The Ultimate Guide To Detoxing—Without Going On A Crazy Juice Cleanse

Visualize a dryer’s lint filter when it’s not emptied, or a plugged and increasingly stinky toilet, or a garbage disposal that’s broken but keeps being filled up from the sink above. Combine all these unsavory visuals, and that’s what your body becomes when it’s not flushing and detoxing: a garbage distillery, a bacterial laboratory, a breeding ground for incoming infections featuring parasites and viruses. 

Detoxing is a key part of health. It improves gut health, immunity, internal circulation, and weight-loss and reduced inflammation are positive side effects. I'm not here to make you paranoid, but the fact of the matter is that we are constantly exposed to toxins and germs from our environment. A 2009 CDC report showed more than 200 chemicals in human urine and blood, including signs of significant exposure to BPA and mercury. We have to include detoxing into our daily routines as much as we include eating and drinking, because what goes in must come out in some way. In this article, I'm not referring to the strict sense of “going on a detox” which is a short-term dietary intervention for the intent of eliminating toxins from inside the body. I'm discussing lifestyle methods of periodic detox. Let's break it down.

Detox VS. Cleanse

Detoxing for the body is like venting for a woman after a particularly bad day—sometimes we just need to let it all out in order for everything to instantly improve. However, some people overdo detoxing or take it too far for too long. It’s a balance that needs to be woven into our life cycles, gently. And there is a subtle difference between cleansing and detoxing. The term “cleanse” often applies more specifically to the digestive system, usually to purge intestinal congestion, whereas the term “detox” is more of a general term that can apply to other organs such as liver, kidneys, and skin. 

Sauna

An age-old practice since before the Romans, sweating is one of the best ways to detox (and slim down). And we're not just talking about sweating during your 5am Orange Theory class. Sauna benefits are not to be underestimated. Saunas have been used for thousands of years because the benefits stare you right in the face. Consistently using a sauna can help to increase training endurance, reduce cardiovascular diseases, and serves to detoxify through the skin’s pores. After all, the skin is your body’s largest organ and works as a key figure in the system’s detoxification process. 

According to functional medicine physician Dr. Jeffrey Morrison from Manhattan, sweat also helps to burn off fat, which is a storage unit for toxins and calories. Health studies have shown levels of heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, and lead present in sweat after exercising and sauna time, as well as fat-soluble toxins. Just be sure to soap off in the shower so you don’t reabsorb those chemicals that were kicked to the skin’s surface, says Morrison.

I say, take advantage of sweating as much as possible! I know I feel so good and refreshed, though maybe a bit tired, after doing a sweat sesh in the sauna, but I do it every chance I get. I just hop in a cool shower right after to wake up my system and close my open pores. I’ve noticed swelling in my face and general lymphatics reduce after sweating in the sauna a few times a week.

Hot Exercise 

It's safe to say that we all know what Hot Pilates is at this point. It’s the It Girl’s favorite for a reason. In all brutal honesty, I struggled at first especially when it came to cardio. My stamina was fleeting and my core strength was a joke. But now that I’ve slowly built up my endurance, I find the hot exercise’s sweat process to be so satisfying and rewarding! I also found that my body’s blood type doesn’t thrive off frequent and intense cardio, so the mindful movements of Pilates and related workouts helped my stamina to build much more steadily and rapidly. Nothing strenuous is easy at first, but the reward is in the effort.

Hotworx is my new favorite go-to workout (outside of the 28 app, of course)! With locations all over the US in most cities, Hotworx combines exercise with infrared light and heat from the infrared sauna, which serve to induce more efficient sweating. Combining heat with exercise simply maximizes results—no rocket science there. Studies show that infrared sweating is good for the brain. I find that it helps my mind to decompress and be present in the moment.

Lymphatic Massage

If there’s one thing to splurge on for self-care, it’s a massage. Specifically, lymphatic drainage massages are incredibly beneficial for circulation and lymphatic detox (and they help with bloating and swelling). I remember my first professional massage left me on Cloud 9 and I slept so well that night. Talk about rejuvenating! If you're able to, I recommend having a masseuse come to you and come in the evening so you can go to sleep quickly afterwards.

Romanticizing Hydration

We can’t be wilting plants, ladies! No one wants shriveled skin. Regardless of how much fertilizer it receives, a plant will literally die if it’s not watered. We’ve heard it time and again, but we can’t receive the full benefits of nutrition, of protein, of sweating, of exercise, of anything if we’re not hydrating, and frequently. It’s also much easier to weaken to snack urges and sweet cravings when you’re hydrated; when you think you’re hungry, you’re often actually thirsty.

To distract myself from this potential problem, and to fully benefit from detox methods like hot exercise, I make it a sport to fancify drinking water and fit in as many detox-friendly liquids as I can! I even treated myself to a new floral Stanley cup to make it fun.

Here are my go-to drink hacks:

• Lemon/lime juice ice cubes—squeeze a ton of citrus and freeze it in ice cube trays so you can quickly pop one or two into your water when the time comes.

• Warm lemon water: after waking and before bed. Lymphatics, metabolism, digestion—it does things to my system that my body loves.

• Liquid IV packets, Vitamin C packets—a super fun and easy way to mix in some new taste and color while hydrating extra well at the same time.

• Bone broth—maybe not strictly water but it’s an easy way to get protein in while doing intermittent fasting and it's incredibly healing for your gut.

• Herbal teas: green, ginger, dandelion, peppermint tea and raspberry tea (hot or cold).

• Green juices

Gentle detoxing is like wiping your face clean at the end of a long day—it needs to be done consistently and thoughtfully.