Methods to Detox Toxins Including Detoxing Naturally

Detoxing sounds intimidating right? Are you picturing those intense diets, frequent trips to the bathroom, and feeling lethargic? Well, you actually naturally detox all the time so detoxing doesn’t have to be like that.

In fact, this blog will not only cover the different types of detox plans out there, but how to detox skin from inside out naturally with foods that help the body detox, exercises, and more.

Why Detox?

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, too many toxins in the body can contribute to a chronic health condition. So your body does need to detox! You may have also gathered from my other blogs, we are exposed to a large number of toxins from our water supply, from chemical cleaners, from the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the chemicals in skin care products. Oh yes, it’s a lot! And even the healthiest holistic health practitioners still have traces of toxins in their bodies because it is not 100% avoidable. That’s why no matter who you are, you need to detox.

Toxins can damage every aspect of your health.

They can damage your DNA making you age faster, damage organs, weaken bones, damage enzymes that are needed for body functions, your neurological health (can cause brain fog), metabolic health (they can cause fatigue), endocrine (thyroid, adrenals, sex hormones), immune health (virus, fungal, bacterial infections), digestion (leaky gut, food intolerances, malabsorption).

Most people with ongoing health issues probably have a heavy toxin load. However, you don’t have to have a present diagnosed health issue to feel the effects of too many toxins in your body. You could just have low energy, frequent headaches, aches/pains, be bloated, have constipation, frequent gas, or even mood swings due to a toxin overload. I used to have low energy, but I never realized it because I had low energy for so long it just became my normal.

You also have to manage your stress so that the body can properly detox. When your body is in “fight or flight”  the body interprets that as danger. What Is the Fight-or-Flight Response? Your body releases hormones when stressed to prepare you to either fight the situation or run away from it. Our bodies enter this “fight or flight” when stressed because it is an inherited survival mechanism from our ancient ancestors. So I love how Food Revolution explains it, “Detoxing when the body needs all its energy to escape from a predator would be like insisting on mopping the floor while a tornado bears down on your house (Robbins, 2019).“ 

Let’s review some of the different detox programs and therapies out there, and then talk about natural detoxing to get a full picture of detoxing.

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Types of Detoxes

So if you have an ongoing health issue where you have inflammation, gut problems, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorder etc., a detox that is a strict diet, chelation detox, colon detox, or something related might be a good idea. I’ve done a lot of different things. I had gut health issues and my liver wasn’t flushing things out such as the heavy amount of lead in my body.

Chelation/Supplement Detox

This is a detox method you have to do with a health practitioner. A chelation detox uses supplements to pull the toxins from the body (metals mostly). You have to take a bunch of different supplements to support the body and make it work effectively. Side effects were minimal when I did this, but when I did get them I met with the practitioner to make changes. Long story short, I was doing it for over a year and wasn’t seen results. I also did another supplemental detox and I didn’t see any huge changes. But, it depends on your body and how well it is functioning to remove toxins.

I have heard of it working well for some people, so I’m not against chelation. But there are other options. I will mention more on what I did that did work.

Diet Detox and Ayurveda Detox

I’ve done a couple diet detoxes that I really felt no different afterward.

The one detox that actually worked was an Ayurveda detox that was way more intense. Because it was way more than a diet detox! It required a strict diet for three months, and then two weeks of treatments with an even stricter diet, some herbs/oils, massage, sauna, and more. This detox finally resolved my liver issues, and greatly improved my physical health.

Anyway, no matter what you have read about diet detoxes and how such and such is safe, always check with a health care practitioner. It depends on your body and your health condition whether or not it is safe. It also is super important you know what to expect and how much exercise you can do well your on a detox, how much water to drink, and so on.

I recommend working with a trusted healthcare practitioner throughout the detox process. On that note, I’m not a huge fan of diet detoxes. It made sense for my health issues, but as a preventative measure I’m not interested. Sometimes people just have a little fatigue or low energy, troubles concentration, there is often a stage of frequent bowel movements, maybe diarrhea. I’ve had these symptoms and a migraine from a detox, but I was also extremely moody. I feel like it caused me too much stress and you know how stress doesn’t help with detoxing? So yeah.

I think there are other ways, so if I can do other things to detox toxins I’m all in! Here are other detox options…

Lymphatic Therapy

If your lymphatic system isn’t working right, you will have troubles detoxing. You need to have good lymph circulation. If that is something you are concerned about there is electro-lymphatic therapy you can do.

