How To Tap Into Your Body's Natural Detox Process

 We hear and see it everywhere, detox detox detox! 

Just even hearing this your mind might instantly go to a juice cleanse, detox teas or supplements claiming to get to magical results.

But what is detoxification exactly?  

Our body’s second largest organ and the ultimate powerhouse detox centre is….. the liver. 

To best describe it, the liver goes through a process of rendering chemicals, compounds, hormones, and toxins to be less harmful.

While the liver does the most of the heaving lifting in this process, other organs come to the party also to help support detox in the body. Those include the kidneys, large intestine, lymphatic system, lungs, and sweat glands.

Together, these organs work together as a whole to reduce the burden or toxic load of chemicals and make them easier for the body to eliminate… primarily via urine or stool (aka poop).

Now let’s look at how we can reduce your toxic exposure to begin with.

Prevention is your best line of defence and offense. Pollutants are everywhere! From our air, food, water, personal care products and even the clothes we wear.

Simple strategies for reducing toxin exposure include avoiding plastics, choosing clean personal care products, drinking plenty of purified water, eating organic foods, and supporting clean-label clothing brands. 

Remember a body that’s efficient and well supported in detoxing is better able to release weight, improve mood, balance hormones and contribute to greater overall wellbeing.

5 ways to further enhance detoxification  

1.  Eat a diet rich in detox-supporting foods.

Think liver loving foods! The liver needs o variety of nutrients to optimally function. Eating a diet rich in fibre, plant based foods and high quality proteins – you can ensure you not only support the process of detoxification, but also elimination.

 Aim for the following foods:

• Cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, kale, cabbage, and cauliflower)
• high-quality protein (like grass-fed meats, wild-caught salmon, peas, beans, nuts, and seeds)
• sources of folic acid (like collard greens, asparagus, and lentils),
• and other foods like eggs, spinach, garlic, and grapefruit.

Opting for spay free and organic when possible will also mean less toxic load to begin with, meaning a healthy humming eco system inside your temple. 

A big one here is to also look at your alcohol intake and make reductions where you can. And when you do consume, opt for biodynamic, organic and preservative free wine etc. I also add a preserve reducing drop or spray into my glass to further enhance the toxic load. But balance is always key here.  

2.  Sweat it out 

Sweating is not only essential for body temperature regulation, but it is another route for toxin elimination. Research even shows that sweating can effectively remove heavy metals like arsenic and mercury (among others) which are known carcinogenic substances.

The most effective way to get your daily sweat in? Exercise.

Another great way…sweating it out inside an infrared sauna. Head to episode 42 of this podcast to listen to an amazing chat with Gabby Franklin, we chat about the benefits of sweating and infrared light therapy.

One that doesn’t come to mind straight away but soaking inside a warm to hot Epsom salt bath is also a great way to expel toxins.

Pop 2 cups of salt inside a standard bath of water (warm but not too hot) Temps between 33 and 37 degrees are ideal and soak for 20-30 minutes.

3.  Notch up quality sleep

If you needed another reason to catch more z’s, this is it. Not only is poor sleep associated with both short- and long-term health consequences like stress, anxiety, high-blood pressure, and heart disease, but it can also hinder the ability of your brain to eliminate toxins that build up throughout the day. Aim for ideally 7-9 hours of sleep a night.

For more on sleep head to episode 23 of the podcast.

4.  Hydrate

Getting in adequate water daily is said to help your body get rid of toxins, improve your energy levels, and help you drop weight.

Two litres is a great goal, more if you are exercising or add in herbal teas/coconut water if you struggle to drink water.

Aim for fresh quality filtered water, even better if its alkaline water.

We chat all things water and how it can dramatically improve your health over on episode 25.

5.  Live as low tax as possible 

Think of your health as a whole here, your environment being a big contributing factor for overall wellbeing. 

Home: ditch plastic and opt for bamboo, glass, stainless steel, ceramic. What's in your cleaning products? Swap to natural ingredients like baking sodas, vinegar and essential oils. Run air purifiers in your home, opt for low lighting (blue light is the most toxic), wear blue blocking glasses, diffuse essential oils, open windows and doors each morning, sage the home, buy bamboo sheets and bamboo sleep mask etc… every little bit counts.

Medicine cabinet: Most mainstream medicines come from a synthetic source and are filled with plenty of nasties. Where can you make some swaps to a more natural way of living? Again essential oils are a powerhouse in this area. Do you research, shop around and find healthy swaps as you run out of each product. I love the websites Nourished Life and Flora and Fauna. 

Beauty: between cosmetics, perfumes, personal care products and feminine hygiene products, women apply an average of 168 chemicals to their faces and bodies every day. Crazy! Take an inventory of your beauty cabinet. Where can you make some swaps? Make a list of all your products and buy a natural replacement as each items runs out. 

With love and light,