You’ve probably heard a lot in the media about the benefits of cleansing or detoxification. What is a cleanse, is it something you should do for your own health, and does it work?
A
cleanse and a
detox are essentially the same thing.
The idea is to help your body remove harmful bacteria, heavy metals, and other pollutants that cause your liver to work sluggishly. There are many methods from pills to teas to juices that profess to boost detoxification.
Yes, Your Body Detoxifies Naturally
You already have an incredible system in place to remove contaminants from your blood and tissue. These organs are working every second of every day to keep you safe from any pollutant you inhale, ingest, or comes in contact with your skin.
The components of your internal detox system…
- Lungs
- Skin
- Kidneys
- Liver
- Intestines
- Lymphatic system
A few decades ago, no one talked about cleansing and detoxifying because these systems were keeping up just fine with removing toxins.
Admittedly, a lot has changed for humans in regard to diet, lifestyle, and daily habits in the past 40 years. People living today are exposed to more toxins in the form of synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, food manufacturing additives, pharmaceutical drugs, and so much more than any other period in history.
Pollution of the soil, air, and water is higher than ever as well and in some areas, the level of contaminants and impurities in the water supply is so bad that it’s life-threatening.
Your personal detoxification system still works, still protects you. However, unless you live a completely natural existence from your clothing to your food to your cleaning supplies, you’re still at risk for
toxic overload.
A Helping Hand – Not a Substitute
The benefits of cleansing are not meant to take the place of natural detoxification processes. Nothing works as efficiently as the human body itself in defeating bacteria, viruses, and so forth.
What if your entire life is toxic? The levels of exposure to harmful pollutants in our modern world may be more than your body can handle. Too much of any substance can’t be processed by your system and it ends up being stored.
Over time, these substances have been proven to bio-accumulate in your tissues, gradually building up to dangerous levels over time. This is the case with acetaminophen, parabens, pesticides, asbestos, mercury, some plastics, lead, and many others. Overwhelmed, normal cellular functions can stumble or be interrupted altogether. This can lead to systemic inflammation, autoimmune disease, metabolic dysfunction, hormone imbalance, and even increase your risk of cancer.
It is possible to give your system a boost, a helping hand in dealing with the overwhelming amount of junk chemicals it deals with every day.
The benefits of cleansing are not a “cure” to anything and it’s not a weight loss tool. It’s mainly about flushing your bowels of built-up garbage.
It can provide a bit of a rest for your system, a way to get your natural detoxification processes back on track, and put your body back in balance.
Cleansing Benefits That May Surprise You
Over the years, I’ve tried several forms of detoxification. There are some that my mind rejects outright and I’ve never attempted personally (high colonics are one of these).
I prefer recipes I can create in my home with natural ingredients. Stuff you find on the market isn’t consistent and often contains chemical additives and diuretics I don’t want. When you create it yourself, you know
exactly what’s in it.
Every few months, if I notice I feel tired more than usual, achy, bloated, or as if I might be coming down with something, I’ll plan a detox day.
Note: If you decide to do a cleanse, your day is booked. Don’t go anywhere. Don’t have company over. Stay close to a bathroom.
Again, while you might lose a couple of pounds due to water and bowel movements – this is not about weight loss! You’re likely going to gain those pounds right back so don’t get excited!
A normal cleanse day for me means light foods with high-water content such as salads, soups, and fruits. I do not fast but I don’t eat or drink anything processed. I love summer detoxes best because I have delicious watermelon, peaches, figs, and nectarines.
Here’s the recipe I use at home when I need some cleansing benefits. I modified it from one I found by Dr. Axe. It’s simple, natural, and fresh. No crazy ingredients or ridiculous fasting required.
A Gentle I am a spammer ban me
Ingredients
- 1½ cups apple juice
- 1 lemon (well-juiced)
- 1½ teaspoons ginger (fresh or powdered)
- 2 teaspoons raw honey
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1½ cups water
Directions
- Warm water in a saucepan but do not boil (it should be cool enough to drink quickly).
- Turn off the heat.
- Add all other ingredients and stir thoroughly.
- Pour a 1-cup portion and drink before your first meal of the day.
- This recipe makes 3 cups for three individual servings. Make them all in the morning and reheat for later meals.
Drink one cup before each meal and try to keep them light with a high fluid concentration (broth-based soups, fruits, and salads are best). Make sure you drink plain or infused water throughout the day as well.
This is a gentle cleanse but it will let you know when you need to go to the bathroom. I don’t take the last dose after 4pm (for obvious reasons).
After a cleanse, I feel “lighter” on the inside, clear-headed, and energetic. That may not seem like much but it’s a lot for me. I can literally feel the difference in cognition and clarity – the two most critical functions I need at the top of their game.
Boost your internal detoxification system every day with these 5 habits…
- Drink plenty of water.
- Practice stretching and deep breathing.
- Make sure you get plenty of fruits and veggies in your diet.
- Get at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night.
- Be consistent.
At the end of the day, the success of detoxification depends on how much gunk you have inside you. If you smoke, get colds often, or eat a lot of your meals from boxes, bags, or drive-thrus, you might experience even more benefits from a cleanse.
It’s not a cure-all. Cleansing is a gentle way to help bring your body in balance. Anyone who tells you differently is not being entirely honest.