Television and magazines have a lot to say lately about the benefits of doing a body cleanse to rid your system of toxins. There is, in fact, so much information on it that it can be hard to figure out how to move forward. Which one should you try? What should you expect? What do you need? How do you prepare? For every question there are a thousand different answers.
In reality, a body cleanse is simple. This is because your body cleanses itself naturally! It is a constant process within us. So forget the equipment and pills and hype. No need to do fasting. All you need to do is learn how to help your body be more efficient at what it is already doing.
The first thing to understand is where the toxins are coming from and how they get in your system. We absorb most toxins from our environment. Air particulates, chemicals in our food, cleaning solutions, even lotion! Chemicals are everywhere. Toxins can build up inside or bodies if our organs cannot process and eliminate them faster than we are taking them in.
When these toxins build up, they can be very dangerous. They can lead to all sorts of chronic medical problems, from everything to fatigue to serious heart problems. This is why it is actually important to do a body cleanse. If you can, you should actually try to make it part of your lifestyle rather than an occasional event.
Essentially, all you need to do is keep the demands on your digestive organs to a minimum. You can do this by eating easy-to-digest foods that are high in water content (such as fruits and vegetables). Proteins such as dairy, meat, seafood, beans, nuts and eggs take more work for the body to digest, which means they create a more demand on your organs. More demand on your organs means they have less time to eliminate those toxins from your system. Fats also are difficult to digest. So you should stock up on your favorite fruits and veggies. You can eat as much as you like, just remember that overeating can slow down your ability to flush toxins.
The second thing you will need to do for your detox is drink a lot of water. This will ensure your organs are properly hydrated and working at their best capacity. Filtered tap water is fine – most filters sufficiently remove toxins from your water. If you do not like just plain water, you can try iced or hot tea. Just go for decaffeinated and do not add sugar or dairy.
For a really effective detox, you really should avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. These substances are stimulants and can stress your system. If you want to try to give them up for the duration of the cleanse, give yourself a week or so to taper off. Otherwise you will suffer from withdrawal symptoms that may make sticking to your cleanse more difficult. If you feel you cannot give these things up, it’s okay. Do not give up on your cleanse! You will still get a lot of benefits from the fruit, veggie and water program. One more thing; never stop taking prescribed medications without the express permission of your doctor.
It’s that easy! Get rest, drink as much water as you can, and eat foods that are easy on your system. If you plan to do this for a couple weeks or more, you will need to make sure you are getting some protein. Research how vegans get adequate protein and work that into your diet. If you are pregnant or have any serious health problems, please consult with your doctor before starting any body cleanse. You may not like it at first and you will probably spend a lot of time in the bathroom, but your body will definitely thank you for the body cleanse detox.