1. Drink More Water
Most of us don’t drink enough water. Keeping hydrated has many benefits. Not only does it help flush toxins from the body, but it can also help speed metabolism. One study found drinking half a liter of water temporarily boosted metabolism in women by as much as 30 percent.
Drinking water half an hour before meals can also increase the feeling of satiation and lead to less overeating.
If you find water too boring, there are plenty of ways to make hydration more exciting. Try adding fresh lime, mint, lemon, or cucumber to your water or make a tea infusion and drink that instead.
As we get older, our sensation for thirst starts to decrease, so older individuals should take care to make sure they’re drinking enough.
2. Try a Far Infrared Sauna
I believe there will come a time when everyone has access to far infrared technology. These saunas are powerful in accelerating detoxification and reducing inflammation.
Far infrared saunas differ from regular saunas. The heat they emit is completely dry, and the infrared rays are able to penetrate to the bone.
“One study done by American researchers showed that the sweat released by users of a FIR sauna (80–85 percent water) was different from the sweat released by users of a conventional sauna (75–95 percent water). The non-water portion of sweat released in a FIR sauna was cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, toxic heavy metals, sulphuric acid, sodium, ammonia, and uric acid,” according to “The Science of Far Infrared Therapies,” by Dr Toshiko Yamazaki, M.D.
3. Intermittent Fasting
The lazy man’s guide to fasting involves doing so intermittently. Intermittent fasting can improve digestion, help with weight loss, increase energy, promotes longevity, lower the risk of common chronic diseases, and more.
It’s not hard to do, and there a few ways of going about it. Some people choose to incorporate a fresh pressed juice and consume no food from waking until around lunch time.
Others will opt for a bulletproof coffee, coffee blended with grass-fed butter and MCT oil. Intermittent fasting is an easy way to boost detoxification and speed weight loss.
4. Aromatherapy
What’s easier than smelling the fragrant natural aromas of plants and flowers? Aromatherapy is an effective healing agent especially for reducing stress and improving mood.
Since stress is the No. 1 thing holding most of us back from achieving optimal health, the more methods that reduce it, the better. Essential oils are also a great alternative to chemical cleaners and artificial scents.
5. Coffee Enemas
Don’t give me that look. I know it sounds strange, but coffee enemas can be really effective for detoxification.
The premise behind using coffee is that coffee contains cholerectics, which stimulate the release of toxin-rich bile from the gallbladder.
Popularized by the renowned alternative cancer guru, Dr. Gerson, coffee enemas help to increase bile flow, improve the functions of the liver, and improve digestion. For more details go to HealingTalks.Com.
6. Epsom Salt Bath
Magnesium salt baths are a great way of relieving muscle tension and soreness. They also increase magnesium levels in the body, a mineral over 80 percent of us are lacking. Magnesium has a very relaxing effect on the body, and paired with essential oils, bath time can be a great way to reduce stress.
I recommend taking an epsom salts bath before bed to set yourself up for a great night’s sleep.
7. Daily Green Drink
Whether it’s in the form of a green juice, smoothies, or greens powder, green drinks are a enjoyable way to boost detoxification and promote weight loss.
Abundant in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants, green drinks help us to energize and alkalize and are an essential tool in our health arsenal.
8. Dry Skin Brushing
Using a natural bristle brush to stroke the skin helps to increase lymph flow and speed up detoxification.
Some of the benefits of dry skin brushing include increased circulation, reduced cellulite, immune boosting, skin exfoliant, and increased energy.
9. Herbs
There are so many ways to incorporate more herbs into our diets. Adding fresh herbs to our food has a veritable bevy of benefits. A rich source of phytonutrients, herbs also help to improve digestion and cut the richness of fatty foods.
There’s a reason oregano is classically paired with pasta and rosemary with lamb. Herbs are all anti-inflammatory and make food so much more enjoyable.
They’re also pretty easy to grow. Try planting some indoor basil, mint, and even cilantro for affordable culinary delights.
10. Meditation
Cleansing the mind is just as important as cleansing the body. Implementing mindfulness techniques is an easy and effective way to reduce stress and boost brain power.
New research coming out shows that meditation can actually grow gray matter and help make us smarter. Meditation can also help regulate our emotions and help grow empathy for others.
11. Oil Pulling
Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice from India that involves swishing oil around in your mouth for up to 30 minutes.
It’s said to pull toxins from the body, particularly those in the mouth and even the pineal gland. Studies have found oil pulling effective in treating streptococcus, gingivitis, and halitosis (bad breath).
Be sure to stay away from conventional GMO oils and stick to organic coconut oil or sesame oil.
12. Probiotics
Probiotics are essential for good health and can help protect us from unwanted pathogens and bad bacteria. Probiotics help to improve digestion and have a direct correlation with mood and energy.