Foot Detox

Not too long ago, I tried a foot detox. It was just out of curiosity. It is pretty safe, people typically don’t have symptoms afterward. I didn’t. Research articles are lacking on it or are being hidden. However, the practitioner I met with said she had tested people before and saw great results. She has also heard the testimonials of how it has helped people with various health conditions.

Many say what you detox is based on the color of the water, but I have tested out this concept and I’ve seen with some foot detox baths the water just changes color no matter if it has feet in it or not. So in order to really know it is working you have to take a toxin test, or try it out long enough to see if your symptoms change. But if it doesn’t work, it could also mean your body is struggling with detoxing.

I can’t say for certain foot detoxes are worth it. This was the most interesting thing I could find on foot detoxes: Klinghardt Solutions: Using the Ion Cleanse Foot Bath for Autism and Lyme

Fasting

Fasting is also supposed to work great for helping the body clear toxins. There are different programs created by doctors to make fasting more effective for detoxification. I did fasting for awhile just skipping breakfast and not eating until 11am or noon. It wasn’t bad once I got used to it. Fasting can also help a person to lose weight. I didn’t lose weight, but I do think that it works for certain people.

Many people love the benefits of fasting for days, but I personally have never done fasts that last days and I never will. It can be super unsafe, so you have to work with a healthcare practitioner if you do. I have heard some stories of hallucinations. I even met this lady a couple years back who shared with me how her husband died from doing intense exercise with no food in his system.

I’m not a huge fan of short-term fasting either. But its because of my own experience of a naturopath saying it was okay, and then my Ayurveda practitioner telling me I shouldn’t be for what is happening with my body. But I’m not saying that Ayurveda was a better solution for my health, as both health practitioners helped me in different ways. Just trying to say, you should check with a healthcare provider before fasting because it isn’t always safe depending on your body or health conditions.

HOCATT

HOCATT stands for HYPERTHERMIC OZONE & CARBONIC ACID TRANSDERMAL TECHNOLOGY. Yes that is a mouth-full. It is 7x more effective at detoxifying the body and chelating (binding) heavy metals than conventional saunas (Total Health Nutrition). I have not tried this, I’ve wanted to but I haven’t had the opportunity to. As you would with a sauna, toxins are removed through your sweat. And all you do is just sit in this pod for 30 minutes. It is not invasive or painful. BUT it does more than detox! It is good for a myriad of other things such as improving immune function, hormones, organ function, improving stress, anxiety, circulation, brain function, blood flow, and so much more! It has a ton of benefits and supposedly has very few side effects.

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Natural Ways to Detox Body from Toxins

Okay so since this is a preventative wellness blog, I have to share how to amp up your natural detoxing! 

Although these are more natural forms of detoxing, they may be harmful when not done in moderation or could be harmful based on present health issues. Make sure to check with a healthcare provider if you don’t know what is acceptable. It is also important to note, there are many types of holistic weight loss programs that help to lose toxic fat instead of just regular fat.

Detoxing Naturally with Food

Another reason to eat your vegetables! Get your nutrients in and more effectively naturally detox with these foods.

Some of the Top Best Foods for Detoxing

Vegetables

• Broccoli is known to fight off infectious cells and it helps the liver clear toxins.
• Artichokes help to clear the liver. It has two phytonutrients that helps with this. Cynarin assists the liver in producing bile which is needed for digesting fat and clearing toxins.
• Asparagus is great for detoxification because it has glutathione, an antioxidant that helps with detoxing.
• Beets have a two-step process of first helping clear toxins from the liver, and then clearing them outside the liver with a fiber called pectin.
• Cabbage has sulforaphane, which helps fights toxins off, along with glutathione (an antioxidant).
• Collard Greens have loads of sulfer-containing compounds which help the body detox and also lower cancer risk because of indole-3-carbinol.
• Kale has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any plant you can eat, and can help reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and detox the liver.
• Spinach also has antioxidants and it helps by keeping cholesterol from oxidizing in the body.
• Watercress has natural diuretic properties which help remove toxins.

Fruits

• Avocado is packed full of antioxidants that help with detoxing.
• Grapefruit has lots of nutrients and enzymes that break down fat in the body.
• Lemons promote healthy immune cells, improve liver function, and prevent oxidative stress-related damage.

