Want to know how to begin a detox?

Begin by reducing your toxin load. Do away with alcoholic beverages, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and unhealthy fats. All of these serve as toxins in your body and are therefore hindrances to your process of healing. Additionally, reduce the usage of chemical-based household cleaners and personal care products (facial cleansers, hair shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes), and replace these with organic substitutes.

Yet another hinderance to great health is stress, which leads your system to discharge stress hormones in your body. Although these hormones may give the "adrenaline rush" needed to win the race or meet an important deadline, in large volumes they produce harmful toxins and bog down the detoxification enzymes in your liver.

Which detoxification program suits you the best?

There are plenty of detoxification programs and detox recipes that can be used depending on your unique needs. Several plans adhere to a 7-day routine because, it takes time for the body to cleanse the bloodstream. Some programs include going on a fast and drinking only liquids for two days. After this, you begin a thoroughly organized five-day detox diet which allows the digestive system to rest. Some professionals highly recommend a 3-7 day juice fast (drinking only fruit and vegetable juices and water) as a great method of releasing toxins.

Here are our five favorite detox diets:

• Simple Fruit and Veggie Detox
• Smoothie cleanse
• Juice Cleanse
• Sugar Detox
• Hypoallergenic Detox

Top 10 ways to help your body detoxify

Following a detox program, you can easily purify your system every day using these diet, dietary supplements and lifestyle best practices:

1. Eat a good amount of fiber, such as brown rice and fruits and veggies. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are fantastic cleansing foods.

2. Purify and help to protect your liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.

3. Be sure to take vitamin C, which will help your body produce glutathione, a liver substance that eliminates toxins.

4. Drink a minimum of two-quarts of water each day.

5. Take deep breaths to permit oxygen to flow more completely throughout your body.

6. Work on reducing stress by making healthier lifestyle choices eliminating clutter from your life.Many of us are trying to do far too many things. Doing a few things well is much better than giving less to more activities.

7. Practice hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for five-minutes, letting the water to run down your back. Follow this up with cold water for thirty seconds. Do this 3 times, after which you lay in bed for thirty minutes.

8. Sweat it out in a sauna so that your body can eliminate toxins through perspiration.

9. Dry-brush your skin or try detox foot spas/foot baths to eliminate toxins by way of your skin's pores. Special brushes can be found at many natural products shops.

10. What's the most essential method of detoxification? Exercise. Pilates or jump-roping are perfect. Try to do no less than an hour daily. You can also try your hand at Qigong, a martial-arts based exercise system which includes workouts designed for detoxifying and cleansing, along with a number of other workouts with specific health advantages.

Talk to your doctor prior to implementing any detoxification program- including herbal supplements and natural treatments - and inform your doctor should you have a significant medical condition or are taking any medications. The material provided here is for educational purposes only and it is by no means intented as an alternative to medical counseling.