Lemonade cleanses, skinny teas, 72-hour water fasts--we‚ve all heard of these popular body detox trends. It‚s not uncommon for people to turn to detox diets and extreme detox fasts when they‚re looking for a quick and easy way to eliminate toxins from the body.

 

Many popular detox diets promise to get rid of unwanted toxins, help you lose weight and improve your overall health. Although these promises can make testing out one of these methods seem very appealing (especially if you‚re looking for a quick fix), there‚s not much evidence to suggest that they actually work. And, some of these detox methods can cause dangerous negative side effects.

 

Although the effectiveness of quick-fix detoxes is questionable, there are still ways to minimize the presence of toxins in your body. The most effective method is adopting healthy habits that support and enhance your body's natural detoxification systems. Read on to learn more about why a natural detox is the best detox.

 

What are Bodily Toxins?

Many who rave about quick-fix detoxes have no idea which toxins these methods aim to eliminate. Ancient Ayurvedic doctors identified many types of toxins that can affect our bodies.

 

Some toxins linger as a result of undigested food as well as environmental toxins like air and water pollution. Toxins can also enter the body in the form of electromagnetic frequencies from devices like microwaves, computers and cell phones.

 

The accumulation of these toxins can cause side effects such as:

 

• Bloating and weight gain 

• Increased disease risk

• Premature aging

• Nervous system disruptions

 

Your Body‚s Natural Detoxification System

 

A healthy body already has everything it needs to detox and rejuvenate itself.

 

Our kidneys and liver work together to remove harmful toxins from the bloodstream. And our digestive organs work hard to eliminate the waste that results from the foods we eat. Our skin also helps with the natural detoxification process by releasing toxins when we sweat. And our lungs are responsible for purifying the air we breathe in and releasing toxins in the form of carbon dioxide.

 

These natural detoxifying processes are always at work. So, a one-time detox diet or cleanse isn‚t necessary if you maintain the health of the bodily systems that play a role in detoxification.

 

 

How to Detox Naturally

The best approach to minimizing the presence of bodily toxins is to adopt healthy habits that support and enhance your body's natural detoxification system. Here are a few steps you can take to reduce bodily toxins long-term:

 

Eat a healthy diet

 

Undigested food is a common source of bodily toxins. It‚s important to eat plenty of fiber-rich, nutritionally-dense foods so that the foods you eat can pass easily through the digestive tract and supply beneficial vitamins to your entire body.

 

You can also boost your body‚s ability to get rid of toxins through the digestion process by adding probiotics to your diet. Probiotic supplements and foods can help to relieve issues like bloating and constipation and promote a healthy gut that doesn‚t hold on to waste and toxins.

 

Drink plenty of water

 

Water is one of the most cleansing substances on Earth. Drinking plenty of water can support numerous aspects of the natural detoxification process including digestion, kidney and liver function, and the health of your skin. Water also helps our bodies get rid of toxic byproducts like urea and carbon dioxide.

 

Get enough sleep

 

Sleep is another important aspect of your body‚s natural detox process. Many waste byproducts are removed from the body while well sleep. When you skip out on sleep, your body misses out on this time to recharge and rejuvenate itself and toxins can begin to build up over time. Most health experts suggest that adults should get no less than 7-9 hours each night.

 

Stay active

A consistent exercise regimen goes a long way when it comes to enhancing your body‚s natural detox systems. Getting plenty of exercise can reduce inflammation which can cause diseases that disrupt the proper functioning of your body‚s natural detox system.

 

Conclusion

Instead of testing out extreme detox fad diets, focus on maintaining your body‚s health to ensure that your natural detox processes can function normally!

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Mai V. Health Benefits Mediated by Probiotics - How Can we Better Establish Them? Journal of Probiotics & Health. 2013;01(03). doi:10.4172/2329-8901.1000e104.

Medic G, Wille M, Hemels M. Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2017;Volume 9:151-161. doi:10.2147/nss.s134864.

 

Woodcock T. Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain. F1000 - Post-publication peer review of the biomedical literature. November 2013. doi:10.3410/f.718147564.793486525.

 

DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by a competent health care professional. You should not use this information in diagnosing or treating a health problem. No claim or opinion in this blog is intended to be, nor should be construed to be, medical advice. If you are now taking any drugs, prescribed or not, or have a medical condition, please consult a competent physician who is aware of herb/drug interactions before taking any herbal supplements. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the FDA or the Department of Health and is not intended to diagnose, prevent, cure, mitigate or treat any disease or illness.