The need to detox and cleanse the body has been appreciated since ancient times. Cleansing the body does not only help to get rid the body of toxins and residues, but also helps to overcome unhealthy diets and lifestyles. Detoxing your body and mind could become a lifelong lifestyle.
It is not only the physical body that needs to be cleansed, but the soul and spirit must be nurtured and supported as well. Psychologists have determined that toxic thoughts lead to unjustified fears. Those fears force us to consume unhealthy food and, conversely, unhealthy and toxic food affects us back in negative way. Besides our physical health, it affects badly also our thoughts, feelings and emotions.
Even though modern science already confirms the need to cleanse the body, most of the purification methods are based on the ancient practices used in many different cultures around the world. It is plants that have helped people ever since. So if you want to know the best way to detox – you are in the right place.
This article is all about how to cleanse your body the most healthy, natural and easy way with the help of the plants like curcumin, dandelion, psyllium, and flax seeds.
The Dangers of Toxins and The Truth About Detox
Toxins have many dangers. They poison the body directly, damaging the brain, the liver, the central nervous system and other vital organs. They weaken the immune system, making it vulnerable to diseases. And worst of all, they nourish cancer, viruses, bad bacteria, parasites, yeast and other intruders, which in turn contribute to the onset of disease.
Also, our food table has been diverse in terms of heavy foods – meat dishes and sugary delicacies do great pleasure for the taste, but not for the body. The body has to process all this mass and place it somewhere. If you are not doing a physical exercise for hours to burn all these calories, your body puts excess fat and toxins into the cells.
Even more, for those who already have acidic and digestive disorders, such foods are a feast for infectious microorganisms such as harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.
In addition, our environment and the food we consume are not the only bad guys that poison us. There are cancerogenic and toxic substances that you probably consume every day and aren`t even aware about it. If you are serious about detoxing and cleansing your body – take a few minutes and read this article about toxic chemicals, parabens in our daily skincare products.
Detox helps to get rid of all of these potentially harmful chemicals, microorganisms, metabolic residues and stress, while improving vital functions of the liver, kidneys, lymph, intestines and skin of the cleansing organs.
It is believed that as a result of detox, up to 80% of diseases might be wiped out from the body.
Top Reasons and Signs to Detox
The decision to detox your body can vary from person to person.
These reasons may be:
- Desire to lose weight
- Lack of energy, fatigue, exhaustion, sloth and inertia
- The need to get rid of stress and recurrence of viral diseases
- Get rid of symptoms that suggest body impurities
- White tongue
- Increased sputum or mucus
- Bad breath
- Inanimate, dry and itchy skin
- Allergies
- Psoriasis
- Splitting nails and hair, dandruff
- Headaches
- The desire to get rid of chronic diseases – thyroid, joints, skin, – nervous and hormonal systems, etc. (Be sure to consult a therapist or doctor in a particular area)
- Improve focus and attention etc.
From What do You Need to Detox and Clean Your Body?
The toxins are divided into three:
- Exogenous – Exogenous toxins come from external sources such as tobacco, drugs, stimulants (alcohol), amalgams, carbon monoxide, lead, processed foods, skin care products etc. This category also includes emotional factors such as stress, anxiety, sadness and depression.
- Endogenous – Endogenous toxins are the result of viral and bacterial infections and co-products of metabolism of bacteria and yeasts living in certain intestines.
- Autogenous – Autogenic toxins produce the body itself as a result of its metabolism.
For the most of all, never before has there been any contact with so many toxic substances in our history as it is today.
These toxins include heavy metals such as:
- Mercury
- Aluminum
- Arsenic
- Copper
- Lead
- Nickel
- Lead and cadmium
- Air pollution
- Medications
- Nanotechnological chemicals sprayed on almost any product
- Pesticides
- Herbicides and fungicides
- Plastics
- Industrial cleaning products
- Gasoline
- Dioxins in the oceans
- Thousands of other new chemicals that are introduced into the environment every year. These poisons saturate the water bodies and fall from the sky.
Common Misconceptions About Detoxing
Usually most of the detox diets are said to improve health, eliminate toxins from your body and help to lose weight. They often involve the consumption of diuretics, vitamins, minerals, laxatives, teas, and other foods thought to have detoxing properties.
However, those popular detox diets rarely identify the specific toxins they aim to remove or the method how they are going to eliminate them. That said, you should be aware, that no evidence supports the use of these diets for toxin elimination or sustainable weight loss.
What is important to know, is that your body has your own sophisticated way of eliminating toxins. That body cleansing mechanism involves the liver, kidneys, digestive system, skin, and lungs.
Still, only when these organs are healthy, can they effectively eliminate those unwanted toxic substances like heavy metals, pollutants, synthetic chemicals, and processed foods — which all negatively affect health.
So, while detox diets don’t do anything that your body can’t naturally do on its own, you can support your body’s natural detoxification system. With the help of certain plants and foods, is the most healthy and natural way to detox your body and support the work of liver, kidneys and intestines.
The Most Natural and Healthy Ways to Detox
The essential purpose of detox is to remove as much toxins and poisons from your body as possible. To do this, it is necessary to encourage the removal of already existing toxins in the body and to reduce the entry of new toxins into the body.
