How to detox correctly? 

Detox has long a popular keyword in recent years, when everyone is striving to achieve a more healthy and balanced body and lifestyle. But do you actually understand correctly about detoxing your body?

When I think of detox, I usually think of these detox regimes of only drinking juices within a certain time period. However, I was surprised to know that a lot of people go through an expensive detox process without any consultation from professionals or doctors. The processes might even have unclear scientific foundation and ask you to follow a rather… strange diet but are still trusted by many people.

According to what I know, detox – the detoxification of the body is not just about depriving yourself of foods and drinks.  Learn more below.

What is detox? 

Detox, to put simply, is getting the toxins from the outside environment out of our bodies. These toxins might come from the air we breathe, the foods, drinks, medicines, even in dish soaps and other cleaning products. Apart from that, the insides of our bodies also have toxins from high cholesterol, bacterias, viruses… 

Even though our bodies take in toxins everyday, we are fortunate that we have already got an extremely effective system to detox naturally.

How do our bodies detox? 

The liver and kidneys are the 2 main detoxification organs in the body. Toxins that go into our body and cannot be adsorbed into the bloodstream will be transferred to the liver. The liver will then break these down and send them to the kidneys. The kidneys will once again filter the waste and remove them from the body through the excretory system. 

So, you can see that the liver and kidneys are actually superheroes who can eliminate most toxins out of our bodies everyday without us having to skip meals. 

When does your body need assistance in detoxification?

So if we have a natural detoxification system that is so effective, can we just eat and drink whatever we want? The answer is obviously no. 

Let’s imagine the detoxification system of the body as a river. If a tree branch fell into the river, the water would easily flush it away. Bưt if there were trees, trash, and dust all falling into the river at once, the water flow would for sure be blocked. 

The same goes for our livers, kidneys and digestive system . If there are too many toxins absorbed into the body, they will not be able to detoxify fast and effectively enough to keep us healthy. 

Of course, when the body is overwhelmed with toxins, there will be clear signs and that will be when we need to seek medical assistance immediately.

So should we follow a detoxing process? 

With a healthy body, detoxing by only drinking juice or taking supplements instead of the usual diet would not yield too much effect. And as I shared with you above, toxins also come from polluted air, chemicals, water…Thus, limiting food intakes is not the best way to detox your body. 

When your body is overwhelmed with toxins, there are sure signs to recognize it. In this case, we need to seek medical assistance immediately.

I think we can still follow some detox programs when we want to to feel better and more balanced. But we cannot expect them to completely change or heal our bodies. 

What are the ways to assist our bodies in natural detoxing?

Here are some of the simple but effective ways to help our bodies naturally detox better:

• Get enough sleep: Sleep gives our body time to recover. This is when the liver and kidneys work  eliminate toxins accumulated throughout the day. Sleeping for 7-9 hours a day is crucial for effective detoxification. 
• Eat clean: This is why I follow an eat clean diet: eat more vegetables, cook fresh food everyday, eliminate sugar out of daily foods and drinks. Foods with high fiber such as veggies, nuts, cereals…will help the body to digest and detox well. 
• Drink plenty of water: Drinking 2 liters of water a day will not only help our skin to get better, but is also a great way to detox. When we drink more water, our kidneys will work faster and more effectively. 
• Exercising: Working out everyday helps with lymphatic circulation and sweating, which are the 2 important functions in the process of detoxification. And of course, it will also help us reduce fat and safeguard the cardiovascular system! 
• Finally, it is to minimize all toxicity in our living environment. For example, filter tap water everyday, use air purifiers, stop drinking alcohol, smoking, use organic skin care, cleaning products…are all good habits.