10 Tips To Detox Naturally

We live in a toxic world. The average American has 13.1 pounds of toxic chemicals enter their bodies every year. These toxins are swallowed, breathed in and absorbed through our skin. Many of these chemicals were not even in existence 100 years ago, so we don’t have the genetic hardwiring to deal with some of them.

The results can be devastating. These consequences can include; DNA damage, disrupted hormonal function, free radical damage, cancer and more.

There are two ways to approach this toxic dilemma, one is to avoid the toxins as best you can and the other is to detox.

Some detoxification regimens are intense, others are more mild.

But there are also things you can do each day that Food Matters has come up with 10 of them. These will help your body improve its natural detoxification systems:

1. Boost your glutathione production by including vitamin C rich foods in your diet every day! Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant in the body that helps drive toxins out of the body.

2. Practice breathing deeply for at least 5 minutes a day. It helps you relax but also allows oxygen to circulate throughout your whole system helping to detox your cells.

3. Reduce or eliminate foods and drinks that tend to cause sluggishness, poor digestion and contribute little to no nutrition e.g. alcohol, caffeinated drinks, cigarettes, refined sugars and processed foods.

4. Switch to eco-friendly, natural household cleaners and personal health care products e.g. toothpaste, cleansers, deodorants. Better yet you can make your own for half the price of store-bought products!

5. Eat foods rich in fiber to help support your body’s natural digestive detoxification pathway. Fresh fruits, vegetables including lots of leafy greens, avocado, and small amounts of high fiber whole grains or seeds such as quinoa, buckwheat, teff, and oats.

6. Sweat it out! Exercise promotes detoxification via our perspiration. Work up a sweat in your favorite gym class or try a sauna session. As you exercise, blood circulates throughout the body bringing fresh oxygen and nutrients to your organs and muscles, whilst toxins are released through the pores of your skin.

7. Drink up! Drinking plenty of water each day helps to flush out toxins and waste from the body. Aim for 2 liters a day, which includes fruit and vegetables with a high water content, and herbal teas. Discover the amazing benefits of drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning.

8. Cruciferous vegetables are amazing detoxifiers! Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and other vegetables from the same family provide a compound called sulforaphane, offering potent antioxidant activity that is anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer, helping to rid the body of harmful toxins and combat their negative effects. You can even make a super simple sauerkraut recipe with just 3 ingredients!

9. Brush your body! Dry skin brushing is an easy and effective way to help improve the appearance of your skin by regenerating skin cells but also helps to stimulate blood circulation and the lymphatic system, improving toxin elimination!

10. Massage it out! A great, firm massage focusing on pressure points within the body helps to release the toxins trapped in your tissues. When pressure is placed on these pressure points, the toxin buildup is broken down and released from its ‘sticking point’. Once they’ve been released, flushing the body out by drinking lots of water helps to expel these toxins from your body.