The water-soluble toxins are mainly excreted via the urine, the skin or the lungs, but the fat soluble molecules through the bile and intestinal tract. Here are some of the most important natural measures you can take to detox your body.
These easy and healthy detoxing methods include:
- Drink more pure water, that helps to eject the water-soluble poisons from your body.
- Reduce your intake of sugar, processed foods, salt, caffeine, alcohol, smoking, etc.
- Consume ecologically pure foods.
- Eat fiber-rich foods or organic food supplements that consist fibers.
- Improve intestinal microflora with probiotic foods or organic food supplements with lactic acid bacteria.
- Eat antioxidant-rich foods.
- Support the liver function with herbal supplements such as Dandelion Root Extract.
- Be active and do more physical exercise and therapeutic procedures.
- Ensure adequate and quality sleep.
- Eat plants that help to improve the work of kidneys, liver and intestines.
- Use natural body care and cosmetic products. Simply to avoid the huge amount of toxins and cancerogenic substances that you consume daily.
- Go to sauna.
- You can try also healthy fasting. There are several fasting methods you can try, just pick the one that suits you the best.
Plants and Natural Remedies that Help to Support Detox Naturally and Cleanse Your Liver, Kidneys and Intestines
There are a variety of herbs and plants that help to remove the toxins from the body. Body cleansing can be done, for example, on the basis of toxins. Suitable plants can be combined with herbal teas to eject heavy metals or various chemicals such as chlorine and flour, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, plastics, and radiation.
You can find also food supplements and plant extracts to eliminate parasites, viruses and fungi. But in this article we focus on how to support your body`s own cleansing mechanism by supporting the function of liver, kidneys and intestines.
Plants, Foods and Natural Remedies to Cleanse Your Liver and Support it`s Function
- Dandelion – it`s best to consume Dandelion Root Extract
- Artichoke
- Thistle
- Curcumin or pure organic Curcumin food supplements
- Gotu gola
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Burdock root
- Avocados, tomatoes, spinach
- Beets and carrots
- Asparagus
- Green leafy vegetables
- Vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cress, turnips and radishes
- Apple
- Citrus fruits
- Nuts
- Green tea
Plants, Foods and Natural Remedies to Support Kidney Function and Detox
- Dandelion – it`s best to consume Dandelion Root Extract
- Horcetail
- Seaweed
- Fruit juices
- Grapes
- Cranberries
- Calcium-rich foods such as soy or almond milk, tofu, and fortified cereals
- Drink kidney cleansing teas like Hydrangea, Stinging nettle and Sambong
- Take only organic food supplements with supportive nutrients like vitamin B6, Omega 3 and Potassium Citrate
Plants, Foods and Natural Remedies to Support Intestinal Function and Detox
- Aloe
- Fiber-Rich foods such as Psyllium and flax seeds, or organic food supplements that consist both
- Glutamine
- Foods that contain probiotic lactic acid bacteria or organic food supplements with probiotics
- Garlic
- Ginger
What to Keep in Mind when Detoxing?
Cleansing the Body has Three Stages:
1. Disposal of residues
When detoxing – it is advisable to keep in mind not to immediately start a very rigorous cleansing regime (eg, strong starvation or a long-term water fast), but do it rather in a lighter and more balanced way. For example over a longer period of time to avoid too much toxins being released. The release of toxins can lead to very unpleasant side-effects of purification and may be an excessive burden on the body, especially for the liver.
Here, the important principle is that when it comes to the removal of toxins from the body, and the cleansing of the body, it makes no sense at first to add high nutritional supplements to your diet. Because nutrients may not reach the cells during purification. So that is just a waste of food supplement.
There are two main reasons for this:
- Firstly – the cells may be clogged with residues and toxins.
- Secondly – a lot of substances are removed from the body by water. This means the water will wash out all the herbal preparations and herbal remedies from your body.
2. Balancing your diet with the necessary nutrients for your body
It`s recommended to add high nutritional value consisting foods and plants to your diet in the middle or at the end of the cleansing process. Recommended nutrients include:
- Spirulina
- Moringa
- Wheat and sponge powders
- Alfalfa
- Bilberry
- Bamboo leaves
- Other superfoods
These plant based food supplements and herbs are important, because they fill the replace the toxins that have come out of the body and feed the cells with the necessary substances.
It is advisable to support the treatment as a whole with antioxidants such as C, A, E, and minerals such as zinc and selenium. Antioxidants help to cope with the increased amount of toxins and free radicals that start moving during the cleansing process.
During detox, it is recommended to pay more attention to rest and pleasant procedures such as massage, swimming, spa procedures, body scrubs, as well as other body and mind-enhancing therapies such as meditation, acupuncture, aromatherapy, and so on. A person may feel more tired, emotional and vulnerable during the cleansing process, so you have to be gentle and push yourself.
3. Keeping a healthy lifestyle
It simply means you should continually cleanse your body and take it as a lifestyle
Detox Side Effects
Side effects may include:
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Anxiety
- Irritation
- Panic attacks
- Malaise
- Fatigue
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Increased sweating
- Dry skin
- Pimples
- Constipation
- Diarrhea, etc.
In case of peaceful, gentle and long-lasting detox such side effects should not occur.
Compiled by Maria-Helena Loik
Sources: Myliverexam.com, Healthline.com
Pictures: Pexels.com, Pixabay.com, Shutterstock.com
