How to Detox at Home - Lifestyle Changes That Work

The first rule of detox is there are no rules. Really though, there are no rules. I’ve said it before, a cleanse or detox is a personal thing. It doesn’t need to be an all out assault course for the body, just a few tweaks to help your system self-correct and work more efficiently. The great side effect is a clearer mind. Here’s how to detox at home.

Skye Gilkeson

Incorporate fresh lemon juice into your diet to help cleanse the liver. Image © Skye Gilkeson

These are general guidelines to consider if you feel you need a cleanse or you just want to oil a few squeaky wheels. They are healthy habits you can introduce and maintain in your every day life. As I wrote about here, a detox shouldn’t be about setting unrealistic goals and placing unnecessary pressures on your mind or body. The main goal of these shifts is to help the liver (which detoxes the body). When the liver is running more efficiently you’ll find you have more energy and you shouldn’t carry excess kilos (if you’re eating and training well).

Set Preferences, Not Rules

The moment you start putting firm restrictions in place, damaging patterns can develop. Everything you do should place a positive focus on progress, not perfection. The needs of our body also change. For example, you may go through a time in your life where you don’t feel you need to eat meat. But that could change and that’s okay.

So set some goals that are personal to you but if you stray from a list, just reset and forget.

Kombucha with Fresh Lime on ice is a delicious way to get some fermented, gut-healing bacteria into your detox. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Ban the Booze

Don’t panic, it’s only temporary. If you’re doing a cleanse, alcohol should be the first thing to go. It is a toxin, it’s hard on the liver (which you’re trying to nurture during a detox), and it often leads to a cloudy mind and poor choices. I’ve had many clients who battled with the idea of giving up alcohol, even for a week, which in itself is probably a reason to push it aside and ask why you are so reliant on it.

Generally speaking, if you’re a regular drinker during the work week, a good starting point is to stick to weekend drinks only. If you are a once-a-week-go-hard-or-go-home drinker, you might want to adjust the habit by mixing in waters or non-alcoholic drinks (like the Kombucha above – recipe to come).

For a proper cleanse, you need to ditch the booze at least for a few days. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

Herbal tea is a healthy and tasty alternative to your morning caffeine hit. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Cut Out Caffeine

I’ve written about clean coffee options and my love of coffee here. But if you find you’re in an exhausted, fight-or-flight, slightly frazzled state, you’re gaining weight for seemingly no reason, or you don’t sleep soundly, stress may be a major player in your health. That directly impacts your body’s ability to cope with stimulants. Unfortunately, caffeine will prop you up in the short term but it could burn you out in the long term. I will write more about adrenal fatigue soon. But for the detox steer clear of hard caffeine (coffee, soft drinks, training supplements like fat burners). Green tea is fine, should you need a more gentle pick me up.

Add fresh cut fruit to your water to get through your daily requirements. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Make Friends with Water

Drink more. 3 litres a day is great or more if you’re sweating it out. The best way to start your day is by drinking a cup of hot water with lemon in it, first thing. Throughout the day, consider adding a tablespoon of liquid Chlorophyll, organic apple cider vinegar or squeeze of lemon into your drinking water. It helps carry the water to the liver and gallbladder and flush it (taking any nasties lingering with it). Also, avoid cold water -the closer to room temperature, the better.

Immerse yourself in nature to help you mentally unwind. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Add Some Yin to Your Yang

Many have formed a unbalanced connection between weight loss and hardcore training or a number on a set of scales. But when it comes to training and using all your body has to offer, it pays to think beyond the bathroom scales.

It’s important to balance your yin and yang; between disciplines for fitness, strength and cardiovascular health and those that quiet the mind, relieve stress and improve circulation and flexibility.

During your cleanse, experiment with new training methods. Care for yourself through yoga, meditation, slow swimming, long walks in nature. They are activities that may not give you the same heart rate spike initially. However, they have other benefits like massaging the organs (helping digestion and organ function), reducing cortisol levels (stress hormone in the body) and encouraging deep breathing (which helps eliminate toxins and improves blood circulation).

Ditch the Red Meat

No I’m not vegan, but no matter the quality of red meat you’re eating it is harder on your digestive system to process. I’m not saying give it up. Perhaps just leave it out for a week and focus on sustainable fish and organic chicken instead.

Homemade curry is an easily digested and delicious dinner option while on detox. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Warm Your Food

There are many cleanses on the market that are cold and raw in nature, like juice cleanses. If you have a really robust digestive system, they may be right for you. If you’re on the other side of the equation and suffer from digestive upsets, try a couple of warm meals a day during your detox and see if it helps. The less work your digestive system has to do to warm the food before breaking it down, the less stress is added to your struggling tummy.

If you can’t have warm meals try a cup of warm peppermint tea following your meals. It works as a digestive aid.

Eat More Vegetables and Go Green

Seems pretty obvious right? Well the reason isn’t just because it’s generally healthier and will provide you with necessary vitamins and minerals. Although that’s true too. It will provide you with the fibre shortfall you may suffer from if you’re reducing grains. Vegetables and fruit are a great source of roughage and no one likes a bloated belly.

Greens are also key. I know, all of us nutrition loving types always bang on about eating your greens. But leafy vegetables will help rid the body of waste, give you energy and ultimately keep you in shape. I really can’t say enough about how important green vegetables are. Why? They are naturally rich in Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll anti-inflammatory, it helps promote the growth of beneficial good bacteria in the gut, flushes the body of toxins including remnants of prescription drugs they may be sitting in your system and of course they boost the liver. Greens are high in fibre and antioxidants, vitamins and minerals so they really are a true superfood. So go green already! But don’t forget to try to whole spectrum of greens. I’ve written about why you should rotate your greens here.

Write it all Down

Keep a diary of what you’re eating, how much and how you feel afterwards. Do the same with how you move your body. It doesn’t need to be a new obsession, just take notes when you think of it. It will reinforce new conscious choices and help build long-lasting health habits.

These are just some handy, healthy habits that will help set you on the path to detoxing.

This is simply a guide to what work’s for me personally. The information in this article is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Skye Gilkeson

Skye is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Fit Traveller.

She is a journalist, writer, photographer, intrepid traveller and a former personal trainer with a passion for helping others reach optimal health.

As a TV journalist and producer, Skye has worked for household names such as 60 Minutes, Sunrise, TODAY and Nine News. She has also written for Women’s Health, Fodor’s Travel and Yahoo7 Travel, among many others.

Equally comfortable in a 5-star resort or hiking a far-off mountain, Skye loves the unexpected and enriching life experiences that each trip brings and can often be found in a backstreet chatting to locals with her camera in hand.

Skye is based in Sydney, working to master the balance between motherhood and her appetite for adventure.