Other

• Garlic has loads of benefits along with boosting liver function, it is anti-viral, anti-fungal, and antibacterial.
• Ginger is high in antioxidants, but also improves digestion and immune function.
• Chai Seeds & Flax Seeds have Omega3 fatty acids which help remove unhealthy bacteria and toxins.
  
• Walnut contains L-Arginine and glutathione as well as Omega 3 fatty acids which help detox the liver and support toxin elimination (Friedman, 2021).
• Spices (Turmeric & Rosemary) Turmeric helps to detox the liver and remove heavy metals, and helps prevent cellular damage. Rosemary helps with lung and brain health. NOTE: Spices work best when made into teas.
• Salmon has loads of Omega3s which help with detoxing, but it has numerous other health benefits.

TEAS & JUICES For Detoxing

The Best Teas for Detoxing Your Body, According to Experts

Homemade Detox Drinks: 5 Major Health Benefits, Including Weight Loss

11 Clean & Healthy Detox Juice Recipes To Add To Your Routine

Meals for Detoxing

26 Tasty Detox Recipes for a Feel Good Dinner

Detoxing Through Exercise 

Regular exercise has been shown to help increase the body’s circulation of lymph fluid, helping you flush out toxins and bacteria more effectively (ASK THE SCIENTISTS). However, it doesn’t have to be heavy cardio exercise. Keeping up with moving and getting exercise in general, whether it is walking, yoga, or kayaking, will help your body with detoxing. It is better to be more active in general, than to keep up with short cardio sessions.

Exercise also helps because it can remove fat from around the liver. Fat around the liver can lead to some chronic health issues. You can even reduce liver fat without losing weight, although liver fat is usually associated with obesity. Aerobic exercises and weight lifting have shown to help with liver fat. But any exercise will help keep the liver healthy.

Using Heat and Water to Detox

You can do bath detoxes, visit a sauna, and a steam room.

In summary, numerous clinical studies have shown that utilizing an infrared/steam sauna is able to remove many toxins through sweat; these include but are not limited to, heavy metals, phthalates, flame retardants, Bisphenol A, pesticides and PCBs (DiNicolantonio, 2020).

Did you know you can even buy your own portable at home sauna?

You can also do a bath detox. Here are 5 Simple & Natural Detox Bath Recipes. I have not tried all these, but I am familiar with using Epsom salt, baking soda, and essential oils (lavender).

It is up to you to decide how important detoxing is to you. There are tests to check how much toxins are in your body. 

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Download this Free Guide:

TOXIN CHECKLIST
(Products to Replace)

 

 

 

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View All Blogs on Toxins

What are Toxins in the Body? (Overview of All Things Toxic)

DANGER! Toxic Ingredients in Skin Care Products

How to Replace Dangerous Skin Care Products

Indoor Air Toxins & Chemical Cleaners

Air Quality Solutions and Replacing Chemical Cleaners

Toxic Products in Your Kitchen & Choosing Safe Cooking Utensils

Outdoor Toxins – What’s in your yard?

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Resources:

Gorse, McKay. (2019, February 26). Patient First/9 Foods to Naturally Detox. Retrieved from: https://www.patientfirst.com/blog/9-foods-to-naturally-detox

Reino, Nicole. (2015, March 24). Active/5 Ways to Detox with Kale. Retrieved from: https://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/5-ways-to-detox-with-kale

Robbins, Ocean. (2019, January 11). Food Revolution Network/12 Detoxifying Foods to Help Cleanse Your Body Naturally. Retrieved from: https://foodrevolution.org/blog/detoxifying-foods/

Friedman, Loretta T. (2021, November 4). SYNERGY HEALTH SOLUTIONS/The 7 Best Foods to Help You Detox, Feel Lighter, Healthier, Have More Energy. Retrieved from: https://synergyhealthassociates.com/blog/the-7-best-foods-to-help-you-detox-feel-lighter-healthier-have-more-energy

ASK THE SCIENTISTS/The Role of Exercise in Detox: Discover the Truth About Sweating It Out. Retrieved from: https://askthescientists.com/exercise-detox/

Dr. DiNicolantonio, James. (2020, July 30). Clearlight/Do Saunas Help Remove Toxins from the Body?. Retrieved from: https://infraredsauna.com/blog/do-saunas-help-remove-toxins-from-the-body/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20numerous%20clinical%20studies,Bisphenol%20A%2C%20pesticides%20and%20PCBs.

Total Health Nutrition Center/HOCATT. Retrieved from: https://www.totalhealthinc.com/Services/HOCATT