11 Natural Methods for Detoxing Your Body
Cleansing diets, herbs, and fasting programs may seem like a modern health trend, but societies have used natural cleansing methods to detoxify the body for hundreds of years. Many religions encourage people to fast as a means of cleansing both the body and the mind. Toxins in food, air, water, and the environment make cleansing the colon, liver, and other organs more important now than ever. The burden of over-pollution may be responsible for deleterious effects on the immune system, a scenario that makes us highly susceptible to chronic degenerative diseases. Below, we’ll describe several of the current methods and foods that naturally help the body achieve a detoxified state. Keep in mind that accelerating the removal of toxins from your body won’t help if you continue to put toxins into your body. In other words, avoid refined foods, sugars, MSG, yeast, dairy products, caffeine, chocolate, soy, peanuts, alcohol, and non-whole-grain starches while performing any cleanse or fast.
11 Natural Detox Methods
Below are the top ways to naturally detoxify your body.
1. Liver Cleanse
Regimes for cleansing the liver incorporate bitter greens and chlorophyll juices such as wheat grass and dandelion greens.[1, 2] Other liver-happy foods include carrots, celery, limes, lemons, and beets.[3] Spices that offer liver-cleansing effects include turmeric, rosemary, cayenne, cumin, and curry.[4] It’s best to avoid coffee, milk, and sodas while detoxing; instead, opt for purified water and/or water with a splash of apple cider vinegar (or two tablespoons per gallon).[5] To help support your cleansing efforts, add Liver Health to a gallon of water and follow these liver-cleansing instructions.
2. Oxygen Colon Cleanse
One of the best natural detox methods is a six-day colon cleanse using distilled water, organic, raw apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, Oxy-Powder, and a probiotic supplement. This cleanse is a quick and effective way to purify your digestive tract. Here are my recommended instructions for performing a colon cleanse.
3. Candida Cleanse
A Candida cleanse is designed to remove Candida fungus overgrowth in the body by removing all foods containing sugars. The Candida diet requires avoiding all forms of sugar (including fruit and fruit juice), all refined flour and wheat products, any foods containing yeast, and even natural sweeteners such as agave nectar or raw honey.[6] During a Candida cleanse you should also avoid alcohol, dried fruit, mushrooms, cheese, pickled vegetables, and soy sauce. Taking organic oregano oil and a probiotic like Latero-Flora™ can enhance your Candida-cleansing efforts.
4. Harmful Organism Cleanse
There are many herbs you can take to deter harmful organisms that may be affecting your health. Wormwood, black walnut hull, clove, and American wormseed are four herbs that create an environment within your intestinal tract that is hostile to invading organisms.[7] Taking a probiotic supplement will also support balance and discourage any unwelcome visitors.[8] The following is a link to my recommended cleansing instructions for harmful organisms.
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5. Liquid Cleanse
A liquid cleanse is an excellent way to cleanse the body while still maintaining energy levels.[9] It involves the consumption of fresh organic fruit and vegetable juices, pureed soup, miso soup, smoothies, flax, hemp, coconut, sesame or pumpkin seed oil, and purified water. Follow this protocol for a minimum of 48 hours, as this allows your digestive tract to clear out. Following it for longer is even better.
6. Toxic Metal Cleanse
Some people have high levels of toxic metals such as mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and lead in their body.[10] In general, it's best to perform two cleanses per year to avoid long-term accumulation. I recommend using a heavy metal and chemical detox extract for added support.
7. Raw/Alkaline Foods Cleanse
This is a temporary cleanse that advocates eating uncooked fruits and vegetables combined with smaller amounts of raw nuts, seeds, and sprouts. It’s an excellent way to detoxify the colon, liver, and other systems in the body. It alleviates the body’s need to alkalize the acidic nature of blood that results from a modern, non-alkaline diet. Learn more about the benefits of a raw food diet.
8. Juice Fasts
Juice fasts consist of consuming only freshly-juiced fruits and vegetables for one to three days, or longer. The best cleansing fruits and veggies include apples, carrots, beets, ginger root, spinach, pears, celery, kale, cabbage, pineapple, cranberry, and other dark leafy greens. Citrus fruits are usually avoided while fasting. Organic fruits and vegetables are best.
