Starting from the food we take to the air we breathe in, the world we live in, is surrounded by toxins and harmful pollutants. And since we cannot avoid the intake of these harmful chemicals nature has provided our body with some inbuilt detoxification mechanism that works relentlessly to keep our organs clean.
But an unhealthy lifestyle hinders our detoxification process and slows down the process of toxin excretion which in the long run gives rise to a number of life threatening and incurable health issues.
In this post we have discussed about 6 important ways by which you can detoxify the body regularly thereby ensuring a healthy and fit body. Go ahead and learn the secrets:
1. Pranayama
Did you know that the maximum air intake capacity of our lung is a massive 6 litres? And we do not inhale even half its capacity? Even when we exhale, a small portion of residual air still remains inside which contains suspended particles and harmful toxins.
Pranayama rectifies our abnormal breathing pattern and purifies the lungs by allowing more oxygen to flow in which in turn eliminates the harmful toxins and pollutants from the body.
Most of the pranayama comprises of 3 stages which include i) slow and deep inhalation ii) Holding the breath (this increases the absorption of oxygen) and iii) slow exhalation
If you have never tried any pranayama exercises, you can start with Anulom Vilom, Bhastrika and Kapalbhati. For more details, you can refer these yogic detoxification postures.
2. Breathing Exercises
Sudarshan kriya, a revolutionary rhythmic breathing exercise is an ultimate toxin relieving process which functions at cellular level by purifying the system and eliminating stress, anxiety and depression.
A number of scientific studies have testified its multi folded benefits on the human body and mind and if done regularly, SKY can drastically change the quality of your life by stimulating the vagus nerve.
Apart from this, Ujjayi breathing or the breath of victory is also an effective breathing technique to detoxify the body by increasing the percentage of oxygen in blood.
3. Decorate Your Plate with Vitamin C and E
Pranayama will give much better results if complimented with fresh food rich in anti oxidants.
A study conducted by John Hopkins University reported that regular intake of Broccoli significantly detoxifies our lungs and helps in excretion of harmful air pollutants.
Tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries and fruits rich in Vitamin C and almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, plant-based oils (sunflower, safflower, soybean, olive), avocado, leafy greens rich in vitamin E should be a regular inclusion in your diet.
4. Go Herbal
Green tea is a good detox which helps in removing harmful toxins from the body. The natural polyphenols present in green tea helps the body’s natural detox system to function efficiently. Herbal tea also detoxifies the body.
Apart from these, tulsi (basal leaves), ginger, apple, ginger, garlic, coriander and cinnamon are powerful ingredients that helps in excreting environmental wastes from the body.
You can also try a homemade detoxifying tea by boiling basal leaves, black pepper and ginger in a vessel and relish after straining. For more homemade herbal tea recipes, click here.
5. Detox Drinks
Detox water flushes out harmful toxins from the body at a faster speed than plain water. Named after Cynthia Sass, Sassy water is a great detoxifier. Add a few slices of ginger, lemon, cucumber and 7-8 mint leaves in a jar filled with water and keep it overnight. Next day drink this water at regular intervals.
For more information about some wonderful detox water recipes, visit this link
6. Fast Once a Month
Wait, don’t panic! We are not asking you to starve! Contradictory to what most of us believe fasting is NOT about fighting with hunger all day and desperately waiting for the day to be over so that you can dive back in your refrigerator.
It is in fact the art of taking in the right food at right intervals and if done properly, fasting can actually detoxify your body in a healthy way.
What you can do is to go for water fasting or take detoxifying drinks, fruits and vegetables mentioned above at regular intervals.
And Finally…
Reduce your junk food and alcohol intake and say no to canned and packaged food items. Cold drinks and aerated drinks aren’t good for the body either. Care should also be taken to avoid using makeup items that contain increasing levels of toxins.
Additional Resources:
Asian Institute of Medical Sciences
The Canadian Health Food Association