Natural Ways to Clean Out One's System

There are numerous reasons for cleaning out your system or performing a body detoxification. It can be a way to jump-start a weight loss program because weight loss is common during a cleanse. Cleaning out your system might also help you prevent certain diseases and chronic illnesses. The preservatives and unnatural ingredients in many foods are difficult for our bodies to digest, so a natural cleanse helps your body function better. Cleansing is also done for spiritual purposes and can include fasting for religious reasons or to experience a heightened sense of awareness.

Fasting

• Fasting is one of the most drastic ways to clean out your system. Fasting can involve eating just a few foods or juices, but it might also mean you eat nothing and only drink water. If done for too long, fasting can be dangerous, so it is important to understand your health and speak with your doctor before performing a fast. However, fasting can also be a powerful therapeutic process. Fasting rests the digestive tract and might help ease the symptoms of conditions such as chronic headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, eczema and inflammatory bowel disease.

Cleansing Plans

• There are several different cleansing plans, including the Master Cleanse, colon irrigation and a juice cleanse. The Master Cleanse involves drinking a mixture of lemon juice and cayenne pepper, both thought to clean out one's digestive system. A colon irrigation is performed by a medical professional and is similar to an enema, except much more water is used. A juice cleanse is similar to the Master Cleanse, except fresh vegetable and juice blends are ingested instead of a lemon and pepper mixture. In addition to altering your diet during a cleanse, it is important to get a lot of fresh air, stay hydrated with plenty of water and get plenty of rest.

Detoxifying With Food

• Eating only fruits and vegetables is a healthy way to clean out your system, but it does not leave you feeling unsatisfied like fasting. One of the main goals of cleaning one's system is to give the digestive system a break from working. Keeping your diet simple helps this goal. Using fruits and vegetables to detoxify is a good idea because both are easy to digest and have high water content. Though foods like lean protein, legumes, seeds and nuts are not bad for you, they are more difficult to digest, so avoiding them while detoxifying is more restful. In the days leading up to detoxifying, gradually ease use of caffeine, salt, alcohol, sugar and animal products. This will make the transition to only fruits and vegetables easier. Though all fruits and vegetables are suitable, include a variety of leafy greens, tomatoes, avocados, banana and citrus in your detox.

Elimination

• If you find cleaning out your system through detoxification, fasting or cleansing leaves you feeling healthier and more energetic, you might not want to return to your old way of eating. Easing back into a normal diet requires some time and you should gradually add foods like meat and poultry, fish and dairy. This gives your system time to adjust to working full-force again. To keep your system clean, eliminate bleached flour and processed foods for good. These foods have little nutritional value, so there is no sense in returning them to your diet.