9. Kitcheree Cleanse
A kitcheree (or kitchari) cleanse is an ancient Ayurvedic method of cleansing the body through what is known as a “mono-diet.” In a kitcheree cleanse, you can eat an easy-to-digest diet of mung beans, cooked vegetables, basmati rice, and spices. This diet offers temporary relief to the digestive system and contributes to overall detoxification, especially when combined with cleansing herbs.[11]
10. Cleansing Spices
Coupling a healthy, organic diet with cleansing spices is an effective way to detox the body. The best cleansing spices include cinnamon, oregano, turmeric, cumin, cilantro, fenugreek, ginger, fennel, cayenne pepper, black pepper, clove, parsley, and rosemary.[12]
11. Master Cleanse
This detox method consists of a diet composed only of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, organic grade-B maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and spring water.[13] While this can be an effective method for both liver and colon cleansing, I still recommend performing an oxygen colon cleanse, and a liver and gallbladder cleanse at the same time.
References (13)
- Drewnowski A, Gomez-carneros C. "Bitter taste, phytonutrients, and the consumer: a review." Am J Clin Nutr. (2000): 1424-1435.
- Tokusumi Y, Takagi Y. "Ectosymbiotic role of food bacteria for paramecium: bacterial detoxification of paramecia-killing toxin contained in wheat grass powder." Zool Sci. (2000): 341-348.
- Koumbi L. "Dietary factors can protect against liver cancer development." World J Hepatol. (2017):119-125.
- Singh, U. P., D. P. Singh, S. Maurya, Ruchi Maheshwari, Mandavi Singh, R. S. Dubey, and R. B. Singh. "Investigation on the Phenolics of Some Spices Having Pharmacotherapeutic Properties." Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy 4.4 (2004): 27-42.
- Wijarnpreecha K, Thongprayoon C, Edmonds PJ, Cheungpasitporn W. "Associations of sugar- and artificially sweetened soda with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis." QJM. (2016): 461-466.
- Nikawa, H., Nishimura, H., Hamada, T. et al. "Effects of dietary sugars and saliva and serum on Candida biofilm formation on acrylic surfaces." Mycopathologia (1997) 139: 87.
- Bor T, Gyawali R, Ibrahim SA. "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Essential Oils and Combination of Copper and Lactic Acid on the Growth of E. coli O157:H7 in Laboratory Medium." Foods. (2016): 5(1).
- Surendran nair M, Amalaradjou MA, Venkitanarayanan K. "Antivirulence Properties of Probiotics in Combating Microbial Pathogenesis." Adv Appl Microbiol. (2017): 1-29.
- Huber R, Nauck M, Lüdtke R, Scharnagl H. "Effects of One Week Juice Fasting on Lipid Metabolism: A Cohort Study in Healthy Subjects." Complement Med Res (2003): 7-10.
- Li, Qingzhao et al. "The Preferential Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Different Tissues Following Frequent Respiratory Exposure to PM2.5 in Rats." Scientific Reports 5 (2015): 16936. PMC. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
- Guillon F, Champ MM. "Carbohydrate fractions of legumes: uses in human nutrition and potential for health." Br J Nutr. (2002): 293-306.
- Singh UP, Singh DP, Maurya S, et al. "Investigation on the phenolics of some spices having pharmacotherapeuthic properties." J Herb Pharmacother. (2004): 27-42.
- Kim, Mi Joung et al. "Lemon detox diet reduced body fat, insulin resistance, and serum hs-CRP level without hematological changes in overweight Korean women." Nutrition Research, Volume 35 , Issue 5. (2015): 409 - 420.
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.
Dr. Edward Group, DC
FOUNDER | HEALER | ADVOCATEDr. Group, DC is a healer and alternative health advocate, and an industry leader and innovator in the field of natural health who is dedicated to helping others. He is a registered doctor of chiropractic (DC), a naturopathic practitioner (NP), and proud alum of Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Dr. Group, DC is the founder of Global Healing – a mission and vision he has shared through best-selling books and frequent media appearances. He aims to spread his message of positivity, hope, and wellness throughout the world.
