There are simple ways to detox without dieting. Why detox? We’ve all felt the urge to detox our bodies from time to time. That sluggish, crappy, un-energized feeling is usually our body crying out for a respite from our burdensome, unhealthy consumption. Continuously indulging in that extra large cup of coffee, the extra slice of pizza, or too much beer at Friday’s happy hour presents the same results: You feel like crap afterward.
There is good news—you can detox your system to get back on track with your fitness goals and relieve that sluggish feeling. And, you don’t have to starve yourself on an extreme liquid cleanse diet to do it. Yes, dietary changes are necessary during a time of detoxing, but they don’t have to be radical and unpleasant.
Increasing your water consumption, relaxing in a sauna, and foregoing dairy products for a week can do wonders for you and your overworked toxic-filtering organ, the liver. Incorporate these simple detox steps into your life routine, and your body will feel less sluggish in no time.
Go Dairy Free
Digesting dairy products isn’t challenging for everyone, but a large segment of the population unknowingly suffers from lactose intolerance. Besides creating unpleasant bathroom issues, it can also get in the way of detoxing. Dairy tends to build up mucus and slow down liver function.
Take a Caffeine Break
Caffeine has been linked to liver troubles. Ingredients in coffee can interfere with normal drug metabolism and detoxification in the liver making it difficult to regulate the normal detoxification process in the liver. If giving up your coffee is unfathomable, try Dandy Blend, a drink made from chicory and dandelion, which many in the health industry believe tastes very similar to—or even better—than coffee.
Fore-go Happy Hour
Consuming too much alcohol is the fastest way to railroad your best detox efforts. The liver breaks down alcohol so it can be removed from your body. Drinking more alcohol than your liver can process can injure or seriously damaged it. Eliminating that unnecessary strain on your liver will allow it to do better work processing the other toxins you need to eliminate.
Increase Your Fiber
What goes in must come out. Sometimes your body has a hard time of ridding itself of waste buildup in the intestines. The Mayo Clinic suggests that men under 50 reach for a whopping 38 grams of fiber per day, and men over 50 reach for a minimum of 31. In addition to flushing you out, fiber also helps to prevent colorectal cancer, heart disease, and adult-onset diabetes. Increase your fiber intake gradually so your body can make the adjustment without putting you through too much discomfort. Switching to whole grains or adding a couple of servings of F&V per day can be a significant boost.
Lemon Water
Drinking water is paramount to detoxing, but how much do you need? Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day, as it supports our cells, kidneys, and bowels. Try starting your day by squeezing a lemon into a big glass of water. The lemon’s vitamin C increases glutathione (an important detoxification compound in the liver) and protects your liver against damage.
Exercise
Getting at least 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise twice daily is important. Many toxicants and toxins such as insecticides, toxic metals, and natural body waste are stored in our fat tissue. Therapeutic heat increases normal metabolic breakdown of fat tissue, releasing fat- stored toxicants so that they can be rapidly excreted in sweat. Yoga is also useful as it helps with lymphatic flow, and twists help to stimulate peristalsis in the bowels.
Liver Friendly Foods
Increase your intake of foods that are supportive of your liver by eating 4-5 servings a day of organic kale, broccoli, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, onions, garlic, or artichokes. Herbal supplements can also help remove toxin buildup from the liver. Herbs such as milk thistle, burdock, dandelion root, nettles, yellow dock, and schisandra support the liver. They are best taken in combination either as tea or in capsules. To get the best benefit, drink 1 cup three time a day.
Sauna
Sweat in a sauna for 30-60 minutes 3-5 days a week. Dry brushing in the sauna (using a rough loofah to slough off your dead skin) is a great way to assist the detox process along. Toxins come to the surface of the skin when you’re sweating, this technique helps get rid of them.
