are trying to help our body eliminate toxins, we don’t want to add to the overload by eating process foods or foods with chemical preservatives.  Basically, try to make all your foods from scratch during the detox.

Sugar feeds harmful bacteria and makes our gut breeding grounds for all kinds of toxins.  Not to mention it contributes to gut dysbiosis.  That means no refined sugars, chemical sweeteners, or anything with high fructose corn syrup.  Instead, opt for natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, stevia or fruit.

Gluten is another potential hazard that should be avoided or at least minimized during a detox.  (I’m not telling you to give up gluten or bread, but during a detox some foods should be avoided to help the body eliminate toxins more efficiently.)

Dairy is another big factor in detoxing.  Because conventional dairy can cause excess mucus, and can be hard to digest, it is best to avoid it while detoxing.  The exception to this would be fermented or cultured dairy like yogurt or kefir, pastured butter and many cheeses are okay as well. Raw milk could be beneficial as well.

Foods that help detox your body.

But not all of detoxing is about avoiding foods.  There are some foods I make sure I eat more of.  First, we make sure we take our JuicePlus.  We have taken JuicePlus for several years now and it was the first step in our journey to wellness.  By taking it, we are getting 17 servings of fruits and veggies each day!  (You will see them listed on my detox sheet as JP.)  Best of all, they taste great and my kids ASK for them.

I don’t totally rely on JuicePlus to get all of my fruits and veggies.  During a detox, I make sure that I eat a salad almost every day.  I make sure it has a good mix of greens and I try to snack on veggies also.  Our family loves fruit, so eating it is not so hard, but I do try to eat plenty of it also.

When detoxing, it’s important to make sure you stay hydrated.  Drinking plenty of water is a must when you detox your body.  This helps your body flush out all the toxins.  And adding lemon or other citrus oils (like grapefruit) will aid in this process.  I like to add a drop or two of *Lemon Essential Oil or Grapefruit Essential Oil to my water, not only does it taste great, it aids in detoxing and supports my metabolism.

The last food group that I am intentional about eating is fermented foods.  Because the standard American diet contributes to an imbalance in the bacteria of our gut, it is essential that we consume probiotic rich foods.  As we eliminate the harmful bacteria and toxins, beneficial bacteria needs to be introduced back into our bodies.  Some great options are kraut, kimchi, milk kefir, water kefir, and kombucha.  Kombucha also aids the liver in detoxing the body which you can read more on below (or read the post on all the reasons I love kombucha here.)  Sometimes I even add in a pre-biotic and pro-biotic supplement to get even more good stuff in me.  This time we will be taking PB Assist during the last week of the cleanse and the week following the cleanse.  You can find here. 

Herbs that help to detox your body.

The first herb I take to detox is garlic.  Garlic is so amazing I did a whole post on all the things it helps-circulatory system, allergies, fights bacteria and viruses, kills parasites.  The main reasons I take garlic during a detox is all the bacteria, viruses and parasites it kills. It is a primary herb to facilitate the conversion of toxins to waste.  This is the first step in how to detox your body.  (Read more on my love affair with garlic here.)

The next two herbs I take work together to further eliminate toxins.  They are charcoal and fiber.  Charcoal is one thing I never leave home without.  It is amazing at binding to toxins and safely carrying them through the digestive tract without allowing them to be absorbed into the body.  (You can read more about my love of charcoal here.)  Fiber is like a scrub brush inside our pipes-so to speak.  It helps to grab all the junk collecting in our colon and flushes it out.  Most Americans do not get enough healthy, plant based fiber in their diets, and therefore cleaning out the colon is necessary to assist in eliminating toxins and detoxing the body.  This can be done in a pill form or powder form. ( I order my charcoal here Bulk Herb Store). (They also have several fiber mixes that I like.)

The last herb I take is milk thistle.  Milk thistle is the best known for it’s liver enhancing properties.  The liver is the organ that is constantly at work detoxing our body from daily stress and toxins.  But in our high stress and chemical laden world, our livers have become over worked.  We are bombarded with toxins every day which our liver must deal with.  To help support and protect the liver, especially while I detox my body, I take milk thistle. (I order my Milk Thistle here Bulk Herb Store)

And that is the basics of how to detox your body.  There are many other herbs and supplements that are also good and more tailored at detoxing specific systems of your body, but this is my go-to detox.  It is simple, safe and effective.  I know my whole family can benefit from it, and it is a great starting point that I can always add to or customize for specific results.

If you are wondering what else you could add to further detox your body, here are the some supplements we are taking this time.  My husband began taking *a detox complex supplement that “supports healthy cleansing and filtering functions of the liver, kidneys, colon, lungs, and skin.”  I am taking ASANA Daily Restore, a supplement to help balance hormones and boost energy levels.  You can find it here.

I hope this helps you know more about how to detox your body and if a detox is right for you.  And don’t forget to sign up for the free printable detailing our detox plan.

*For more information on which essential oils I use or which supplement we are also taking, feel free to contact me using the contact form on the side.

Want to know more about Kombucha? I’ve got some videos on how to make your own.  

Want to make your own kraut or kimchi? I’ve got a video for that too!

Until next time,