When doing a detox or cleanse, it’s important to cut out inflammatory foods and consume nourishing foods and drinks that support detoxification. The goal is to give your body a break from harmful substances and boost cleansing systems so you can shed toxins that have built up over time.
Why detox?
We’re constantly exposed to toxins from our diet, environment, and lifestyle habits. Some common toxins include:
- Pesticides, herbicides, and hormones in conventional produce and animal products
- Preservatives, artificial flavors/colors, emulsifiers in processed foods
- Mercury in fish
- BPA and phthalates from plastics
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde in household cleaners
- Heavy metals from water and soil pollution
- Toxins in personal care and beauty products
- Air pollution
- Medications
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Tobacco smoke
Over time, toxins accumulate in your body and can contribute to inflammation, hormone imbalances, impaired detoxification, nutritional deficiencies, and chronic health issues.
Doing a detox period allows your body to focus its energy on cleansing and renewal. A well-designed detox aims to:
- Reduce toxin exposure and inflammation
- Support your body’s natural detoxification systems
- Enhance elimination of toxins
- Improve digestion and gut health
- Replenish nutrients that aid detoxification
- Promote healthy liver function
- Boost immune function
- Increase energy levels
- Clear brain fog and improve focus
Periodic cleansing can rid your body of toxins, alleviate symptoms, restore health, and put you on the path toward improved wellbeing.
When to avoid detoxing
While detoxing offers many benefits, it’s not suitable for everyone all the time. Avoid detoxing if you are:
- Underweight
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- A child or teenager
- Anemic
- Immunocompromised
- Malnourished
- Dealing with an eating disorder
- Recovering from surgery or illness
- Prone to hypoglycemia
- Taking certain medications
It’s also not recommended to detox if you have upcoming events, travel plans, demanding work, or school exams. Wait until you can set aside a week with lower stress and obligations.
Always talk to your healthcare provider before attempting a detox, especially if you have any health conditions or take medications.
preparing for a detox
Here are some tips to prepare for a safe, effective detox:
- Set dates and make a plan. Schedule your detox for a week when you can focus on rest and self-care. Mark it on your calendar and make a plan for food shopping, meal prep, and lifestyle adjustments.
- Stock up on detox foods and supplies. Shop for produce, herbs, spices, teas, broths, juices, supplements, Epsom salt, natural body care products, and anything else you’ll need during your cleanse.
- Gradually eliminate caffeine, alcohol, added sugar, and processed foods. Easing off these substancespre-detox makes it easier when you cut them out completely.
- Get extra rest. Turn in early and catch up on sleep in the days leading up to your detox. Restorative rest prepares your body for deep cleansing.
- Support detox pathways. Starting liver support, drinking lemon water, dry brushing, infrared sauna, and exercise beforehand gets your body ready.
- Inform others. Tell your friends, family, and coworkers you’ll be detoxing so they can support you.
Preparation makes a big difference in how you feel during and after detoxing. It ensures a smooth transition and sets you up for success.
Foods to eat during a detox
Eating the right foods and avoiding potentially harmful ones is key during a detox. Focus your diet on the most cleansing, nutrient-dense choices from these categories:
Produce
- Leafy greens – kale, spinach, chard, lettuces
- Cruciferous veggies – broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts
- Asparagus
- Green beans
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Fresh herbs – cilantro, parsley, dill, basil, mint
- Lemons
- Limes
- Green apple
- Avocado
Proteins
- Organic chicken
- Wild-caught fish – salmon, tuna, mackerel
- Eggs
- Bone broth
- Nuts and seeds
- Nut butters
Carbs
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Oats
- Buckwheat
- Millet
Healthy Fats
- Avocado
- Coconut oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flax seeds
- Chia seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Walnut oil
These are nutrient-dense foods that nourish your body while promoting cleansing and detoxification. Minimize substances tax your detox system like sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods.
Detox drinks
Hydrating with cleansing fluids assists detoxification and flushes out toxins. Opt for:
Water
Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of purified, filtered water per day. Adding lemon juice boosts liver detox.
Green tea
Rich in antioxidants, green tea is cleansing and full of catechins that support liver function.
Dandelion tea
Dandelion improves both phase I and phase II liver detoxification while providing antioxidants.
Ginger tea
Anti-inflammatory ginger soothes the gut and stimulates detoxification.
Mint tea
Mint promotes healthy digestion and bile flow for removing toxins from the liver.
Cinnamon tea
With strong antioxidant activity, cinnamon enhances cleansing of the circulatory, digestive, and urinary tracts.
Lemon water
Lemon activates your liver’s detox enzymes and alkalizes your body. Add lemon slices or juice to water.
Cranberry juice
The antioxidants in cranberry prevent bacteria from adhering to your urinary tract and improve detoxification.
Bone broth
Rich in glycine and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, bone broth nourishes your body while supporting detox pathways.
Detox smoothies
Blend leafy greens, fruit, oil, spices, and non-dairy milk for cleansing, fiber-rich smoothies.
Herbal teas, hot lemon water, fresh juices, broths, and smoothies give you a break from plain water while providing nutrients and phytonutrients that aid detoxification.
