Body Cleansing Drinks
Total body detoxes and juice fasts are a hot topic as many people are looking for a quick way to jumpstart their weight loss success and support their liver by boosting the body’s natural ability to detox.
Body cleansing drinks are one way to do that, but it’s important to know that detox drinks should be enjoyed along with a healthy and naturally detoxifying diet. Body cleansing drink detoxes and fasts are not meant to be done long term, as they can actually do more harm than good. Doing a fast for too long can actually release stored toxins from fat cells in your body which is great, but your body requires certain vitamins and minerals and amino acids to support phase II detox where these toxins are excreted. With long-term detoxes like juice fasts, you aren’t giving your body what it needs for a complete detox.
So, we are going to look at some of the healthy body cleansing drink options you can enjoy in addition to eating a clean and nutritious diet. These drinks include ingredients that can help naturally support the body’s ability to detox as well as boost overall health.
The Top 7 Body Cleansing Drink Ideas
To help you get an idea in terms of what foods work best for detoxification, here are seven body cleansing drinks you can include in your diet. All of these drinks contain real and whole foods that will help nourish your body and your detoxification system.
#1 Super Green Detox Drink: If you have a juicer, there’s no better way to give your body an amazing vitamin and mineral boost than with a green detox drink. This drink can help support your body’s natural detoxification system while also fueling your cells with essential nutrients. Try making a green detox drink with dark leafy greens, lemon, cucumber, apple, cilantro, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
#2 Detox Smoothie: If you don’t have a juicer, you can still make a super nourishing smoothie using coconut water, dark leafy greens, berries, chia seeds, and coconut oil. Blend everything together and enjoy. Not a fan of coconut water? Try using a dairy-free milk option instead, just be sure it’s unsweetened like unsweetened almond or coconut or cashew milk.
#3 Cleansing Lemonade: Ditch the sugary lemonade and make a detoxifying version using freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed into water with a pinch of cayenne pepper and a drizzle of raw honey. Try enjoying this warm first thing in the morning to help stimulate the digestive system, promote elimination, and get the detox juices flowing.
#4 Dandelion Tea: Dandelion tea is widely known for its liver supporting properties. You can find dandelion tea at your local health food store or online. Try brewing a cup along with a drizzle of raw honey for a super detoxifying tea option. If you are a big caffeine drinker, try swapping one of your cups of coffee each day with a dandelion tea instead.
#5 Grapefruit Juice: Try making fresh grapefruit juice, or add fresh grapefruit to a smoothie for a metabolism and detox boost. Grapefruit is also rich in vitamin C to help give your immune system a boost, and you may be pleasantly surprised at the energy boost you get after enjoying this refreshing citrus fruit.
Not into the idea of grapefruit juice? Try half of a grapefruit with breakfast!
#6 Berry Smoothies: Berries are super-rich in antioxidants which are important for combatting free radicals in the body. They also hold some impressive anti-inflammatory properties making them ideal for overall health and to help support natural detox. Try making a berry smoothie with a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries blended with full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, chia seeds, and dark leafy greens. Enjoy this as a detox breakfast shake or in the middle of the day when you need a little energy to pick me up.
#7 Cucumber Water: Try making homemade cucumber water by either juicing cucumber and lemon or making fruit-infused water with sliced cucumber and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Cucumber is excellent for promoting hydration, an important part of supporting your body’s natural ability to detox.
Additional Nutritional tips to help promote Detoxification
In addition to making detox drinks, you can also consume many of these foods in their whole food state like a grapefruit with breakfast, sliced cucumber with hummus, or fresh berries served on top of your morning bowl of oatmeal. Whether you are consuming these naturally detoxifying foods in a drink or eating them regularly, the goal is just to enjoy them as regularly as possible, so be sure to do what works best for you.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that the body is always working to detox toxins that you come in contact with, but you can always include foods as well as drinks in your diet that are going to give this detox process a bit of a boost.
Instead of viewing detox beverages as a way to fast, try incorporating them into your healthy eating diet. They complement a healthy diet so well when it comes to supporting both phase I and phase II detox.
So, go ahead and try a few of these detox drinks and add them to your everyday diet. You may be surprised at what they can do for your energy levels as well as how well your body is able to detox.
About The Author
Rebecca Jacobs N.C is a Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, specializing in digestive and women’s health. She doesn’t believe in dieting but rather making lifestyle changes, and believes that healthy eating must be delicious. Rebecca is also a recipe developer and creates healthier alternatives to traditionally unhealthy foods.
