How to detox: Your Ultimate Guide to Post-Holiday Detox

As the new year begins, it’s common to feel the need to reset your health and well-being after weeks of festive feasting. Starting afresh, rejuvenating your system, and kickstarting a healthier lifestyle are all possible benefits of detoxifying your body.

January is a great time to help our bodies detox and give them a chance to rest and recover. Right after the festive seasons and the indulgence and right before spring, It’s time to think about removing toxins from your body.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to detox and focus on powerful methods—lymphatic drainage, deep cleanse colonics, and liver-cleansing colonic treatments—to help you detoxify after the winter indulgences.

What is detox and how does it work?

The body is exposed to a variety of toxic compounds, such as natural plant components, drugs, sugar, pesticides, phthalates, PCBs, dioxane, and particulate matter. As a result of these reactions, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are created, such as free radicals, peroxide, and superoxide, which damage cells, collagen, and DNA, leading to inflammation and aging.

As our major detox organ, the liver converts toxic substances into water-soluble derivatives that can be excreted in urine. Alternatively, some toxic substances are excreted in the feces by bile. Detox usually involves short-term dietary interventions and relaxation rituals to remove toxins.

How to detox 

Everyone has their own way of prioritising care and exploring change. This year you can try to rest more and even sleep in. Start your morning with a stretch and breathwork routine and a new hydrating day cream. Most importantly, make sure to enjoy some delicious, nourishing, seasonal food.  Here are our top recommendations on how to detox in January.

• Ensure you get enough sleep

The body’s natural detoxification system and health are supported by adequate quality sleep every night. In addition to reorganising and recharging your brain, rest also eliminates toxic waste byproducts accumulated throughout the day.

A study from the University of Rochester Medical Center revealed that the brain has a unique method of removing toxic waste through the lymphatic system. While asleep, this system raises its activity, allowing the brain to eliminate toxins, including harmful proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease. During sleep, brain cells shrink approximately 60 per cent, allowing waste to be removed more efficiently. So this January, give it a try and sleep a little more.

If you’re seriously struggling to get a good night’s rest and can’t figure out why, consider creating a sleep routine. Your routine can include a consistent bedtime, avoiding screens before bed, and keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. You can also try using a Sleep Patch with herbal extracts and CBD to restore a healthy level of sleep quality at night.

• Prioritise exercise

We cannot stress enough the importance of exercising. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, and reduce the risk of diseases. It also helps detox your body through sweating. Blood and lymph circulate through our bodies, allowing organs such as the lymph nodes and liver to function properly. In addition, exercise improves digestion, leading to better waste removal and healthier intestines.

Generally, any low-intensity aerobic exercise that increases the heart rate and causes heavier breathing is a recommended detox method as long as your breathing falls within the fat-burning zone. Try anything from walking and bike riding to dancing and swimming. Exercise should be enjoyed. Start slowly and build up gradually. Listen to your body and be mindful of any discomfort.

• Relax and manage your stress

During the holidays, stress tends to leave us for a while and return right after. Stress produces a constant surge of stress hormones flooding the body, as well as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, stress can become toxic and lead to a variety of health problems.

People can get through stressful times more easily when stress is managed via mindfulness, loving self-care, and supportive relationships. Exercise, spend time with friends, take a mindful walk through the park or stay home and take a relaxing bath with detox salts.

• Indulge in a massage

Sometimes, all you need is a massage. The lymphatic system plays a vital role in immune function and detoxification.  Lymphatic drainage is a gentle massage technique designed to stimulate the lymphatic system, aiding in the removal of toxins and excess fluids from the body. This method can enhance circulation, reduce swelling, and promote a sense of well-being. Practitioners use light pressure and rhythmic movements to encourage lymph flow, assisting in removing waste products.

You can also indulge in a glass shell detox massage. After thorough consultation, your therapist will brush the body to stimulate the lymphatic system to increase drainage. A combination of hot and cold shells to massage the legs and stomach will shock the body into initiating weight loss and detox.

• Stay hydrated

Water helps us cleanse by forming urine, sweat, and stool. Sipping on warm water is deeply hydrating and helps relieve constipation, cleanse your digestive system and assist your lymphatic system by increasing fluid circulation and encouraging better waste removal. It is helpful to source pure spring water or filtered water, but is not absolutely necessary.

You can also try a detox smoothie. One of our favourites includes spinach, avocado, carrots, bananas, oranges, almonds and ginger. It’s a great source of vitamins A, B, C, and E, and it’s super tasty. You can also add Detox Husk Powder to your smoothie to increase fibre consumption, which is essential for healthy digestion.

• Reduce your intake of sugar and processed foods

Reducing your consumption of sugar and processed foods can significantly benefit your overall health. Research links high consumption of sugary and highly processed foods to obesity and other chronic diseases, which harm organs that play a crucial role in detoxification, such as your liver and kidneys.

Consuming less junk food will help your body’s detoxification system remain healthy. You can reduce your junk food consumption by replacing it with healthier options like fruits and vegetables. Opting for whole foods and seasonal produce not only provides essential nutrients but also helps regulate blood sugar levels and supports sustained energy throughout the day. Making conscious choices to limit sugar and processed foods can contribute to improved well-being and long-term vitality.

• Enjoy seasonal, nourishing food

As mentioned above you should stay away from processed foods and beverages with a high glycemic load, which are acid, inflammatory, and nutrient-poor. These “food-like substances” can burden the liver, causing it to work harder to process and eliminate them. Regular or excessive intake can create congestion in the body’s detoxification pathways, leaving you at a higher risk of developing chronic illness and disease.

Make sure to choose seasonal produce and eat organic produce, seafood that is responsibly caught, and grass-fed animal protein whenever possible. When you buy your food from the local Farmer’s Market, you’ll be less likely to be exposed to GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides. By doing so, you reduce the strain on your liver.

• Cut alcohol

Reduce your consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs. Even though our bodies are capable of detoxifying small amounts of these, the intention is to allow our detox organs- liver, skin, lungs, and gut-a chance to catch up and recover.

It’s not always easy to withdraw from alcohol, and some foods can make you feel poorly during withdrawal as well. Within a few days, this should pass, and you may decide to do without these things permanently.

• Detox with an enema or colonic hydrotherapy

colonic hydrotherapy might sound scary, but on the contrary, they are rather therapeutic. Detoxification through colonic hydrotherapy or enemas involves the introduction of fluids into the colon to flush out toxins and waste materials from the body.

 Enemas typically use a smaller amount of fluid, usually water or a saline solution, while colonic hydrotherapy employs a larger volume of water for a deeper cleanse. Both methods aim to eliminate built-up fecal matter, purportedly promoting better digestion, increased energy, and improved overall health.

Embrace self-care, nourishment, and wellness

We hope you feel inspired to take some extra time to sleep, cook yourself a delicious meal, soak in the tub, and go for a walk. To detox, you don’t need any extreme diet or therapy; just try to be more in tune with your body. Our detox guide is not about deprivation is all about cleansing your body and mind. Take the first step to a healthier life. Incorporate these simple self-care rituals into your daily routine and reap the rewards.

If you’ve enjoyed this blog post and you want to learn more about remaining energised and healthy, we suggest visiting our blog section for more interesting stories. You can contact us with any questions you might have, and we’ll be happy to assist you.