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Modern living isn’t exactly pure. Every day we’re exposed to chemicals in our food and water, pollution in our air, and emotional stress in our lives. Over time, these toxins accumulate in your body and can manifest as insomnia, fatigue, digestive problems, aches and pains or even chronic disease.
Drinking pure water helps flush toxins from your system while helping your cells function more efficiently. But be careful not to drink just any water. A recent Environmental Working Group study found 141 unregulated chemicals, and 119 regulated ones, in U.S. drinking water supplies. And bottled water, which typically comes in BPA-containing bottles and may in fact be nothing more than bottled tap water, is not a safe alternative.
But is a detoxification diet really necessary?
“Our bodies (naturally) detox all the time,” Chris Kilham, the Medicine Hunter, told FoxNews.com. “If we didn’t, we’d die.”
Kilham explained that after the holidays – or whenever a person
induldges in too much of a bad thing, like food or alcohol – it’s the
liver and intestines that suffer the most. Some people even develop a
fatty liver, he said.
“When was the last time you heard someone say, ‘I ate too much salad over the holidays?’” he said. “We take in less fiber and more fatty foods.”
So, the New Year is an optimal time to get rid of the ‘junk’ residing in your liver and digestive tract. You can start cleansing your system by drinking more water, Kilham said.
“Water is our friend; we’re made up of more than 70 percent of water,” he added. “Drink plenty of pure, clean water.”
Kilham said another way to detox is to drink dandelion root tea.
“It’s one of those herbal things that works, and it tastes pleasant,” he said. “It helps the liver get rid of impurities and excess fats.”
And what about the detox diets you see advertised on TV – are they worth it?
Kilham said some of those diets, the ones with herbal cleansers and fiber, might be good for cleaning out your body once in a while; but he wouldn’t recommend it on a regular basis. As always, you should check with your doctor before starting any new health regimen.
“My opinion is that if you go lighter – say, you’ve had too much vodka, and you want to clean yourself out – drink more fruit and vegetable juices,” Kilham said. “Eat more fruits, like apples, which have powerful antioxidants and pectin – and that cleanses the digestive system. Who doesn’t like apples? Eat one or two a day; that’s a good way to cleanse.”
Sometimes people vow to start taking more vitamins in the New Year, which Kilham said is a resolution that usually fades by February – but small amounts of vitamin C can also help the body detoxify.
Kilham said if you stick to herbs and fiber for one to two weeks, you’ll likely feel lighter and more energetic. Then, you can go back to your regular diet. Just be sure to include more leafy greens.
Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, the ancient healing system from India, both recommend springtime as the ideal season to detox your body. The rebirth of nature that happens during this time harmonizes with a cleansing and renewing of your body. Plus, some of us tend to get lax about our diets and exercise routines during the cold winter months, which means come spring we’re ready to come out of hibernation.
Why Do You Need to Detox?
Modern living isn’t exactly pure. Every day we’re exposed to chemicals in our food and water, pollution in our air, and emotional stress in our lives. Over time, these toxins accumulate in your body and can manifest as insomnia, fatigue, digestive problems, aches and pains or even chronic disease.
Detoxification gives your body a chance to rest, clear out toxins and become nourished. Generally this is done by first removing and eliminating toxins, then providing your body with healthy nutrients. There are numerous over-the-counter supplements you can take to aid in your detox, and some people even do so by fasting.
During a fast, your body uses up glucose, the body’s main source of energy, and then moves on to its next source of energy, fat. It is therefore said that fasting helps with weight loss and to detoxify your body, as toxins from pollution, food, water and more that are stored in your body fat begin to dissolve and are released by your body.
There are, however, steps you can take right now to help cleanse and renew your body, none of which involve expensive supplements or extreme fasting diets, and we’ve described the top ones below.
10 Ways to Detox Your Body Naturally
- Eat fresh, whole organic foods.
Processed foods contain preservatives, artificial colors and flavors and many other additives that are not good for your body.
