Nourish - 7 Top Tips for Natural Detoxing and Daily Cleansing
Say no to drastic detox and hello to natural detoxing and daily cleansing! In this modern world with all its toxic battering, we need to put a lot more attention on natural detoxification and cleansing. This helps allow the body to heal itself and regenerate new healthy cells.
Often, people go full steam ahead and throw themselves into a drastic detox programme. Unfortunately, that then promptly makes them feel awful as they release all their stored toxins into the body all at once. There is a better, safer, and gentler way to cleanse away those toxins on a daily basis without a drastic detox.
Here are my 7 Top Tips For Natural Detoxing and Daily Cleansing!
No. 1 – Open Up the Exit Routes
Ensure your bowels are moving efficiently and you’re passing urine often enough. This will depend on your age/size/how much you liquid you drink and your caffeine consumption. On average you should be urinating 4 -8 times per day.
- To help move things along, try starting your morning with warm water with ½ lemon and 2 tbsp of Braggs apple cider vinegar. Start with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and build up if you find it too strong. This will really help to cleanse the liver and re-alkalize the body.
- Include chia seeds or slippery elm powder into your daily routine. These are gentle enough to not cause any discomfort, nor will they bung you up. Just ensure to drink enough water/herbal tea along with them to allow them to do their job effectively. A great way to consume chia seeds are in chia pudding.
Both chia seeds and slippery elm powder are high in nutrients, fibre and are brilliant for digestion. - Consume other fibre rich foods like apples, pears, root vegetables, berries, nuts, seeds, brown rice and legumes.
No. 2 – Hydrate
Ensure to drink at least 1.5-2 litres of water. Water helps flush out toxins from the body – very necessary when trying to cleanse and detox the body.
Try herbal teas such as:
- nettle, a great blood cleanser
- dandelion root, wonderful for the liver
- cinnamon tea, great for balancing blood sugar levels and helping you steer clear of quick sugar fixes
- green tea
If you are avoiding all caffeine during your cleanse, then perhaps stay away from green tea until you have finished your cleanse and then reintroduce it. That being said, green tea is well worth adding to your diet. It provides you with a host of polyphenols, antioxidants and the amino acid L-Theanine. This gem is great for relaxing the mind and distributing the caffeine into the blood in a stable way so as not to cause the peaks that regular black tea or coffee does.
No. 3 – Breathe Fresh Air!
Getting out in the fresh air for a walk, cycle, run or hike is great for cleansing the body. Getting the lymphatic system up and running and kicking the lungs into action is a sure way to get your body processing, clearing out the back-log and getting things moving.
This will help improve circulation which ensures efficient nutrient distribution, recycling and removal of waste. It also helps to boost circulation around the body. Especially to the brain and heart; even to the hair follicles on your head to help improve hair growth!
Getting out and moving is also a great aid when suffering from constipation, though do make sure to keep yourself hydrated!
No. 4 – Adopt a Nutritionally Complete Diet
Improving your diet means:
- cutting out processed foods and junk foods
- swapping refined salt for natural salts like Atlantic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt
- swapping refined sugars for natural options like coconut sugar, fruit or xylitol
- ditching hydrogenated fats and replacing for healthy versions like cold-pressed oils, omega oils, avocadoes, olives, coconuts, ghee etc.
- reducing and swapping when possible white flour for wholegrain, spelt or gluten-free ‘grains’
- ditching fried foods
- lowering alcohol intake
These dietary changes are essential to bring your body back into balance, especially if you’re feeling like you need a detox.
All of these substances put a huge burden on your body, and especially your liver. They can cause all kinds of congestion and inflammation throughout your body, especially if consumed regularly and in high amounts.
Giving your digestive system a break from these substances allows your digestive system to work less hard and reboot its natural detoxification processes.
By replacing these substances with high-quality foods you are essentially flooding your body with nutrition, giving it an infusion of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Try including:
- both cooked and raw fruits and vegetables
- high-quality proteins
- good fats
- antioxidant-rich foods
- plenty of water, veggie juice, coconut water and herbal teas
No. 5 – Include Liver-Friendly Foods
Include liver-friendly foods such as:
Beetroot
Home to a powerful chemical called Beta cyanin. This is a well-known stimulant of phase 2 of the detoxification pathways in the liver, ultimately helping the way the liver deals with waste materials.
Artichokes
Known to increase the production of bile and the rate at which it is released from the gall bladder. Bile is incredibly important for digestion and utilization of dietary fats in the body. Additionally, it’s one of the main transport mechanisms for fat-soluble toxins.
Other liver loving foods include: carrots| lemons| grapefruits| green leafy vegetables| garlic| dandelion| avocados| walnuts| turmeric| asparagus| broccoli| cauliflower| brussel sprouts and cabbage.
No. 6 – Gut Health
Include a daily probiotic to restore the good bacteria in the gut daily.
Additionally you can include fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir for gut health and gut healing. These take care of your gut and encourage healthy bowel movements which allow the toxins to be removed from the body.
No. 7 – Include Supportive Nutrient-Rich Supplements
Though it is good to point out that supplements are not a replacement for a healthy diet rich in good food, they are great additions. When added to the diet they really help support the body and fill in any nutritional gaps you may be having.
Greens powders
Try adding a teaspoon a day of barleygrass and/or wheatgrass. Maybe even a blend of these with an additional vegetable Brassica Blend such as One Nutrition Power Greens. These greens powders really do pack a punch when it comes to their nutrient levels.
If you don’t know how to incorporate them into your diet, check out this blog:
Spirulina
A blue-green algae rich in chlorophyll and packed with protein, all the essential amino acids, vitamins A, B Complex, C, D, and E, potassium, and other trace minerals.
Chlorella
An incredibly effective detoxifier that helps to remove alcohol, chemicals, heavy metals and even environmental pollutants from the liver. Especially useful for helping your body cope with any alcohol consumption. Simply take before and after drinking for maximum benefits. Chlorella also contains zinc and Vitamin B2, two nutrients known to help promote glowing radiant skin.
Milk Thistle
Your livers new best friend. A natural liver tonic that combines well with other herbs such as dandelion to help support the liver in ridding excess toxins. Learn more here.
Try including antioxidant rich foods such as acai powder, bee pollen, hemp seeds, goji berries or maca powder. These really help support the cleansing and detoxing process. Plus they taste great!
Combining a protein powder with your smoothies or meals is another way to add more substance and nutrition. Plus it really helps to ensure the amino acid levels in the body are stocked up—a requirement of the body to detox properly.
So there we have it! My 7 Top Tips for Natural Detoxing and Daily Cleansing.
Any questions? Drop into your local Nourish store to chat with our expert team and explore our full range of foods, supplements and skincare. You can also find our full product range in our online store.
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Emily Nöth
*Please note that while we are knowledgeable about our products and nutrition, this blog should never be a substitute for medical advice and attention.
Please remember that you should always obtain the all-clear from your doctor before starting any new supplement plan or diet if you’re on any medication.
