When you think of the word “detox,” perhaps you imagine fad diets and strict weekend fasts. While not all detoxes are effective, or even healthy, there’s a good reason why you should consider one.
Tiredness, persistent belly fat, digestive stress, and skin issues can all be signs of a build-up of toxins in your body. Especially if you live in an urban area, contact with pollutants and toxins is almost unavoidable, leading to various health problems and toxic build-up.
In the short term, these symptoms or health issues might come across as annoying and for the most part, many people choose to ignore them. Over time, however, they can cause much more serious problems. So, let’s discuss why you should consider a detox, what it will do to your body, and which method is right for you.
Why Do You Need a Detox?
A buildup of toxins in the body leads to inflammation, producing the symptoms we mentioned earlier. Inflammation is our body’s natural response to injury, infection, or stress. However, chronic, persistent inflammation will do damage to our bodies over time. In fact, inflammation is at the root of many serious illnesses, like heart disease and some cancers.
Stress can produce a chicken and egg situation. Chronic inflammation can leave us feeling stressed and unbalanced, but persistent stress and anxiety can also cause inflammation. Managing stress is crucial to a successful detox.
Before you start to panic, don’t worry. Detoxing your body of toxins doesn’t have to be an ordeal or even a very expensive process. Let’s discuss five ways to detox your body, and implement a healthier lifestyle.
5 Ways to Detox Your Body
You don’t need to just pick one of the following suggestions. It’s good to take some time to figure out which detoxing method works best for you as an individual.
-
Diet: Focus on Anti-inflammatory Foods
What we eat has the biggest impact on weight gain and weight loss. Certain foods have inflammatory effects on our body, and others work to reduce inflammation.
Focus On:
- Fruits and vegetables (especially dark, leafy veggies)
- Oily fish
- Nuts, legumes, beans, etc
- Lean poultry
- Olive oil
- Green tea
- Spices like turmeric and ginger
- Drink plenty of water
Avoid:
- Processed foods (junk food)
- Red meat (especially fatty meats)
- Foods containing additives, refined sugar, or saturated fats
- Oils (vegetable, corn, etc)
- Soda
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
If you can’t cut these foods out of your diet altogether, try seriously reducing them.
-
Stress Management
Inflammation and detoxing aside, stress management is good for your body in so many ways. High levels of stress can impair the quality and quantity of your sleep, slow down your metabolism, put a strain on your heart, and so much more. It also contributes to inflammation in the body. Additionally, high levels of stress can be a sign that toxins are building up in your body.
So, what can you do to manage your stress?
- Reduce causes of stress
Take time to identify what is stressing you out. It could be your job, a family situation, or any number of causes. It may not be possible to cut out all causes of stress, but take the time to look at your lifestyle, with the view to making changes.
- Organize (and hopefully reduce) your schedule
Planning and preparation can go a long way to reducing anxiety. Plan ahead, and make sure you know exactly what you need to do that day. Having a physical schedule can help you to properly manage your time, reducing the chances of sudden anxiety attacks later on.
It’s also a good way to make sure you’re getting enough rest and “me” time. Self-care and free time are very important when you’re managing stress. It’s very easy to load up your schedules with chores, responsibilities, and events, and find yourself without a minute to spare for yourself.
- Find an appropriate way to manage your anxiety
The final suggestion is a little vague because managing anxiety varies from person to person. Something like a brisk walk can go a long way to reducing stress. Proper diet and exercise work well, along with meditation, yoga, and more.
Take the time to identify what works for you. Try new things, and experiment.
-
Regular Exercise
As little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week can help you to lose belly fat and seriously reduce inflammation.
However, beware. High-intensity exercise with no rest days can actually harm your body. While exercise is vital to good health, don’t push past your limits. Start with a manageable amount of exercise, and gradually build up.
-
Reduce Environmental Toxins
If you live in an urban area, you likely won’t be able to avoid all environmental toxins. However, things like water and air filters can remove some toxins. There are also many toxins in our food, especially processed food. Removing these from your diet and lifestyle will have a noticeable impact on your health.
-
Complete a Detox Cleanse
Finally, a detox cleanse can provide a thorough, initial cleanse of the body. Of course, not all detoxes are equal. Do some research to establish whether the cleanse is right for you, or if it would even be effective.
It’s worth noting that cleanses are not a long-term solution. Typically, a detoxing cleanse lasts a few days, possibly even one week. Since cleanses tend to be strict, any longer than this period could damage your health.
If you go back to your old lifestyle and habits after your cleanse, toxins will build up in your body again. You’ll find yourself back to where you started!
Detoxing: Easier Than You Think
Detoxing takes research and plenty of planning. However, the results are definitely worth it! Stress and inflammation build up gradually in our bodies, to the point where we might not even begin to notice how sick we actually feel.
Lifestyle changes or detox cleanses are simpler than you think. Even something as simple as cutting out processed food will have a detoxing effect on your body. Give it a try, and see how you feel. You may be shocked and delighted at the results!
