It’s finally starting to feel like spring here in the northern hemisphere and with the (occasional) bright sun and longer days, I know a lot of you are starting to think it might be time for a detox. However, as you know, I am not a fan of harsh detoxes because I believe that our bodies have the innate and amazing capacity to help us detoxify. In order to do so effectively there are certain dietary and lifestyle habits we can develop, which is why I wrote a whole book on the topic!
But first...
Detoxification is a natural process that happens 24 hours a day 365 (or 366!) days a year, by which the body removes toxic substances, excess hormones, chemicals and byproducts of metabolism.
You don’t need to buy any gimmicky products or supplements that sound too good to be true because your body has several systems in place to break down and eliminate the above mentioned compounds. These systems include your:
- Skin
- Lungs
- Liver
- Kidneys
- Brain–the glymphatic system helps clear out our brains while we sleep!
- Lymphatic system
- Blood
- Women’s reproductive system
- Digestive system
All together these systems work to help break down and eliminate waste and toxins without much thought on your side. However, just because they are detoxing automatically everyday, doesn’t mean they don’t need our help in the form of nutrients (read about the best foods for detox here ) and healthy habits.
Top 7 Habits for Effective Daily Detox
1. Eat a Detox-Friendly Diet!
It should come as no surprise that eating a clean, detox-friendly diet that is full of nutrients that support the different phases of detoxification is the foundation of my recommendations. I’ve already written an entire post about my favourite foods here . You’ll want to focus your diet on whole foods that support healthy digestion, contain lots of fibre, and nutrients that help with the neutralizing and breakdown of chemicals and toxins.
The more you can cook at home from scratch, the better!
I also love to sip on teas that contain delicious herbs and spices that support daily detox like my Rise & Shine Tea loaded with ginger and turmeric or my aptly named Everyday Detox!
However, when supporting everyday detox, what we leave off the plate is just as important! There are some foods that are going to add to your detox burden and so should be limited and not make up the foundation of your diet. My top foods to avoid for joyous detoxification include:
- Alcohol: while not technically a food, it does put excess burden on your liver and nutrient stores. Try these delicious mocktails instead!
- Foods rich in preservatives, artificial flavors, and food dyes all need to be detoxed!
- Refined sugars and flours
- Vegetable and hydrogenated oils
2. Use Clean Beauty Products
I’ve previously shared my suggestions on Ways to Avoid Hormone Disrupting Chemicals and as a self-proclaimed beauty junkie one of my favourite ways to do so is to use clean, pure skincare and beauty products. Many conventional beauty products contain not-so-healthy ingredients such as phthalates or artificial fragrances, which can impact our hormones and put extra stress on our detox pathways.
The Environmental Working Group found that women use on average 12 different products every single day. These products expose them to approximately 168 chemical ingredients.
That’s a lot of pressure on our kidneys, liver, skin, and digestive system!
I’m so passionate about the role clean beauty can play in promoting joyous health that I just got back from Vancouver where Walker and I shared our amazing organic, plant-powered sustainable beauty brand, Hello Joyous, with retailers from across the country! We believe in skinimalism, which means you need to use fewer products for amazing results. AND each product contains fewer, more effective ingredients, none of which are harmful for your body or the planet!
One of my daily non-negotiables is some kind of physical activity, whether that’s a walk in the park, solo or with V and Walker, or a full body workout in my basement. That’s because regular exercise and movement helps to promote circulation which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells and tissues while flushing out toxins through sweating (check out my tip below!) and increased respiration.
Remember the lymphatic system I mentioned above? Well unlike the circulatory system which moves blood through the help of pumps and valves, the lymphatic system needs a little help from your muscles to move lymph along. Exercise, especially rebounding, stimulates the lymphatic system, which plays a crucial role in removing waste and toxins from the body. And finally, regular exercise also supports liver function, by improving blood flow and enhancing the efficiency of detox enzymes.
You don’t need to start with a 30 minute HIIT class or an hour-long power flow either. Walking is one of my favourite gentle ways to move my body and support detoxification. You can always build from there!
The skin is one of the largest organs in our bodies and it can help us detoxify when we sweat. Exercise is one option to get sweaty, but another one I love is heat therapy using a sauna (or hot yoga!). The infrared heat in a sauna helps to stimulate circulation, increase sweating, and can promote lymphatic drainage. There’s a reason cultures around the world have been using some form of sauna or sweat for millenia!
Boost your sauna benefits by dry skin brushing beforehand to stimulate your lymphatic system and don’t forget to shower after and moisturize with a clean, detox-friendly Body Butter!
When it comes to detox, sleep is crucial as it allows the body to repair and regenerate cells, remove waste products, and eliminate toxins accumulated throughout the day. Inadequate sleep can impair your detoxification pathways, leading to an accumulation of toxins and an increased risk of health issues.
Remember the glymphatic system, a waste clearance system in the brain, that I mentioned above? Well it becomes more active when you sleep, facilitating the removal of metabolic waste and toxins to support a healthy, happy brain. Adequate sleep also supports liver function, by enabling optimal enzyme activity and metabolic processes.
If you need some help drifting off to dreamland, I’ve written lots of great blog posts you can check out here.
6. Take a Magnesium Detox Bath
Magnesium is such an important mineral that I did a whole podcast episode about it! It’s required for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, including detoxification. Taking a magnesium detox bath with epsom salts is an easy way to absorb magnesium right into your skin, while also relaxing your muscles and reducing stress. Relaxation and stress reduction have indirect benefits for detoxification.
Chronic stress can impair the body's detoxification pathways by increasing cortisol levels and negatively impacting liver function.
By reducing stress and promoting relaxation, Epsom salt baths support overall detoxification and improve well-being. If you’re in a nice warm bath, you can also boost your circulation, leading to better detox! I like to have one before bed, without my phone, to help soothe my nervous system and get ready for deep, restorative sleep.
Modern social media has become so all encompassing that it can impact our stress levels, interfere with our circadian rhythms making it hard to get deep sleep, and wreak havoc on our ability to sustain our focus and attention on one task. I suggest incorporating daily mini digital detoxes into your life so that you can develop a healthy relationship with technology and decrease your overall stress levels. Disconnecting from technology allows us to take a break from notifications, emails, and social media, leading to a decrease in stress and anxiety. Try one or more of the following suggestions to get started:
- Turn off the screens by 8pm every night.
- Take a weekend break from your email.
- Have a rule that no devices be used at the dinner table.
- Avoid artificial light 1.5 hours before bed as light disrupts the release of melatonin.
I hope you enjoy my simple habits that you can incorporate into your daily routine to give your body a little love and support this Spring, while encouraging daily detoxification!
Xo Joy
