How To Detox

Posted by Kym on September 17th, 2008 at 01:24pm

Why I Learnt How To Detox Your Body

Towards the end of 2002, I was feeling very tired all the time and generally run down. My doctor had ruled out any medical issues, and simply put it down to the stresses in my life of working 12 hours a day and having a new born baby in the house as well.

It was through the recommendation of a close friend that I was decided to take a look at my eating habits and learn how to detox my body. At the time I knew very little about detoxing, so took it upon myself to find out everything I could about detoxing your body, and generally boosting your health and well being.

After a lot of research and trials and tribulations, I decided to put everything together in one place in the hope of helping other people get the same benefits from it as I did.

So here’s my top tips about how to detox your body.

Drink water or herbal teas

Drinking plenty of fluid is absolutely vital while you are detoxing as it helps to eliminate water-soluble toxins from your body. It also helps to prevent constipation, reduce bloating, and encourage clear skin. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day (about 2 liters), although you will need more in hot weather or on days when you are exercising.

As a rule of thumb, aim to drink an extra half liter of water for every hour you exercise. Choose still mineral water, or tap water that has been filtered, or boiled and then cooled. Ideally drink water that is at room temperature. If you don’t always fancy water, herbal teas – preferably loose leaf rather than tea bags - are excellent alternatives. Peppermint, camomile, dandelion root, horsetail and yarrow are particularly good as their essential oils help the detox process. Rooibosch (Redbush) tea is also beneficial as it is rich in antioxidants.

How To Fit It All In

Fitting in 6 to 8 glasses of liquid a day isn’t difficult once you get into the habit. Have a glass of water with a little freshly squeezed lemon juice or root ginger when you wake up - this is great for kick-starting your digestive system and bowel - then aim to drink little and often throughout the day.

Have a glass before each meal, a glass between meals, another during the evening
and perhaps a final glass of water last thing at night. Remember, some of these glasses can actually be herbal teas or freshly squeezed juices.

Eat Foods As Close To Their Natural State As Possible

This means choosing fresh food whenever possible and eating most of your fruit and vegetables raw, for example as snacks, crudites, salads, and juices. Raw food is full of vital nutrients, phytochemicals and enzymes. Once food has been kept too long, or if it has been cooked or processed in any way, its nutritional value plummets. Here are some tips on getting the most nutrition from your food.

Make at least half of your diet raw fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Buy fruit and vegetables in season whenever possible.
Shop little and often - don’t stock up.
Buy locally grown produce if you can, ideally from farm shops and local markets - imported produce is usually harvested under ripe (before it has developed its full vitamin quota) and will have lost much of its nutritional value during its journey to your supermarket.
Buy fresh-looking, unblemished, undamaged fruit and vegetables.
Do not buy fresh produce that is nearing its sell-by date.
Buy loose and not pre-packaged where possible.

Choose Organic Food Where Possible

You do not need to switch to a totally organic diet on a detox diet, especially as the cost can be very high, but selecting just a few organic ingredients will be a step in the right direction.

If you can’t buy many organic foods, don’t worry. It’s more important that you eat plentiful amounts of fresh foods - even if they are non-organic - than skimp on quantities. However, there are three main reasons for going organic on a healthy detox diet.

Organic foods are produced without the use of artificial pesticides and fertilizers, so they contain the lowest possible amounts of artificial, potentially toxic chemicals (such as nitrates). Although it’s a controversial area, there is evidence that the ‘cocktail’ effect of pesticide residues overtime may cause health problems in the future.
Organic foods undergo minimal processing. That means they contain no hydrogenated fats, artificial additives, preservatives or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Certain organic foods taste better and have more flavor.

Going Organic