Detoxification occurs every time you exhale carbon dioxide and inhale to bring oxygen into your lungs. The body has several avenues of detoxification, including the skin, lungs, colon and bloodstream. There are several detox herbal teas, supplements and commercially packaged detox programs on the market. You can also do a body detox on your own. Elson Haas, M.D., author of "The New Detox Diet," and Carrie L’Esperance, author of "The New Seasonal Detox Diet," give detailed advice on how to conduct a body detox at home. Before staring any body detox program, consult your physician or other health professional.
Hot Lemon Tea
Dr. Haas recommends starting each day with a cup of hot water with real lemon juice squeezed into it. Drinking this every morning can help prompt a bowel movement. The colon is an important organ for detoxification. Ideally, you should have a daily bowel movement, and a regular daily colon detox can help.
Dry Skin Brushing
Author Carrie L’Esperance recommends dry skin brushing to help the skin detox. Using a natural boar bristle brush and sweeping it over dry skin before a shower or bath helps slough off dead skin cells. Brush from the hands and feet toward the heart. Dry skin brushing also increases blood circulation. This practice has been done in spas worldwide for many years.
High-Fiber Diet
Consuming a high-fiber diet for several days to cleanse all the internal organs is recommend by both Haas and L’Esperance. Both advise readers to eat a varied diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, legumes, nuts, low-fat dairy foods, non-saturated fats, herbal teas and water. For example, eat oatmeal for breakfast with low-fat yogurt and fresh fruit, brown rice with lentil and steamed greens for lunch and wild-caught fish, millet or quinoa and a green salad for dinner. Non-saturated fats are heart-healthy and include olive, safflower, canola, flax and hemp seed oils.
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