To really give your body a break, cut back on processed food and focus on whole, natural foods instead.
To really give your body a break, cut back on processed food and focus on whole, natural foods instead.
Adding more raw foods to your diet is also a popular way to start a detox, as eating raw foods is said to increase energy while boosting mood, slowing aging and fighting chronic diseases.
And as much as possible, choose foods free of pesticides, genetically modified ingredients and other additives.
If you must budget, choose organic animal products (meat, eggs and dairy) first, as they tend to accumulate toxins faster. Next, choose organic versions of the most heavily polluted produce, such as these 15 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides.
- Exercise.
It will help you relieve stress and improves your circulation and overall health.
- Quit smoking.
Cigarettes contain over 4,000 different chemicals.
- Drink more pure water.
Drinking pure water helps flush toxins from your system while helping your cells function more efficiently. But be careful not to drink just any water. A recent Environmental Working Group study found 141 unregulated chemicals, and 119 regulated ones, in U.S. drinking water supplies. And bottled water, which typically comes in BPA-containing bottles and may in fact be nothing more than bottled tap water, is not a safe alternative.
To put your mind at ease and get safe, superior quality water from your own kitchen, Sixwise.com highly recommends The Wellness Kitchen Water Filter. It reduces chlorine, chloramines, cysts, VOCs, pesticides, and herbicides below detectable levels for the life of the filter.
The Wellness Kitchen combines the best filtration and enhancement technologies to deliver the purest and most natural tasting water available. It effectively reduces harmful contaminants, while at the same time enhancing the water with adding important yet delicate wellness “ions and minerals” that your body needs.
And for times when you’re on the go, the staff at Sixwise absolutely loves The Wellness H2.0, a personal, reusable water bottle that features a unique filtration system that not only purifies ordinary tap water, but also enhances the water for better absorption and hydration. With this special filtration process you’ll have access to high quality water wherever you go.
- Remove contaminants from your shower.
When you step into your hot shower, you are inadvertently exposing your body to a slew of toxins that can damage your health, inside and out.
These toxins stem from a chemical that is added to the water supply on purpose, ironically to kill bacteria. The chemical is chlorine, and it’s added to all public water supplies to kill disease-causing bacteria in the transport pipes and the water itself.
By taking a hot shower you end up absorbing over 600 percent more chlorine and other chemicals than you would from drinking the same un-filtered water all day!
The good news is that chlorine and other chemicals can be easily removed from your family’s shower with The Wellness Shower Filter.
The Wellness Shower effectively reduces up to 99 percent of chlorine from your shower’s water for up to 24 months, which is two or three times longer than any other shower filtration system available. But that’s not all. The Wellness Filter concept was developed in the 1980s by Harusuke Naito, a renowned Japanese sports physiologist and Olympic swimming coach who wanted to produce “perfect water” for his professional athletic clients.
Haru believed that even subtle differences in water purity, surface tension and mineral content could affect body hydration, cellular function, and athletic performance. After extensive field research and study he began experimenting with various natural filtering media in an effort to produce the world’s best water.
At the heart of its enhancement ability is an array of permanent, exotic media that until recently have not been seen outside of Japan. After the water is purified, these media induce into the water a unique combination of water-soluble trace minerals and ions that Japanese researchers believe aid the body’s biochemical functions and cellular health.
In addition, the filter also contains a special far-infrared emitting ceramic media, which imparts reduced ions into the water. These ions provide a mild antioxidant effect in the body when consumed and on the skin when bathing. This aids your body in neutralizing free radicals, which are believed to be a primary factor in aging and in the development of cancer.
- Use natural cleaning products in your home.
Using typical cleaning sprays and air fresheners at least once a week can increase your risk of asthma by 30-50 percent.
Instead, opt for PerfectClean cloths, dusters and mitts for all of your cleaning needs. PerfectClean terry cloths contain patented built-in antimicrobial protection and are made of ultramicrofibers that are only 3 microns in size, which is even smaller than many bacteria. Because of this unique ultramicrofiber construction, you can reduce the amount of chemical cleaners you use, or even eliminate them altogether.
