The Basics: If You want to be Healthy, Begin Detoxing Your Body

There is no shortage of natural health information in this day and age. Just a look through the Natural Society archives can provide reading material enough to keep you occupied for at least a few days straight. But as is common with all of this information, it can be a bit overwhelming. If you’re like many people, you just don’t know where to start.

You know you shouldn’t eat high fructose corn syrup, pesticide-laden produce, antibiotic-fed meat, and any grains that could be from GM seeds. You know the healing powers of green tea, ginger, and herbs can help you fight disease and infection. You are informed. But putting all of this information into practice can seem daunting.

One way to get yourself started on a holistic lifestyle is to do a basic detox. This means you schedule a week to go off of the harmful “stuff” and begin to introduce more healing foods.

It’s a “detox” because the conventional, more mainstream foods you may have been eating are toxic, and they have built up in your system. Depending on how severe the toxic buildup in your body is, significant symptoms may be experienced during the detoxification process. As the toxins are flushed out of your body, you may get sick or experience sick-like symptoms. Additionally, you may experience a “healing crisis” – more symptoms as a result of toxic buildup being processed before exiting the body. But any discomfort is all worth it in the end.

This detox requires you to abandon all of the “bad stuff”, those things you know you should have given up long ago. But it also requires you to give up the “acceptable” things like alcohol and caffeine, at least until your body is toxin-free. Remember, you are laying the foundation for lasting change.

Stock your fridge with healthy, organic produce. Get rid of those things that will tempt you. And dive in head-first.

Initially, as your body begins to go through withdrawals, you will feel tired, your brain may feel foggy, and you might be crabby. But, as you drink plenty of fluids and eat fiber-rich produce, you will begin ridding yourself of these toxins that have made themselves quite comfortable in your body.

Give yourself a week of eating completely clean. During that time, really pay attention to how your body feels. After the week is up, have a plan in place for returning to a more sustainable diet. This doesn’t mean go out and buy a bag of chips and order a burger—it means you can have a glass of wine with your dinner or coffee in the morning. But keep the junk out, for good.

For more detox tips, check out these 3 simple ways for detoxing your body as well as information on how to detox naturally with healing foods.