Feeling sluggish or out of sync? Struggling with skin problems, aches and pains, or digestive issues? Unable to lose weight? It might be time for a body detox.

Detoxification, practiced for centuries by cultures around the world—including Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems—is about resting, cleansing, and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimal health.

How Does Detoxification Work?

Detoxification essentially means cleaning the blood. This process involves removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymphatic system, and skin. However, when this system is compromised, impurities are not properly filtered, and every cell in the body is adversely affected.

A detox program can support the body's natural cleansing process by:

1. Resting the organs through fasting.

2. Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body.

3. Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys, and skin.

4. Improving circulation of the blood.

5. Refueling the body with healthy nutrients.

"Detoxification works because it addresses the needs of individual cells, the smallest units of human life," says Peter Bennett, N.D., co-author of *7-Day Detox Miracle* with Stephen Barrie, N.D., and Sara Faye.

Do You Need to Detoxify?

Bennett suggests that everyone should detox at least once a year. However, he cautions against detoxing for nursing mothers, children, and patients with chronic degenerative diseases, cancer, or tuberculosis. Consult your healthcare practitioner if you have questions about whether detoxing is right for you.

Today, with more toxins in the environment than ever, "it's critical to detox," says Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D., author of *Detoxification*. Page recommends detoxing for symptoms such as:

• Unexplained fatigue

• Sluggish elimination

• Irritated skin

• Allergies

• Low-grade infections

• Puffy eyes or bags under the eyes

• Bloating

• Menstrual problems

• Mental confusion

How to Start a Detox

First, lighten your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars, and saturated fats, which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to healing. Minimize the use of chemical-based household cleaners and personal health care products, and substitute natural alternatives.

Stress is another deterrent to good health, triggering the release of stress hormones into your system. While these hormones can provide an "adrenaline rush," in large amounts they create toxins and slow down detoxification enzymes in the liver. Yoga, Qigong, and meditation are simple and effective ways to relieve stress by resetting your physical and mental reactions.

Which Detox Program is Right for You?

There are many detoxification programs and recipes, depending on your individual needs. Many programs follow a 7-day schedule because, as Bennett explains, "it takes the body time to clean the blood." His program involves fasting on liquids for two days, followed by a carefully planned five-day detox diet to allow the digestive system to rest. Page recommends a 3-7 day juice fast (drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water) as an effective way to release toxins.

Here are five popular detox diets:

1. Simple Fruit and Veggie Detox

2. Smoothie Cleanse

3. Juice Cleanse

4. Sugar Detox

5. Hypoallergenic Detox

Top 10 Ways to Help Your Body Detoxify

After completing a detox program, you can maintain a cleansed body with these diet, supplement, and lifestyle practices:

1. Eat Plenty of Fiber: Include brown rice and organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.

2. Cleanse and Protect the Liver: Take herbs such as dandelion root, burdock, and milk thistle, and drink green tea.

3. Take Vitamin C: This helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.

4. Stay Hydrated: Drink at least two quarts of water a day.

5. Breathe Deeply: Allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.

6. Transform Stress: Emphasize positive emotions.

7. Practice Hydrotherapy: Take a very hot shower for five minutes, then follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Repeat three times, then rest for 30 minutes.

8. Use a Sauna: Sweat out toxins through perspiration.

9. Dry-Brush Your Skin: Or try detox foot spas/foot baths to remove toxins through your pores.

10. Exercise: "Exercise is the most important way to detoxify," says Bennett. "Yoga or jump-roping are good. One hour every day." Also, try Qigong, a martial-arts-based exercise system with specific health benefits.

Consult your doctor before using any health treatment—including herbal supplements and natural remedies—and inform them if you have a serious medical condition or are taking any medications. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical counseling.