You don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune on probiotic supplements. Studies have found that some homemade unpasteurized sauerkraut has even more beneficial bacteria than supplements.
13. Gardening
What could be an easier way to procure cleansing, organic, and nutrient-dense food than to grow it ourselves?
Not only that, but the beneficial microbes we come into contact with while gardening help to strengthen our immune systems.
Science shows that gardening boosts happiness.
“Research presented at the American Society for Microbiology shows that feeding live M. vaccae bacteria [a natural soil bacterium] to mice significantly improved their ability to navigate mazes, due to the fact that the bacteria triggers the release of brain serotonin. It appears that this bacterium plays a role in learning in mammals.”
14. Music
Music is a great way to either stimulate the mind or unwind. It has the uncanny ability to distract us from our woes as it releases the feel-good hormone dopamine in the brain.
Keeping healthy is closely correlated with our stress levels. Listening to music can help reduce stress and bring on more positive mind states.
15. Cut Out Sugar
Sugar is a drain in more ways than one. When we hop off the blood-sugar roller coaster, we create more stable internal energy. Excess sugar is associated with chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, inflammation, lowered immunity, candida, and parasites.
If we want to please and lose weight, the sugars gotta go.
16. Lemon Water
Fresh lemon water is alkalizing, cleansing, and delicious. Adding lemon to water is a great way to stay hydrated with the added vitamin C and antioxidants rich in lemon.
17. Go Organic
Reducing the toxic load on the body starts with switching from conventionally grown chemical fruits and vegetables to organic, local ones. Pesticides are not only bad for the environment, but they also accumulate in our bodies and are dangerous even in small amounts.
18. Massage
Massage helps to stimulate the flow of lymph and improve circulation. This in turn can help remove metabolic waste and increase energy. Massage is also an effective stress-management technique.
19. Acupuncture
The principles of Chinese medicine are solid and effective, acupuncture being an optimal way to increase Qi or life force energy. When certain channels are blocked, we feel stagnant, low energy. Acupuncture helps to bring back flow.
20. Sleep More
Sleep is arguably the most important part of detoxification, and it’s also been shown to help with weight loss and squelching cravings.
21. Ditch the Plastic
Plastics are ubiquitous with our culture—everything seems to be stored in plastic. Soft plastics in particular leech harmful endocrine disruptors into our food and water. Ditch the plastic, and stick to glass or stainless steel storage vessels.
22. Use a Good Water Filter
We’re made of mostly water, so it makes sense to drink only the purest form. City water is filled with toxic fluoride and chlorine, which kills beneficial microbes.
In addition, tiny remnants of pharmaceutical drugs remain in the water supply, and we end up ingesting them.
Brita filters aren’t good enough. The fact that they’re owned by Clorox tells you a lot. Opt for high-performance water filters like those made by Berkey.
23. Eat More Antioxidants
Fighting the internal effects of environmental pollution can only be done by zapping free radicals. Antioxidants do just that and are abundant in plant foods, so eat up!
24. De-stress
The No. 1 thing holding us back from achieving balance is high stress levels. Do everything you can to keep stress down. Meditation is probably the best practice. Along with regular exercise, we can bring stress levels down without drugs.
25. Avoid Antibiotics
Antibiotics are useful in some situations, but be wary and only take them if absolutely necessary. Often, a cold and flu will pass with time, and there are so many natural immune boosters.
It takes a long time to rebuild those beneficial microbes, but not long at all to destroy them with antibiotics.
26. Natural Alternatives to Painkillers
Painkillers do quite a number on our poor livers. They also exacerbate the inflammation instead of getting to the root of the issue.
In the long term, it’s better to eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in antioxidants. So many studies have been done on the anti-inflammatory and pain-killing properties of turmeric, with no adverse side effects. Nature always provides the substances we truly need.
27. Eat More Weeds
Dandelion, burdock, chickweed, these are just a few of the edible wild plants that sprawl all across North America. You usually only have to look as far as your backyard to find these detoxifying and nutrient-dense plants.
28. Spicy Food
Chilies are a great detox food, and they boost metabolism, stimulate circulation, and have anti-inflammatory properties. Start slowly, and gradually your taste buds will acclimate and learn to love a bit of heat.
29. Foam Rolling
If you’ve never foam rolled, you’re in for a treat. Foam rolling is beneficial for releasing lactic acid in the muscles and releasing tension.
It’s a form of self massage using a foam tube about the width of your back. A roller can be purchased for a lot less than a professional massage.
30. Dance More
Dancing is three points in one: exercise, music, and meditation. Dancing to your favorite tunes until you break a sweat is a fun way to release toxins and get moving. Turn on your favourite tunes and boogie down.
