7 Easy Ways to Reduce Detox Symptoms

7 Easy Ways to Reduce Detox Symptoms

You might feel like you are ready to do a detox, but are concerned about experiencing negative side-effects as your body clears itself of toxins while you cleanse.

Many of these side effects which might include headaches, nausea and lethargy can actually be avoided through a few simple steps.

1. Prep for your detox: Rather than binging like crazy on all the foods you love prior to beginning your detox program, it is advised that you start pre-detoxing. This means you slowly start to eliminate the foods you will be avoiding during the detox time. You can start doing this 7-10 days before the official detox begins, and it will help your body (and mind) adjust to the detox ahead, minimizing the chance of detox symptoms when you are fully into it. This might mean you start to exchange your dairy food such as milk and cheese for non-dairy foods such as coconut, almond or rice milk yogurt, for example. If you want to ease yourself into a detox, try some of these recipes.

2. Get support: It is much easier to do something like a detox with the support of others around you. When you are making any kind of change to your lifestyle, depending where your starting point is, it can be difficult to go through with the changes. Having friends, family or support from others who are also detoxing will make the mental adjustment easier to make and will ensure you are more likely to succeed.

3. Green smoothie it up: In the week or so before the detox, if you aren’t already, aim to have one green smoothie a day as smoothies are a great way to give your digestion a break so you can detox properly.

4. Drink more water than normal: You need to be more hydrated than normal while detoxing to help in the elimination of the toxic load in your body. You can aid the release of toxins from your body through the liver by drinking warm water with lemon juice throughout the day. Make sure you are drinking water with added minerals (such as electrolyte packets or try making your own with 20 ounces of water, ¼ tsp sea salt and stevia).

5. Take a probiotic: Start taking a good quality probiotic (at least 5 billion cu, several strains) to help with the digestive processes involved in detox.

6. Exercise: Aim for at least 15 minutes of muscle building a day – sweating helps to eliminate toxins through your skin, and also balances out hormones. There is no reason why up to 30 minutes of gentle exercise shouldn’t take place during a detox. You can also try using a sauna or a steam room to aid in even more toxin release.

7. Take an epsom salt bath: Adding epsom salts to a warm bath, and soaking in it for at least a half hour is an excellent way to draw toxins out of the body via the skin. It is also really relaxing to do this during a detox. There is no reason why you should fear detox, it is a great way to support your body’s health and is worth doing at least once a year to help reduce inflammation and support a strong immune system.

 

Simone Samuels