How to Properly Detox

detox letters on a blue plate

If there is one thing that this year has taught us, it is the dire need to stay fit and healthy. It has become imperative to focus on our well-being now more than ever before. There are a lot of ways to stay and maintain good health, including a healthy routine and a workout regime. However, before we move forward to work on our body from the outside, it is important to cleanse the system from the inside. Our body needs to go through internal cleansing to maintain a good system that is free of harmful toxins and chemicals that can otherwise hamper some of the crucial functions of our body. In other words, it is crucial to detox our bodies.

What is Detox?

Detoxification is a process in which the toxins in our body are turned to less toxic and easily excretable substances. The process performs cleansing from the inside, getting rid of every waste material that can hamper the healthy functioning of our body. Before the recent craze and popularity of detoxification went up, it was simply viewed as a medical procedure that removes life-threatening and dangerous substances such as alcohol, drugs, etc., from our body.

Today, the process has become a health-conscious approach that people take periodically to improve their system. Detoxification today leads to the eradication of even generic symptoms like fatigue, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, bloating, etc.

How to Properly Detoxify?

Earlier, patients undergoing detoxification were required to follow a set procedure at the hospitals. The treatment was focused on using drugs and therapies to detoxify the body depending on the severity and type of toxicity. Today, anyone can perform detox from the comfort of their home using the products available in their kitchen.

Even more so, a slight change in our routine is also known to provide a good level of detoxification. Following are the ways we can properly detoxify our body:

Lemon Juice and Warm Water

One of the best natural ways to detox is to regularly drink lemon juice mixed in warm water. Every morning, take this wonderful mixture that is known to flush out harmful substances from the body. For better results, add grated ginger to the mixture as lemon and ginger work together to improve digestion. This solution can also enhance your metabolism.

What’s even better? It wouldn’t take you long to prepare this drink. Hardly 2-3 minutes of your efforts can provide a fresh start to your day. However, remember to consume this empty stomach for better results.

Limit Alcohol Intake

The liver is the most important organ that aids in natural detox. It metabolizes more than 90 percent of the alcohol and turns it into acetaldehyde which is a cancer-causing substance. Identifying this acetaldehyde as a toxin, our liver converts it into acetate which is a harmless chemical and is excreted out from our body.

Various studies have shown that low to moderate consumption of alcohol has a few health benefits, however, if the intake is increased, it can hamper the usual functioning of the liver. Excessive drinking can cause inflammation, fat buildup, and other issues. This prevents the liver from performing usual tasks and toxins aren’t eliminated from our body.

Drink Water

The only liquid that has tons of benefits and costs you nothing, is water. It keeps our body hydrated at all times and is also crucial to guide harmful substances from our system. Water is required by our body to produce saliva and it also aids in perspiration. Various cellular processes in our body produce wastes in the form of carbon dioxide and urea.

These harmful substances, once buildup, poses a great risk for the body. Water helps transport these waste products out of the body through breathing, urinating, or sweating. Approximately 3 liters of water intake per day is recommended for men, whereas around 2.7 liters are required for women.

Get Enough Sleep

Many people underestimate the importance of sleep and have unusual sleeping cycles which further degrade their system. Along with detoxifying our bodies, it is crucial to cleanse our minds as well. Getting enough sleep can do just right about that. Our brain removes toxins while we sleep and hence, it is important to not ignore the cruciality of getting adequate sleep.

Lessen Caffeinated Drinks Intake

Sure it is nice to grab a cup of coffee to ease your mind and focus on your work. However, what you don’t know, is the fact that tea and coffee can do more harm than good to your body. Swapping these drinks with green tea is a much better approach to follow a healthy diet, as well as detox the body from the inside.

Green tea also aids in improving the digestive system and boost our metabolism, promoting weight loss, and a good habit to have a healthy diet.

Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods

There are free radicals in our body that cause cell damage and also promote the aging process. Antioxidants are compounds that prevent the cells from the damage induced by free radicals. These harmful chemicals are naturally produced by our bodies to aid in processes such as digestion.

However, a poor diet, exposure to pollution, excessive use of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco can produce an excessive amount of free radicals which are very harmful. Having an antioxidant-rich diet such as berries, nuts, cocoa, fruits, spices, vegetables, and beverages such as green tea can help tackle the excess free radicals.

Lessen Salt Intake

Having a high salt intake can increase fluid retention in our body. When we consume too much salt and less water, our body represents antidiuretic hormone which affects urination and eventually the natural detox process.

Lessening the salt intake and consuming more water can restrict the secretion of the antidiuretic hormone and also increases urination, thereby removing the excess fluids and waste products.

Increase Activity

Exercise is the key to attain great health. Physical activity is known to reduce the risk of a series of diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even certain cancers. However, despite all these benefits, one of the key points is reduced inflammation.

Although this is crucial for recovering from injuries or wounds, too much inflammation can weaken the body and invite various diseases. Regular exercise can reduce inflammation and improve the detox process of the body.

Conclusion

These are great ways to detox at home, however, we always suggest you go through a medical detox process if you are trying to cleanse the body of alcohol or drugs. These substances should be treated with proper medical attention and not with a DIY methodology. Substance abuse disorders are no joke and they should be treated with the utmost care. Proper medical detox is needed before anything else if you are looking to go through the addiction recovery process.