10 Ways to Detox Your Every Day

With all the hype about detoxes and cleanses circulating today, it can be overwhelming to know how to actually detox the right way.

Ayurveda considers this build-up of toxins to be the underlying cause of all disease. So how do you minimize the toxins that come into your life, and maximize the toxins that go out?

Toxins enter our worlds by what we eat, drink, breathe in, and process in any way. Here are 10 ways to reduce the toxins in your every day to help you restore optimal health and balance.

1. Stay hydrated: Drinking a minimum of eight glasses of clean, not-too-cold water every day is one of the best things you can do to detox and purify your body in a natural way. Good thing, because it’s also the easiest trick.
2. Eat clean: Try to stick to organic, pesticide-free foods, and eliminate antibiotics and hormones from your diet.
3. Meditate: Find time for stillness in your day to cleanse your mind and improve your ability to handle stress.
4. Move your body: Getting regular exercise is an important step to staying healthy and strong. Whether you enjoy light exercise like yoga or walking, or like to get your heart pumping by running or dancing, build an exercise routine that you’re excited about to make sure you keep it consistent.
5. Supplement with detoxifying herbs: Eating a balanced diet rich with fruits and vegetables is important, but taking it a step further may be your next step. Try adding Ayurvedic herbs to assist with the detoxification process, like Triphala or Biochavan.
6. Add heat: Break a sweat and hit the sauna or steam room … sweating is a great way build heat and eliminate toxins from your body.
7. Avoid processed foods, caffeine, and alcohol: Try to stay away from ingredients you can’t pronounce, white flour and sugar, caffeine, and alcohol to assist your body’s capacity to process toxins.
8. Quit a bad habit: Are you a smoker? Pack rat? Chronically sleep deprived? In a bad relationship? Toxins come into our lives in many forms. Consider if you’re participating in any unhealthy patterns or holding onto anything that no longer serves you, and find a way to limit those things in your life.
9. Regulate and eliminate: Healthy digestive function is important to keep your body eliminating the toxins you build up in the body. If you find you’re “stuck in an elimination rut” and not balanced or eliminating naturally, address those concerns with a health care provider.
10. Join us at Perfect Health: Ready for the ultimate detox? Our comprehensive, six-day mind-body healing immersion incorporates diet, exercise, meditation, herbs, and other healing modalities. If you’re interested in learning how to find optimal health and balance in your life, we’d love to support you at an upcoming program. Check out our Perfect Health Calendar and Details.

*Editor’s Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only; does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Chopra Center's Mind-Body Medical Group; and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, supplement, fitness, or other health program.