Daily Detoxification: Three Ways to Cleanse and Beautify Your Body

We live in a toxic world. From the air we breathe and the water we drink, to the artificial ingredients and preservatives in our food supply, our bodies have to work overtime just to eliminate enough toxins to continue operating smoothly.

When our bodies get overloaded with toxins, our immune systems becomes weaker and we become more vulnerable to everyday viruses or even more significant health issues like cancer or liver disease. That's why it's important to incorporate some simple daily detoxification practices into our lives.

When people hear the word detoxification, or detox for short, they often think of treatment programs for drug or alcohol abuse or spa retreats that only the wealthy can afford. But there are simple things you can do each day - no matter how much money you make - to detoxify your body.

Below are three daily detoxification techniques you can perform each day to help eliminate toxins and beautify your body.

Lemon Water

Fresh lemon has amazing internal cleansing properties. Not only does it help eliminate water retention, but it also helps detoxify the liver. Plus, it's high in vitamin C.

Each morning, before you eat or drink anything else, heat six to eight ounces of pure, clean water and squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the water. Sip slowly, giving your body at least 30 minutes to digest the warm lemon water before having coffee, tea or breakfast.

Beauty Bonus: As an added detox boost throughout the day, squeeze a thin slice of lemon into each glass of water you drink.

Dry Skin Brushing

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and plays an important role in the body's ability to eliminate toxins. Before you shower or bathe each day, do dry skin brushing to unclog pores and clear a path for elimination.

Using a dry loofah or a natural bristle brush, gently brush your skin using short, upward strokes in the direction of your heart (to assist the natural flow of your body's blood). Start at your feet (make sure you brush in between your toes!) and work upward toward your belly. For hard-to-reach areas like your back, try using a long handled loofah. Avoid sensitive skin or areas where the skin is broken (like a cut) or rashy (as with eczema).

Beauty Bonus: Daily dry skin brushing exfoliates skin and increases circulation, leaving your body smooth, glowing and touchable!

Fiber Up Your Diet

Fiber is an important nutritional element that helps the body naturally detoxify and eliminate waste. As it moves through the digestive track and intestines, fiber absorbs toxic waste and carries it out of the body through the bowels.

The problem is, with our over-processed food supply, most people don't get anywhere near the recommended daily requirement of 20-25g of fiber each day. With low fiber intake, our intestinal track can get congested and actually release accumulated toxins back into the bloodstream!

Getting adequate fiber each day does require a bit of planning. To get a jump start on your RDA, begin your day with a high fiber breakfast such as fiber-rich cereal and a piece of fruit. Snack on things like nuts, seeds, baby carrots and dried fruits. Make sandwiches with high fiber bread. Add beans to soups, stews and taco meat. And serve a green salad with chunky vegetables with dinner each night.

Health Note: Because fiber absorbs water as well as toxins, make sure you increase your water intake when you begin eating more fiber.

Beauty Bonus: Increasing fiber intake has been shown to help promote weight loss. So if you need to shed a few pounds, adding fiber to your diet should help.

There are many nutritional supplements and fiber preparations on the market designed to detox your body and it's not a bad idea to follow a more significant cleansing program from time to time. But for easy daily detoxification, the three things listed here will help you cleanse and beautify your body every day!