Supplements
Certain supplements can help optimize your body’s natural cleansing processes during a detox:
Milk thistle
Milk thistle enhances glutathione levels and helps remove toxins from the liver.
Glutathione
This master antioxidant supports phase II liver detoxification and neutralizes free radicals.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
NAC is a glutathione precursor that scavenges free radicals and promotes detoxification.
Probiotics
Friendly bacteria like lactobacilli improve elimination of toxins through your GI tract.
Burdock root
Burdock aids detoxification by cleansing the blood and supporting liver and kidney function.
Turmeric
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant turmeric improves liver detox and helps mitigate toxic damage.
Alpha-lipoic acid
This antioxidant assists liver function and protects cells against toxin damage during detoxing.
Consult a functional medicine practitioner to find the right detox supplements tailored to your needs.
What to avoid
Certain substances put extra strain on your body and can reintroduce toxins during detoxing. Foods and drinks to avoid include:
- Sugar – refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sugary snacks
- Artificial sweeteners – aspartame, saccharin, sucralose
- Processed foods – convenience meals, chips, cookies, fast food
- Hydrogenated oils
- Refined grains – white rice, bread, pasta, flour
- Alcohol
- Caffeine – coffee, energy drinks
- Dairy – if you have sensitivity
- Gluten – if you have celiac disease or gluten-intolerance
- Red meat
- Salt
- Eggs – limit to 2-3 per week
Avoiding these inflammatory triggers allows your body to fully focus its energy on detoxification and renewal.
Lifestyle habits for detoxing
Certain lifestyle practices can amplify your detox and help your body purge toxins. Try to incorporate these habits:
Dry brushing
Brushing your skin with a dry brush improves circulation, boosts lymph flow, and enhances elimination of toxins through sweat.
Rebounding
Rebounding or jumping on a mini-trampoline offers a lymphatic drainage massage that facilitates toxin removal.
Infrared sauna
Sweating in a sauna mobilizes toxins for excretion through your skin and promotes a radiant glow.
Exercise
Light exercise such as walking, qigong, yoga, or rebounding stimulates circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Massage
Massage enhances blood flow, moves lymph, and helps flush metabolic waste products.
Skin brushing
Dry skin brushing before bathing sloughs off dead skin, boosts circulation, and stimulates toxin elimination.
Deep breathing
Deep, diaphragmatic breathing maximizes oxygenation, reduces stress, and supports your body’s natural detoxification rhythms.
Relaxation
Get extra rest, take relaxing hot baths with Epsom salts, reduce stress, and give your body a chance to refresh.
Cleansing lifestyle practices clear toxins and rejuvenate your body while also reducing feelings of fatigue during a detox.
Reduce toxin exposure
In addition to diet and lifestyle practices, lowering your exposure to toxins can significantly aid cleansing during a detox. Ways to reduce toxins include:
- Choose organic, non-GMO whole foods to minimize pesticides, hormones, and additives
- Eat wild-caught or sustainably raised low mercury fish
- Cook in stainless steel, cast iron, or glass instead of Teflon pots and pans
- Avoid heating or storing foods in plastic containers
- Read labels and avoid personal care/beauty products with phthalates and parabens
- Use glass or stainless steel reusable water bottle instead of plastic
- Open windows regularly to circulate fresh outdoor air
- Filter your water to remove impurities
- Consider a shower filter to remove chlorine
- Look for natural, non-toxic home and laundry cleaning products
- Spend time in nature away from traffic, industry, and pollution
Since your detox organs like your liver and kidneys filter everything you’re exposed to, reducing incoming toxins eases their burden so they work more efficiently.
Detox symptoms
As your body clears accumulating toxins, you may temporarily experience some detoxification symptoms. These can include:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Skin breakouts
- Nausea
- Food cravings
- Mucus discharge
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Brain fog
- Muscle aches
These symptoms are a sign your body is cleansing itself but they should pass within a few days. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, get extra rest, take detox supplements, apply hot/cold compresses, and ask your practitioner for advice if symptoms persist.
After the detox
Once you complete your detox, it’s important to continue supporting your body’s natural detoxification systems. Here are some tips:
- Gradually reintroduce new foods – pay attention to how different foods affect your energy and digestion after eliminating them
- Keep drinking lemon water daily to stimulate liver detox
- Include cleansing foods and herbs like garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, leafy greens, avocado, nuts/seeds, berries, cruciferous veggies
- Limit toxin exposure from food, products, and environment
- Take targeted supplements and digestive enzymes as needed
- Consider follow-up with colon hydrotherapy or professional lymphatic drainage massage
- Repeat a yearly detox or “cleanse week” to sustain benefits
With preparation, diligence, and self-care during a detox, you can remove accumulated toxins, support your body’s detox systems, and feel re-energized for improved wellbeing long-term.
Conclusion
Detoxing is a helpful strategy to eliminate toxins, reduce inflammation, and restore health. Be sure to prepare properly, choose nourishing cleansing foods/drinks, support your body’s detox pathways, reduce toxin exposure, and allow time for rest. Partnering with a functional medicine practitioner can help you create a detox plan tailored to your needs so you reap all the benefits.
