Abstract
Just like we often do deep cleaning in our houses after a few weeks, our body also needs such deep cleaning oftenly. This is somewhat similar to getting the carburetor of our vehicle’s engine cleared so that the process of combustion is carried out successfully. If the toxins are not flushed out at a regular intervals of time, then it might lead to some serious health issues like slower metabolism, obesity, faster ageing, and ultimately a weak immunity etc. Today we will see the options to detoxify our body which will help to attain a strong immunity.
Introduction
Detoxification is a biological process in our body which is usually carried out by the liver to flush out the toxins from the body. These toxins could be anything like processed food, heavy metals, chemicals etc. Detoxification is closely related to immunity as this helps in proper functioning of the organs. For example, our liver with fatty deposition will not be able to work efficiently, unlike a healthy liver. One more example could be related to this, i.e an athlete has a stronger immune system than a normal person, as the former does not have any toxins in his system. They do not consume such food like junk food, excess salt/sugars, fried food which lead to accumulation of toxins in the body.
Nowadays, we are continuously exposed to several toxins through the air we breathe and food that we eat. This has led to many diseases like diabetes, fatty liver, lung cancer, kidney stones, skin problems etc. With the help of proper and a healthy diet and removing the toxins from the body may enhance our immune system to fight diseases better.
How to detoxify our body?
The main site in our body where the detoxification takes place is the liver. Liver is responsible for removing the toxins that come along with our food and the water. This is done with the help of Kupffer cells. Let us explore the methods to detoxify the body in order to get rid of the harmful toxins and attain optimum health through better immunity.
Detoxification through food items
1. Lemon
This is the easiest way of availing vitamin C. This will not only fulfil the requirement of vitamin c but will also give your body plenty of antioxidants to fight the free radicals in the body which causes diseases. It has anti-cancerous properties and also maintains a good pH of the body with the help of alkaline effects that it has. You could include lemon in your diet like salads, lemon water, or just squeeze some drops of lemon in your main course. To get the best results out of it, take this with hot water in the morning when your stomach is empty.
2. Honey
This is one of the best and ancient remedies in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. It is famous for its antibiotic properties which helps in accelerating the healing process. With the richness of vitamin B6, iron, calcium and magnesium it keeps the body full of energy. You could add honey with lemon in hot water and consume it in the early morning. This will not only aid weight loss, but also will help in detoxification. Honey could be used for cough and congestion in babies.
3. Garlic
This protects the blood cells especially red blood cells by means of chelation. This helps in removal of the heavy metals from the body through excretion. Other than this detoxification process, garlic also helps in preventing cardiovascular disease by lowering down the cholesterol levels. Due to the presence of allicin in garlic it is capable of producing disease fighting cells, i.e white blood cells. It is recommended to consume one clove of garlic which will be beneficial enough to lower the cholesterol.
4. Ginger
This is also one of the commonest herbs easily available in our surroundings. It has anti-inflammatory properties, which help the liver cells from damage being caused due to alcohol abuse. It boosts the immune system with the help of antioxidants that it contains, and reduces the digestive issues like gas, nausea, acidity etc. You could add ginger in the salads by grating it, or simply make a herbal tea with ginger in it.
5. Green Tea
Whether it is your weight loss journey or detoxification of the body, without including this in your diet and regimen, the result could not be achieved. This helps in flushing out the toxins from the system with the help of antioxidant properties. It reduces your chances of diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and also helps in weight loss. Green tea is available in many flavours so this makes it interesting, as you could switch to a new flavour after every two weeks.
6. Fresh Fruits
This choice of food items may prove to be a blessing in your life. This is a completed package filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and most important fibres. This helps in decreasing the load on the liver that is always there to digest the fats. Being rich in fibre, fruits help in maintaining the consistency of stools soft which in turn prevent constipation. Include the seasonal fruits in your diet that will boost the immune system.
7. Turmeric
In Ayurveda, this herb has a reputed place because of its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic properties. These properties help the body to purify itself. As more than 70 percent of the immune system resides in the gut, therefore it boosts the immunity by cleaning the liver and purifying the blood.
Role of exercise in detoxification
In the process of detoxification of the body, the role of physical activity is not much, but could not be ignored either. It actually aids the process of detoxification which is being done by the nutritional and dietary factors. For example, if you are following a good diet but not able to take time off for some workout then detoxification might be longer than you expected. On the other hand, if you are doing a regular workout like cycling, running, swimming or just walking, it burns calories and helps in weight loss, which ultimately have a good effect on your liver. This in turn better functioning of the liver, and hence promotes removal of toxins out of the body.
Detoxification of mind
Do you really think that only detoxifying the physical body is enough to lead a happy life, the answer is no. It is because the mind is something which controls the whole body. And we all have our minds full of toxins today. The toxins are not chemical, or metals, they are the negative thoughts, hatred feelings, envy, jealousy and so on. It will be a waste if in a day you have followed a strict diet, but before going to bed you are filling your mind with so many negative thoughts by exposing it to smartphone usage. If you are not getting adequate sleep just because of the habit of spending more time on your smartphones, it will gradually weaken your immunity. Therefore following are the steps to be taken to detoxify your mind for a strong immunity.
- Daily meditation
- Abstinence from alcohol
- Avoid blue light exposure prior to sleeping (at least 30 minutes before bedtime)
- Yoga
- Avoid smoking and usage of other narcotics
Conclusion
We have seen how we could detoxify our bodies in the simplest and natural ways with the help of the foods and nutrition which is easily available. Our system is full of toxins as our lifestyles have been corrupted. But, there is nothing which is impossible to achieve so is a detoxicated body. The only requirement is a positive approach and determination towards the goal. This will help us to lead a happy and healthy life.
Dr. Vikram Chauhan (MD-Ayurvedic Medicine) is an Expert Ayurveda Consultant in Chandigarh (India). He has vast experience of herbs and their applied uses. He has successfully treated numerous patients suffering from various ailments, throughout the world. He is CEO and Founder of Krishna Herbal Company and Planet Ayurveda in Chandigarh, India. He researched age old formulas from ancient Ayurvedic text books to restore health and save human beings from the worst side-effects of chemical-based treatments.
