6 Simple Ways to Detox the Healthy Way

We can all agree that each season hosts a holiday that is accompanied by eating your favorite holiday dishes and drinking your favorite holiday cocktails. Now that we’ve had our fun, it’s time to get back to business and get our bodies on track with healthy habits. Detoxing is a great way to hit the body’s proverbial reset button and flush out all of the toxins that may have been built up from overdoing it at the family get-together. When done in a healthy manner, trying a detox is as simple as eating healthier foods and adopting some new healthy lifestyle habits.

Going on a detox should never cause you to cut out all solid foods and rely solely on liquids. Detoxing should instead be comprised of a healthy and balanced diet and complementary exercise. While our bodies already detox harmful toxins through the liver, kidneys and immune system, why not work to aid your body and improve results?

Try these six natural and healthy ways to detox your body:

1. Maintain a Solid Workout Routine.

Your liver and kidneys do more to detox than your sweat glands, so working out is more about promoting oxygen intake rather than “sweating out the toxins.” According to Health Guidance, exercise increases the speed at which the body undergoes the detoxification process. It creates our blood flow to increase due to frequent movement of the body. Increased blood flow prompts your body to take in more oxygen, which is the key factor for triggering our cells’ function to remove toxins within our bodies.

Jumpstart your detoxification with a fun and exhilarating combination of workouts like yoga, jogging, trail running or weight training. Get your body moving and you’ll start the biological process to naturally get rid of those toxins.

2. Eat More Fruit (Specifically Berries).

Rich in vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants, fruits benefit your body in many ways, including aiding in detoxification. The USDA says that eating berries and blueberries “may promote certain intestinal bacteria that are beneficial to digestive health and the immune system.” Your digestive and immune systems both work to detoxify your body of unwanted debris, so eating berries to aid these effects is a good idea if you want to flush out months of happy hours from your system.

3. Drink Water or Green Tea Instead of Alcohol.

After overindulging, it might be a smart move to put down the alcohol for a few weeks. Drinking more water is a great way to replenish your body after months of increased alcohol intake.

For those times when you need something a bit more interesting, green tea is known for numerous health benefits and contains the most powerful antioxidants, according to research by The University of Maryland Medical Center. The study explains, “antioxidants, such as polyphenols in green tea, can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.”

Free radicals are harmful residuals of broken down toxins in your body and are responsible for cell damage. Antioxidant-rich green tea can help flush your body of harmful free radicals, so you can feel better after being freed of that toxic alcohol build-up in your body.

4. Sleep.

While flushing your body of toxins is important, it’s equally imperative to clear your head. Sleep is quite literally the best way to rest and relax your overactive and exhausted brain. Research published by the National Institutes of Health indicates that “space between brain cells may increase during sleep, allowing the brain to flush out toxins that build up during waking hours.” You’ll open your mind and cleanse your brain if you make an effort to get a solid eight hours of sleep every night. With extra rest, you’ll feel refreshed and focused without all those toxins weighing on your mind.

5. Eat More Fiber (Specifically Asparagus).

Fibrous vegetables can have a positive impact on your immune system and help rid your body of, and even prevent, disease. A study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information states there is “some evidence of increased resistance to illness or infection with fiber intake,” which explains how “fibers may also play a role in improving immune function.”

There are many enriching, fibrous veggies that you can choose, such as cauliflower, beets and broccoli. However, make sure you consider asparagus for its exceptionally high fiber content. According to Medical News Today, the high concentration of water and fiber in asparagus also helps to keep you regular, promoting good digestion to rid your body of waste.

6. Meditate to Promote Positive Thinking.

We’ve talked about how sleep can help expand your brain cells and cleanse your physical mind, and now we’ll look at cleansing your soul and spirit. Our minds receive tons of input all day long—from our own mindless internal loop to the endless external stimuli all around us. Negative ideas can seep into our souls in many forms to then lie in wait, causing heavy, distracted thinking with ill effects on our daily lives.

Deep breathing, yoga and meditation are all great activities for clearing your mind of any toxic, negative thoughts which could be carried over from seasons past. Remember to treat yourself right and take mental vacations to clear your mind and restore positive focus to your life. Once you renew your mental strength, you’ll have the power to stay active, eat right and sleep well—all of which contribute to boosting your body’s detoxification system the healthy and natural way.