31. Drink Tea
Every type of tea has its benefits: For black tea, it’s the caffeine. Green and white teas are rich in antioxidants. Herbal teas all have their different medicinal characteristics.
It’s worth getting an array of teas to get the benefit of different compounds. Experiment by making a big pot of tea and keeping some in the fridge for when you want something other than water.
32. Raw Food
Raw foods are life-giving foods, rich in enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. For most people, incorporating more raw foods improves digestion.
33. Apple Cider Vinegar
It might sound strange, but apple cider vinegar (ACV) is incredibly cleansing. ACV improves digestion by boosting the levels of HCl in the stomach. It’s raw and filled with enzymes and vitamins. Though it has many uses, ACV can be added to water on a regular basis for its mild cleansing effects.
34. Laughter Yoga
What holds people back from losing weight and feeling amazing? You might be surprised to hear the answer isn’t as much food as it is stress.
The best relief from stress is laughter. Laughter yoga is popping up all over the place though it originated in India. It’s simply people coming together to laugh on purpose.
35. Sex
After laughter for stress relief, comes sex. It releases feel-good bonding hormones and endorphins that make us feel amazing.
36. High Quality Salt
Iodized salt is junk. It’s like comparing spam to prime rib, seriously. Switching to high quality salt will drastically improve the nutrients you’re getting from your salt.
All those important minerals and trace minerals are zapped out of iodized salt, all 84 of them! Try pink Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt instead.
37. Positive Thinking
Our thoughts affect our emotions, which affect our actions, which affect our reality. Mind your thoughts as if they were words being said aloud. Stop beating yourself up—you are awesome. Studies show positive thinking will help us get to where we want to go .
38. Fulvic Acid for Detox
Fulvic acid is a powerfully detoxifying substance that is created by soil-based organisms to make minerals. It’s one of the most powerful free-radical-scavenging substances on the planet and can help rid the body of toxic heavy metals.
39. Turmeric
Turmeric is an amazing superfood rich in the powerful anti-inflammatory compound curcumin. There have been hundreds of studies done on the healing properties of turmeric: It fights cancer, protects against radiation, and protects the brain from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
40. Remove Amalgam Fillings
Having a constant source of heavy metal leeching into our bodies isn’t a good thing. There are alternative or holistic dentists who will remove amalgam (mercury) fillings and use safer materials. It’s worth looking into if you are serious about detoxification.
41. Kombucha
Glucuronic acid is a detoxifying and cancer-fighting substance that helps the liver to remove toxins. Kombucha, the fermented tea drink contains glucuronic acid and aids in detoxification.
42. Sea Vegetables
Seaweeds are high in important minerals and help to strengthen and protect the thyroid. Many of us aren’t getting enough minerals from our diets because modern agriculture causes soil degredation.
43. Ditch the Dairy
Conventional dairy causes problems for many people. It’s useful to eliminate for a month and see what comes up. Many people see improved digestion and more energy.
44. Avoid Screens After Dark
Screens emit blue light, which interferes with our melatonin production and interrupts our sleep. Checking email and social media can also be a stressor. It’s best to engage in relaxing activities after dark to ensure a restful slumber.
45. Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables, particularly broccoli, are high in sulfurophane, a super potent cleansing and protective substance. They also have indole-3-carbinols, which help to break down harmful pseudo-estrogens in the body.
46. Ditch the Microwave
Sure they’re convenient, but it’s convenience that’s gotten us into this mess. I think microwaves destroy key vitamins and enzymes in our foods, and when you heat things up in plastic, some of it can absorb into the food—ick.
47. Overhaul Personal Hygiene Products
There’s hardly any regulation when it comes to personal hygiene products. Most are filled with petroleum-based, carcinogenic, endocrine-disrupting chemicals that we really don’t need in our lives. Ditch the conventional stuff and opt for eco-friendly, paraben-free beauty products.
48. Avoid Anti-Bacterial Soaps
Normal soap works just fine at cleaning our hands and bodies. Switching to anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizers isn’t necessarily good for our health, but it’s important to be exposed to some bacteria.
49. Get Back to Nature
Spending time in nature, disconnected from our Internet and phones, is the most cleansing thing we can do. Reconnect and ground. Spending time in nature is a great excuse to meditate and ponder life’s wonders.
50. Breathe Deeply
Inhale, exhale. Make it count. Shallow breathing isn’t making the most of these powerful lungs we have. Deep breathing helps to bring more oxygen to the cells. It’s stimulating, invigorating, yet calming at the same time. Feeling stressed out? Try deep breathing for three minutes, and I bet you’ll feel better.
Mark Williams has been in the health and wellness field for over 15 years. His speciality is utilizing plant-based solutions combined with the right kind of exercise to live an optimal life. This article was originally published on RootAndSprouts.com
*Image of “diet detox super food” vis Shutterstock
