21 Jan 5 Best Lifestyle Tips for Detox

5 Best Lifestyle Tips for Detox

In this third and final article of my Detox123 series, I will teach you the 5 best lifestyle tips that work synergistically with the best foods and supplements for detox to keep your mind healthy, vibrant and strong.

In articles 1 and 2, you learned that because we live in such a toxic world it is crucial that we support our body’s innate detoxification systems to avoid toxic overload. Symptoms of toxic overload can include but aren’t limited to:

• Brain fog

• Migraines

• Fatigue

• Bad skin

• Body odor

• Chronic aches and pains

• Irritability

In addition to the best foods and supplements for detox it’s also very important to incorporate lifestyle strategies in order to optimize the elimination of harmful chemicals from your body. The main routes of elimination are your poop, pee, breathe and sweat. So to ensure that the detoxification process is complete we want our poop regular, our cells hydrated and our circulation optimized. Here’s how:

5 Best Lifestyle Tips for Detox

Lifestyle Tip 1: Drink more water

In addition to maintaining appropriate hydration, drinking water also keeps our bowels regular and speeds up the removal of toxic buildup in our bodies. I recommend starting with a 1/2 liter of water first thing in the morning. Add some freshly squeezed lemon juice for a nice zing and to further support detoxification. Drink an additional 8 more glasses throughout the day. We use a Berkey filter in our home and office and absolutely love it!

Lifestyle Tip 2: Eat more fiber 

Fiber helps speed up bowel movements and the removal of poop from our digestive pipes. I recommend 25-35 grams of both soluble and insoluble fiber a day. You can get that in 5 servings of fruits and vegetables and a handful of nuts and seeds. Choose organic, pesticide free produce and eat the skins of your apples, cucumbers, pears etc. for the best results.

Here are some great sources of soluble fiber:

• Apples

• Blueberries

• Oranges

• Carrots

• Onions

• Bananas

• Jeruselum artichoke

• Apples

• Strawberries

Here are some yummy sources of insoluble fiber:

• Seeds and skins of fruit

• Almonds

• Pine nuts

• Pistachios

• Fresh coconut meat

• Dates

 Lifestyle Tip 3: Move your body!

Exercise helps to improve circulation, gets your lymphatic system flowing and if done vigorously enough, makes you sweat (see Tip 4). When I lived in Chicago, I would skateboard for hours til I was sweating buckets, lie in a grassy field to recover and then drink even more buckets of water to rehydrate. I felt great! Choose a type of exercise that’s enjoyable to you, gets you sweating and feeds your soul!

 Lifestyle Tip 4: Sweat it out

Saunas are a very safe and effective way to detox. Sweating speeds up the removal of toxins that are stored in your fat and blood. Find a local gym that has a sauna and spend 15-minutes once a week sweating it out. Be sure to sip on 1/2 a liter of warm water before, during and after your sauna session. Rinse off with some cold water to naturally boost your glutathione levels, the master antioxidant of your body.

If you don’t have a sauna near you, the next best thing is to take a 15 minute hot shower ending with a cold water rinse for 30 seconds. Dry off, bundle yourself up with some warm, cozy clothes and lie down in bed until your body warms up again.

Lifestyle Tip 5: Treat yo’ self!

Treat yourself to a lymphatic massage. This special type of massage helps to remove waste and toxins from your body by improving the circulation of your lymphatic system. Massage in general is a wonderful way of activating your parasympathetic nervous system for rest and relaxation. My partner, Dr. Natasha Fallahi and I are very physically active caring for our patients at our family wellness center so we get massaged at least twice a month. Be sure to drink 1/2 liter of warm water after your massage session.

And there you have it! This concludes my DETOX123 series. I know it’s a lot of information to digest so to get started choose one of the best foods, one of the best supplements and one of the best lifestyle tips that resonates most with your being and begin incorporating them into your life. By doing so you will enhance your body’s innate detoxication systems to keep your mind healthy, vibrant and strong.

To Your Total Health,

Dr. Titus Chiu

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