Author: Gary Jackson

Detox Cleanse: Things to Try At Home and What to Avoid

Just boil a cup of water, steep the green tea, then muddle in juice from 1/2 a lemon and a handful of fresh mint leaves. Your skin expels toxins through sweat, including heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. If that feels too difficult, you can start by turning your notifications off. Another recent study shows that just hearing your phone buzz immediately hurts your productivity. If you want to detoxify your body and mind, you can start by trying to keep your attention on what’s actually important to you instead of your phone. Since all of these tips are consistent with a healthy lifestyle and carry minimal to no risk or side effects, you can stack all of these together in your favor.

When you are detoxing from alcohol at a rehab center, nurses and doctors monitor vital signs, provide adequate nourishment and treat complications if they occur. While it may sound counterintuitive, increasing your water intake is one of the best ways to eliminate excess water weight from consuming too much salt. Research suggests that free radical damage plays a role in conditions such as dementia, heart disease, liver disease, asthma, and certain types of cancer (34, 35).

Health Conditions

Detox diets are said to eliminate toxins, which supports improving health and promoting weight loss. Your body has a sophisticated way of eliminating toxins that involves the liver, kidneys, digestive system, skin, and lungs. Still, only when these organs are healthy can they effectively eliminate unwanted substances.

Alcohol Detox at Home

Antioxidants protect your cells against damage caused by molecules called free radicals. Oxidative stress is a condition that results from the excessive production of free radicals. However, these processes release wastes in the form of urea and carbon dioxide, which can cause harm if they build up in your blood (23).

  1. Chlorella can bind to toxins in the body and help remove them through the digestive tract.
  2. Antioxidants protect your cells against damage caused by molecules called free radicals.
  3. People often attribute sugar and processed foods to many of today’s public health crises (26).
  4. Eating consistently throughout the day will help you create the foundation for ongoing healthy eating.
  5. You should regularly sleep 7 to 9 hours per night to help promote good health (18).

General Health

People should always discuss supplements, detox products, and new diets with a doctor or dietitian before trying them. However, people who are healthy typically do not require additional help with detoxification. Alcohol can stay in your system for several hours depending on how much you drink. Once it begins to leave your body, early symptoms of withdrawal begin. You should start by determining how much alcohol you drink per day in terms of standard drinks. Consuming too much salt can cause your body to retain excess fluid, especially if you have a condition that affects your kidneys or liver — or if you don’t drink enough water.

Study Explores How Intermittent Fasting Could Help Addiction Treatment

Poor sleep has links to short- and long-term health consequences, such as stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity (16, 17). Research has shown that during sleep, the brain, liver, and other vital organs remove toxins that have accumulated throughout the day (8). As a prebiotic, fiber also provides food for healthy bacteria in the gut.

You can eliminate excess water — and waste — by increasing your intake of water and potassium-rich foods. By increasing your water intake, your body reduces the secretion of the antidiuretic hormone and increases urination, eliminating more water and waste products (49, 50). Consequently, this unhealthy shift in bacteria can weaken your immune and detoxification systems and increase your risk of disease and inflammation (46). Your body naturally produces these molecules for cellular processes, such as digestion. However, alcohol, tobacco smoke, a low nutrient diet, and exposure to pollutants can produce excessive free radicals (33). Excess junk food consumption is linked to chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes.

Feel the burn: Apple cider vinegar detox drinks

You enjoy its health benefits by adding it to smoothies, juices, or other foods. Sulfur helps our liver to produce glutathione, a powerful antioxidant for neutralizing free radicals. Sulfur-rich foods also stimulate the body to produce various enzymes, which help reduce the toxicity of certain molecules.

Alcohol rehab helps you taper off alcohol, and it treats other side effects and causes of alcoholism. You should plan to taper for between three and seven days depending on how much you’re used to drinking. Slowly reduce the amount of alcohol you consume each day until you reach sobriety. If you begin to experience serious withdrawal symptoms, drink enough to make the symptoms subside. The purpose of tapering off alcohol is to avoid major withdrawal symptoms so you can achieve sobriety safely. The time it takes to taper will depend on how long you’ve been drinking, how much you’ve been drinking and a variety of personal factors.

Aim to drink at least half your body weight in ounces in clear fluids or enough that your urine is very pale in color. However, it is important to note that some oily fish, such as tuna, can contain mercury. The FDA advise eating 2–3 servings of low-mercury fish or seafood per week. Tapering can help you overcome alcohol dependence, which is a side effect of chronic alcohol use that causes cravings and withdrawal.

Do some breathing exercises

Diet might have something to do with it, so sipping these skin-friendly elixirs may help clear the way to a glowing complexion. Upping your hydration game can help get your digestive system moving. Electrolytes are essential for good hydration, and coconut water offers up plenty of that plus good ol’ H2O. Your lungs are self-cleaning organs that filter and expel toxins that you breathe in, such as smoke, pollution, and viruses. An easy way to use your breath to calm your body and mind is to simply slow it down. You can also introduce a pause in between breaths and, for maximum benefit, make your exhale longer than your inhale.

This one tastes like apple cider thanks to the Honeycrisp apple (yay for fiber!) and sprinkle of cinnamon, which is antimicrobial and antiparasitic. The vitamin C in lemon will keep your immune system in fighting form, while cucumber will soothe inflammation. You’re likely to feel truly refreshed, less swollen (if bloating was due to inflammation), and more hydrated. Whether the idea of chugging a detox drink makes your stomach sink in fear or your heartbeat with excitement, there’s no denying detoxes come with baggage. By Rebecca Valdez, MS, RDNValdez is a registered dietitian nutritionist, health writer, and nutrition consultant.