“Out with the old and in with the new.”
For many of us, this classic phrase is a mantra to live by as we navigate 2022. We want to unlearn our unhealthy routines and embrace mind and body-nourishing habits.
Who wouldn’t want to? Our minds and bodies are processing thoughts, emotions, food, and movements round the clock. We easily feel consumed and seized up especially when we allow them to be filled with “toxins.” These so-called toxins may come in the form of an imbalanced diet, unhealthy daily routines, negative and intrusive thoughts, among others. If neglected, they can result in stress, lack of focus, brain fog, unhappiness, and even health issues in the long run. Since we don’t want these to happen, what should we do?
When you feel like you need to reassess your lifestyle, don’t hesitate to take a break and detoxify.
Full-body detoxification, also called detox, is a method of flushing out toxins in the body that are detrimental to body and brain function. This may involve following a particular diet, using all-natural products, taking vitamins and supplements, and integrating healthy routines.
Good news: your body is well-equipped to quash toxins naturally, so you don’t have to break your bank for expensive diets and supplements.
We’ve listed down eight important ways on how to detox and rejuvenate your body and mind. Let’s read on!
Ever wondered how you could kick-start your “healthy” day? One good way to do this is to drink warm water with fresh lemon juice first thing in the morning. This power combo detoxifies your body by acting as a diuretic to eliminate potential toxins. Lemon water also aids in promoting healthy liver function and regularity. On top of this, you can also enjoy benefits such as enhanced immunity, better skin health, boosted energy levels, and weight loss when taken routinely.
We all know it’s hard to give up or reduce your intake of coffee and sodas. However, these caffeinated drinks can do more harm than good to your body. Caffeine is often associated with anxiety, insomnia, digestive concerns, and heart and blood vessel problems.
If you want to go healthy, switch to green tea. It has antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties that cleanse the body of unhealthy toxins. The catechins in green tea also help lessen toxic effects on the liver, which is a major detoxifying organ.
High consumption of sugar and salt is the common culprit of health concerns like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. These diseases impede your body’s ability to naturally detoxify itself.
Some ways you can reduce your sugar and salt intake include replacing junk and processed food with healthier choices like all-natural meals, fruits, and vegetables. Consider also antioxidant-rich food to fight oxidative stress and other toxins.
Consuming food rich in probiotics can help you increase the number of good bacteria in your body. These good bacteria help detoxify and enable your body to absorb nutrients efficiently. In addition, they also optimize your digestion, clean your liver, balance your mood, and boost your metabolism. Some food you can add to your diet are yogurt, curd, cheese, miso, and kombucha. You can also opt for probiotic supplements.
Getting a good night’s sleep is also essential to support your body’s health and natural detoxification system. Per the National Sleep Foundation, healthy adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night.
Sleeping allows your brain to refresh itself and get rid of toxic waste byproducts amassed throughout the day. One of these include a protein called beta-amyloid, which contributes to Alzheimer’s disease development.
If sleep-deprived, your body does not have time to perform detox, so toxins can build up and affect your body and brain function. In addition, poor sleeping patterns are also linked to health consequences such as stress, obesity, heart disease, among others.
Regular physical activities such as exercising and walking have been seen to aid in increasing the body's circulation of lymph fluid, which helps you flush out toxins more effectively and maintain immunity. They also reduce inflammation and allow your body’s detoxification system to work seamlessly.
With every exhale, your lungs also detox your body by expelling carbon dioxide. So, the more you try to exercise, the more carbon dioxide your lungs must expel.
To ensure regular physical activity, you can explore spending at least 150 to 300 minutes per week doing moderate exercise like brisk walking. Other activities include running, lifting weights, and swimming.
Worrying about how your period may hamper your active lifestyle? Don’t fret! Physical activities like running or swimming while on your period remain safe as long as you know what to do.
Make digital detox a habit to refresh and refocus your body and mind. Ditch your gadgets every once in a while and consider spending more time outside or with people around you.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with steady streams of chats and notifications, and too much unnecessary information online. To help you filter what you’ll absorb, establishing tech-free boundaries may help. You can try setting a daily screen time limit, disconnecting from electronics one hour before bedtime every night, and silencing your notifications for specific periods of time. This way, you can make time for your self-care activities.
It’s never too late to restart your routines to achieve body and mental wellness. Identify what detoxification ways will work for you. From there, start building small to big habits. Once they eventually become part of your system, you’ll surely be on the right track to achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.