Simple Ways to do a Gentle Detox
Jun 03, 2013
There are many simple and safe ways to initiate a light detox. This is mainly for those wanting to do some easy things for themselves. Be advised that pregnant or nursing women should wait until after weaning to do a serious detox, though they may follow many of the recommendations to avoid exposure to toxins.
1. Drink dandelion root tea. This is a gentle liver cleansing herb. Simmer 1 tsp of the root in 1 pint of water for 15-20 minutes. Drink 2-4 cups per day. Burdock root can also be used this way.
2. Drink 1/2 of your body weight in oz. of purified water per day. This helps keep the bowels regular while also flushing your kidneys.
3. Eat liver stimulating foods. Beets, beet greens, artichokes (without butter), and lemons all stimulate the liver. Beet juice with lemon is an excellent spring tonic.
4.Keep your bowels regular. I see many women with menstrual and hormonal difficulties who are chronically constipated. The body needs to detoxify daily through the colon. Try taking a good probiotic and eating more fiber.
5. Use natural cleaning supplies in your home (available at any natural food store) and natural cosmetics. This avoids exposure to phthalates which have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Also avoid plastic drinking bottles (stainless steel ones are available at natural food stores.)
6. Have a daily sweat, either through exercise or saunas or steams. The skin is the body’s largest organ of elimination. Healthy skin means a healthy body.
7. Eat organic foods as much as absolutely possible.
Organic meat and dairy products are essential if you are going to eat animal products. Organic fruits and veggies are available year round at your natural foods grocer. Pesticides and herbicides as well as exogenous hormones are everpresent in commercial brands of foods that are not organic. These cause dangerous changes in the body’s hormonal balance (more on that later). Anyway, please eat organic!
