How to Detox Your Body Safely

Detox cleanses and body fasts have become very popular as the focus on health has increased. There are many detox diets and pills out on the market, though, that can cause as much harm as they do good. If you are interested in cleansing your body of toxins from alcohol, tobacco, fatty food or general environmental impurities, here is a safe way to go about it that won’t cramp your lifestyle or pose health complications.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Water (sparkling or still)
• Notebook
• Pen or pencil

1. Begin by speaking with your doctor about your health condition. Tell them that you are interested in detoxifying your body naturally. If you are diabetic or have other serious health problems you will likely need to modify your cleanse to prevent changes in blood sugar or stress on the body.

2. Decide on the number of days you would like to cleanse. Three to five days is the average, but if it is your first time you might try a two-day detox. More than five days is unhealthy.

3. Cleanse your home and work environment of any toxins. Get rid of alcohol, tobacco, fatty foods, sweets and air fresheners. Remove anything that may act as a temptation or distraction.

4. Create a menu for all meals and snacks. Make each meal solely fruit- and vegetable-based. Include superfoods such as beet root, blueberries, spinach, avocado and lemon that will cleanse the blood and body organs. Omit heavy starches and grains during this period, as well as dairy and meat products. The exception is breakfast, where low-fat yogurt can be incorporated into a berry smoothie.

5. Fill your refrigerator with fresh fruits, vegetables and bottled water. Making sure that you have lots of good food and water on hand will help with temptations and cravings.

6. Get lots of rest, bathe daily and, if possible, visit a steam room. Light exercise is also a good way of getting the blood circulating in your body.

Tips & Warnings

• Doing a three- or five-day detox is an ideal way to begin a lifestyle change like quitting smoking.
• Don’t cook your food. If you are detoxifying, let the natural properties of the vegetables and fruits do their job. Cooking vegetables destroys many of the good things they offer.
• Eat regularly during the day. Cleansing is not about starvation or discomfort. By eating fresh, raw vegetables your body is cleaning out the digestive system so that it can absorb nutrients more quickly. It also is replenishing the body’s nutrient stores to improve health.
• Consider juicing many of your vegetables. Fresh carrot juice might be easier to drink than eating lots of raw carrots.
• Keeping your mind occupied during a body detox is the best way of ensuring success. An idle mind is the fastest way of breaking the cleanse.
• Never starve yourself. Not only will your body begin to shut down, but it will break down muscle instead of fat for energy. If you want to move toxins out of the body, then you need to replace them with good foods. The fiber in vegetables and fruits are necessary for swiftly moving material through the digestive system. This is true for weight loss cleanses as well as detoxifying ones.
• Never omit carbohydrates or proteins for more than five days. The human body requires carbohydrates, proteins and fats to run properly. Omitting them causes the body unnecessary harm.