So, unlike ordinary cleaning rags and sponges, you don’t need to use chemical cleaners to achieve the deepest clean, which makes them perfect for anyone who’s looking to keep toxic cleaners OUT of their home.
If you choose to use cleaning products, you can opt for natural varieties such as Enviro-Rite. Enviro-Rite has an excellent line of safe cleaning products – they contain no hazardous ingredients, petrochemicals, perfumes, dyes or animal byproducts, and they have products for all of your cleaning needs, from carpet and upholstery cleaner to spot lifters.
- Be careful of what drugs you take.
Sometimes medication is necessary, but you may want to think twice before constantly popping pills for every ache and pain. Many can cause side effects and may contain chemicals that can damage your kidneys.
- Limit your alcohol intake.
Alcohol is a poison, and in excess amounts it will cause harm to your body. How much is too much? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, most adults can use alcohol moderately — meaning up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people — and not experience problems. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)
- Switch to natural personal care products.
The vast majority — some 89 percent — of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products (products that you rub into your scalp and skin, spread onto your face and trust on your body) have never been evaluated for safety by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other institution.
Sixwise.com has done the research for you and is happy to offer the following safe alternatives for your own personal care.
- Surgeon’s Secret Skin Moisturizing Sticks – an environmentally friendly way to truly moisturize and pamper your skin.
- Vermont Soap Organics — luxurious, super mild handmade bar soaps, liquid castile soaps and bath/shower gels.
- Meditate and focus on the positive.
It’s a simple (and free) way to detoxify your mind and spirit.
We all may be guilty of consuming too much food and drink during
the holidays – and with the New Year approaching, you may feel it’s
time to detox your body.But is a detoxification diet really necessary?
“Our bodies (naturally) detox all the time,” Chris Kilham, the Medicine Hunter, told FoxNews.com. “If we didn’t, we’d die.”
Kilham explained that after the holidays – or whenever a person
induldges in too much of a bad thing, like food or alcohol – it’s the
liver and intestines that suffer the most. Some people even develop a
fatty liver, he said.“Eat more fruits, like apples, which have powerful antioxidants and pectin – and that cleanses the digestive system. Who doesn't like apples?"- Chris Kilham, The Medicine Hunter
“When was the last time you heard someone say, ‘I ate too much salad over the holidays?’” he said. “We take in less fiber and more fatty foods.”
So, the New Year is an optimal time to get rid of the ‘junk’ residing in your liver and digestive tract. You can start cleansing your system by drinking more water, Kilham said.
“Water is our friend; we’re made up of more than 70 percent of water,” he added. “Drink plenty of pure, clean water.”
Kilham said another way to detox is to drink dandelion root tea.
“It’s one of those herbal things that works, and it tastes pleasant,” he said. “It helps the liver get rid of impurities and excess fats.”
And what about the detox diets you see advertised on TV – are they worth it?
Kilham said some of those diets, the ones with herbal cleansers and fiber, might be good for cleaning out your body once in a while; but he wouldn’t recommend it on a regular basis. As always, you should check with your doctor before starting any new health regimen.
“My opinion is that if you go lighter – say, you’ve had too much vodka, and you want to clean yourself out – drink more fruit and vegetable juices,” Kilham said. “Eat more fruits, like apples, which have powerful antioxidants and pectin – and that cleanses the digestive system. Who doesn’t like apples? Eat one or two a day; that’s a good way to cleanse.”
Sometimes people vow to start taking more vitamins in the New Year, which Kilham said is a resolution that usually fades by February – but small amounts of vitamin C can also help the body detoxify.
Kilham said if you stick to herbs and fiber for one to two weeks, you’ll likely feel lighter and more energetic. Then, you can go back to your regular diet. Just be sure to include more leafy greens.
