Most people have come across the term detoxification or maybe have tried detoxing. For those who are not yet or do not know what the term means, detoxification means sticking to a specific diet or using specific products that are believed to get rid of harmful toxins, thus enhancing health and promoting weight loss. Luckily, our bodies can detox naturally and may not require specific diets or supplements to get rid of these toxins. However, it’s still not a bad idea to enhance your body’s ability to detoxify naturally.
Ways to Detox Naturally
The following are ways on how you can detoxify naturally:
Drink Lots of Water
Other than quenching your thirst, water plays a more important role in ensuring that you stay healthy. Water helps regulate your body temperature, helps in digestion, acts as a joint lubricant, aids in nutrient absorption, and above all, helps get rid of waste products from your body. The body’s cells require uninterrupted repair to function well and break down nutrients to be used as energy.
However, this process doesn’t happen without releasing wastes – carbon dioxide and urea, which may be harmful to your health if left to build up in your blood. Fortunately, water moves the waste product through urination and sweating. Therefore, hydration helps a lot in detoxification. The recommended daily intake of water is 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women. However, you may drink more or less depending on your diet, activity level, and location.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Most alcohol (about 90%) is metabolized in the liver. Liver enzymes assimilate alcohol to acetaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical. When the liver assumes acetaldehyde toxins, it converts them to a safe substance known as acetate, which is later eliminated from the body.
Though some studies show that low alcohol consumption is good for heart health, too much alcohol can cause some health challenges. For instance, excessive alcohol consumption can seriously damage the liver by causing a fat buildup, scarring, and inflammation. In this case, the liver cannot function as it should, and therefore, it gets difficult for the liver to filter waste and other harmful toxins from the body.
Limiting your alcohol consumption or doing away with it is the best and sure way to ensure that your liver is healthy and in good shape. It is recommended to have one drink for women and two for men per day. If you do not drink, don’t start for the well-being of your heart and liver health.
Switch Caffeinated Drinks with Green Tea
While most people cannot go for a day without a cup of coffee or tea, caffeinated drinks are more harmful to your body than you ever think of. To prevent these harmful toxins from entering your body, switch caffeinated drinks with green tea, which is healthier than tea and coffee. Green tea not only cleanses your digestive system but also boosts your body’s metabolism and helps in weight loss.
Get Enough Sleep
Adequate and uninterrupted sleep every single night is required for a healthy body and natural detoxification system. Enough sleep gives your brain some time to recharge and remove waste byproducts that might have accumulated during the day.
An example of such waste products is beta-amyloid which may cause Alzheimer’s disease. Lack of enough sleep prevents your body from getting rid of harmful toxins, affecting your general health. It may also cause short and long-term health issues such as anxiety, stress, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
A normal healthy person should sleep for seven to nine uninterrupted hours each night to enhance their health. If you find it difficult to fall or stay asleep at night, try lifestyle changes such as sticking to a sleep schedule or visit your doctor for further assessment for what could be the cause.
Related: Tips to Help Get Better Sleep at Night
Limit Your Salt Intake to Detox Naturally
Some people believe that one of the ways of detoxing is eliminating excess water. Excessive salt intake causes your body to retain more fluid, especially if your liver and kidneys are not healthy or don’t drink enough water. The excess fluid in your body may cause bloating, making you feel uncomfortable. If you consume too much salt, you can detox yourself by decreasing the intake. Though it may sound ironic, the best way to eliminate excess fluid from your body caused by too much salt is by drinking lots of water.
Eat Food Rich in Prebiotics
Gut health is essential in enhancing your detoxification system. The intestinal cells have the detoxification ability that protects the gut from harmful chemicals. Foods rich in prebiotics ensure gut health since they are high in fiber, which supplies good gut bacteria. Prebiotics also produce nutrients known as short-chain fatty acids that are good for your health.
However, good bacteria in your gut can be unbalanced by the harmful bacteria from poor dental hygiene, antibiotics, and type of diet. Eating healthy food that is rich in prebiotics ensures that your immune and detoxification system are healthy. Foods rich in prebiotics include tomatoes, onions, artichokes, asparagus, oats, bananas, and garlic.
Sugar and Processed Foods May Interfere with Your Body’s Ability to Detox Naturally
Sugar and processed foods are the root cause of many health issues. High consumption of these foods is linked to obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. These conditions interfere with your body’s ability to detoxify naturally by harming critical organs such as kidneys and liver. For instance, excessive consumption of sugary drinks may cause fatty liver, hence negatively impacting the liver’s function. To limit your intake of these floods, ensure that you do not purchase or have them in your kitchen. Instead of eating junk and sugary food, switch to healthy foods and fruits plus lots of water.
Besides the above ways, ensure that you exercise regularly to ensure that your blood circulates well in the body and your detoxification system is active. By exercising, you are bound to sweat, which is one of the ways to detox naturally.
