Daily Detox Strategy
When the word “detox” pops up, most people head for the hills with thoughts of fasting or consuming unsavory beverages. It’s important that we not only consider temporary detox, but that we think of daily detoxification as a necessary, routine process. How can we accomplish this? There are many intentional things you can do daily to lessen the burden on your body + brain.
“A toxic substance means any chemical or mixture that may be harmful to the environment and to human health if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin.” -EWG
So let’s talk about different kinds of toxins and how they can affect you…the most obvious include:
Environmental Toxins: car exhaust, water, air, & mold.
Chemical Toxins: fertilizers, bug killers, make-up, lotions, deodorant, hair products, paint, bedding + mattresses, dry-cleaned clothing, nail polish, laundry detergent, plastics.
Food Toxins: coloring, additives, artificial sweeteners, hormones.
(Special side note) - We cannot forget about those toxins that are not necessarily tangible, but those that affect our mental health, such as a toxic outlook, attitude, or relationship.
Your body’s ability to detoxify is of key importance in the prevention of inflammation, which is well-known as the root cause of disease. A plethora of symptoms can be linked to toxic burden and continued exposure to toxins, including; brain fog, fatigue, depression, anxiety, headaches, congestion, digestive issues, joint pain, as well as thyroid and hormonal imbalance, to name a few.
Toxins enter our body through inhalation (i.e. off-gassing from cleaners and carpet), absorption (i.e. application of personal care items such as deodorant or makeup), and consumption (i.e. pesticides on produce). In the simplest explanation, toxins alter teensy tiny cellular function and cellular mechanics, which over time, results in system dysfunction which = symptoms.
For example, arsenic is a common water contaminant known to disrupt thyroid function, resulting in irregular metabolism, often leading to unexplainable fatigue. The worst problem? The more toxins you have in your body, the greater the damage done to your detox pathways = harder to detox. So, just when you need it the most, it’s not there to help you. And your body gets back-logged!
The average adult body contains over 700 chemicals. Upon birth, most newborn babies have over 200 chemicals in their bodies.
So what’s a girl to do, you ask?
Start simple - choose a few of our recommendations and work them into your daily routine.
Use food as medicine and consider its source.
This is a general mantra in our field - cause it’s SO TRUE! Foods hold various properties and functions that can stimulate some of the most basic and complicated processes. Start with the consumption of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, and kale. Incorporate antioxidant-rich foods like green tea and foods high in flavonoids (plant pigments that fight inflammation) such as berries, cherries, tomatoes, and apples. Go ahead and eat the rainbow!
Choose organic when possible! Visit EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 to get started in understanding produce quality. Seek-out organic, grass-fed meat. If you cannot find a good local source, look to our friends at Butcher Box to make the process simple and convenient! Monthly deliveries straight to your doorstep!
2. Drink clean, purified water.
Obvious, right?! Staying hydrated allows for each cell’s inner workings to perform optimally...including detoxification. We should be consuming at least half of our body weight in ounces of water. That means if you weigh 150lbs = daily water consumption of 75oz (just over 9 cups). Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t near this mark.
Not confident in your water quality? (Neither are we!) Check out Aquasana. A home water filter is one of the most important investments you can make on behalf of your family’s health. Aquasana water filters are NSF certified and filter far more chemicals more efficiently than other choices we have researched. You can achieve great tasting, healthy water and not worry about what’s lurking in your glass. Confused about which option you should choose? Call them to discuss the best option for your home and family. Happy hydrating!
*Add a squeeze of lemon to your water in the morning to rev up your digestion and ability to detoxify.
3. Sweat it out.
A good sweat session gets your heart pumping and the natural detox process started. It gets your blood moving to promote clearance of toxins from your organs, flushes the lungs, and cleanses the skin (your largest organ and important elimination route for toxins).
4. Detox your relationships.
Whether the relationship is with yourself or others, a toxic relationship can invoke damage and leave lasting effects. Often, recognizing a toxic relationship and being honest with yourself is the most difficult step. It’s certainly necessary to have a strong, positive support system for help and guidance.
We strongly urge you to reach out for professional help when the thought of navigating these relationships and feelings seems overwhelming or impossible.
5. Sleep.
Good news! You’re probably already doing this! Sleep is essential for a properly functioning body + brain and provides an optimal window for your body to rest, restore and clear toxins. With proper rest, you’ll also have a more positive outlook and mood for the day. Check out our Sleep 101 article for tips on achieving proper Zzzz’s.
6. Avoid processed foods, alcohol, and caffeine.
These food items are produced with synthetic chemicals, pesticides, GMO’s, excess sugar and unhealthy fats - compounds that your body doesn’t know how to process! Look at ingredient labels - the longer the list, the more processed. Ditch foods that have ingredients you cannot pronounce!
7. Quit a bad habit.
Maybe it’s one of the above? Are you sleep deprived? Do you drink too much coffee? Does your sweet tooth get the best of you? Are you chronically dehydrated? Changing just ONE bad habit can begin a beautiful journey to wellness. Happy detoxing!
The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) website is a wonderful, up-to-date resource for all things...TOXIC! Here, you can explore the products you use daily and see how they measure up!
Our Clean Beauty Favorites are products we use trust and use daily.
Please know that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. As professionals and independent bloggers, we thoroughly test all of the products we discuss and only endorse those that meet our high quality + morale standards. Any compensation received is used to continue our website as a FREE resource.