Detox is a buzzword. This usually involves following a specific dietary regimen or using special products that claim to rid your body of toxins, thereby improving health and helping you lose weight. Your body is actually well equipped to eliminate toxins on its own. That said, you can improve your body's natural detoxification system.
This article gives you several tips and tricks to rejuvenate your body's detoxification system.
What is a detox cure?
A detox cure aims to optimize your body's natural detoxification system.
On the market you will find many detox cures often involving the use of diuretics, vitamins, minerals, teas or laxatives. The idea is to help the body eliminate toxins.
But there are also many methods to include in your daily life to promote proper elimination of toxins, and that is what we will do in this article.
Why do a detox treatment?
Your body has a sophisticated way of eliminating toxins that involves the liver, kidneys, digestive system, skin and lungs. However, only when these organs are healthy can they effectively eliminate unwanted substances. Thus, detox diets will serve to boost your body's natural detoxification system.
How to do a detox diet?
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Limit your alcohol consumption
Liver enzymes metabolize alcohol into acetaldehyde, a known carcinogenic toxin. Your liver then converts it into a harmless substance called acetate, which it eliminates from your body. Excessive alcohol consumption can seriously damage your liver function by causing fat buildup and inflammation. When this happens, your liver cannot function properly and carry out its necessary tasks, including filtering waste and other toxins from your body.
Excessive alcohol consumption reduces your liver's ability to perform normal functions, such as detoxification.
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Prioritize a good night’s sleep
Sleep allows your brain to recharge, as well as eliminate toxic waste byproducts that build up throughout the day. One of these waste products is a protein called beta-amyloid, which contributes to the development of Alzheimer's disease, for example. Poor sleep is associated with short- and long-term health consequences, such as stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
Getting adequate quality sleep each night is essential to supporting your body's health and your natural detox system. Try to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep regularly every night for good health.
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Drink more water
Water has other essential functions than quenching your thirst. Indeed, water transports waste toxins, eliminating them effectively through urination, breathing or perspiration. In addition, hydrating yourself properly has many benefits such as regulating your body temperature, lubricating joints, facilitating digestion and absorption of nutrients.
It is therefore important to stay well hydrated during a detox treatment. If you want to diversify the drinks, you can also have green tea, which is ideal during a detox treatment.
Often it is recommended to drink water with fresh lemon juice. While each detox program is different, many advise consuming fresh juices made from all kinds of fruits over a long period of time. Be careful though, juices are often high in calories and low in fiber. Public Health France reminds that fruit juices should be limited to 1 glass per day. Discover our article on “Juice vs smoothie. Which one to choose ?" .
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Reduce your sugar intake
Research links high consumption of sugary foods to obesity and other chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. However, these diseases hinder your body's ability to detoxify naturally by damaging organs that play an important role, such as your liver and kidneys.
To keep your body's detoxification system healthy, you need to avoid junk food.
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Eat foods rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants protect your cells from damage caused by molecules called free radicals. Oxidative stress is a condition that results from the excessive production of free radicals. Alcohol, tobacco smoke, a nutrient-poor diet, and exposure to pollutants can produce excessive free radicals.
Eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help your body fight oxidative stress caused by excess free radicals and other toxins that increase your risk of disease. Examples of antioxidants include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin.
A diet rich in antioxidants also improves the health and beauty of your skin and hair.
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Eat foods rich in prebiotics
Your intestinal cells have a detox and excretion system that protects your gut and body from harmful toxins, such as chemicals.
Good gut health starts with prebiotics, a type of fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut called probiotics. With prebiotics, your good bacteria can produce nutrients called short-chain fatty acids that are beneficial to your health.
Eating foods rich in prebiotics can keep your immune system and detoxification system healthy. Good food sources of prebiotics include certain fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus, bananas, red fruits and also oats.
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Reduce your salt intake
For some people, detox is a way to eliminate excess water. Consuming too much salt can cause your body to retain excess fluid, especially if you don't drink enough water.
So, consuming too much salt can increase water retention. You can eliminate excess water - and waste - by increasing your intake of water and potassium-rich foods. Foods rich in potassium include potatoes, squash, kidney beans, bananas and spinach.
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Stay active
Regular exercise - regardless of body weight - is associated with a longer life and reduced risk of many conditions and diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and certain cancers. Exercising also allows your body's detoxification system to function properly.
You should aim to do at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise – such as brisk walking – or 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity – such as running.
SUMMARY
Detox diets are said to eliminate toxins, which helps improve health and promote weight loss.
Although these diets are popular, they are not necessary. Your body has its own very effective detoxification system.
That said, you can enhance your body's natural detoxification system and improve your overall health by staying hydrated, consuming less salt, staying active, and eating a diet rich in antioxidants.
