Here’s the big-time secret “health” companies don’t want you to know...
Our bodies are made to detox.
It isn’t necessary to run out and buy all these expensive detox programs and procedures and pills and drinks and teas…
They’re not going to do much for ya.
Except take a bite out of your wallet.
Sorry “health” companies, we are on to ya.
So what does work?
Creating a regular routine to support your body’s own natural detoxification superpowers.
Today I’m giving you…
5 Easy – and Cheap – Ways to Detox Naturally
Two quick notes before we begin.
I’m not a doctor. This isn’t medical advice. Always talk with a medical professional to make sure what I’m saying here is ok for you. 🩺
You don’t have to do all these detox hacks at the same time. 🙂
And the idea is to use habit stacking when making changes.
So, for these detox hacks, I recommend:
Let’s get into those natural detox tricks.
The majority of these hacks come from Ayurveda.
If you’re a fan of Deepak Chopra or Sahara Rose, you may have heard of it.
For those of you in the dark right now, I’ll break it down real quick.
Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old holistic healing system – it’s rooted in Indian wisdom traditions.
In fact, the term Ayurveda actually means “The science of life.”
Pretty cool, right?
There are a few things I absolutely love about Ayurvedic medicine:
I love that Ayurveda takes an integrative approach to health.
Meaning mind, body, and spirit are treated as one complete system.
Our current modern-day approach tends to focus on each one of those things separately.
I mean, think about it:
Your medical doctor most likely focuses on your physical health.
You see a therapist or specialist for mental health.
Spiritual health is your connection to something deeper than yourself (which I think a lot of people forget to look after).
Meditation, yoga, exercise, personal development… those are all things I consider as spiritual health.
(Or a reallllyyyyy good spicy cacao latte). LOL
I love that in Ayurvedic philosophy, nature is healing.
I’m a huge fan of essential oils so this is right in my wheelhouse.
And, if you follow an Ayurvedic diet, it’s primarily vegan (at the very least vegetarian).
There’s hardly any meat in an Ayurvedic diet, so that appeals to me too. #plantmagic
I love that Ayurveda takes a personal approach to health.
It offers a lot of wisdom but it’s not a one-stop-shop.
AKA: It’s not a “take two pills and call me in the morning” type of thing.
But… the 5 detox tips I’m sharing today are great for everyone.
DETOX HACK #1: Drink warm water first thing in the morning.
When you get up in the morning, the first thing you grab to drink should be warm-to-hot water.
You can add lemon to really kickstart your daily detox.
A slice of fresh lemon or lemon essential oil are both great options.
Sad news, morning workout fans…
But you shouldn’t be downing ice cold water after your workout.
One of the detox principles in Ayurveda is that your digestive power is the key driver for everything you do.
And it’s described as a fire. 🔥
So adding something cold and icy to your fire isn’t going to help keep it going.
Hot water with lemon helps flush out the toxins your body has been processing while you sleep…
And it helps reignite the digestive fire that slowed down overnight.
DETOX HACK #2: Tongue scraping.
Ever look at your tongue and notice there’s a yellow or white-ish covering on it?
Those are toxins!
Tongue scraping is a technique that gently removes those toxins.
There’s fascinating science about how your mouth provides insight into how well your body is running…
And when you have a coating on it, your tongue is doing a lot of talking. LOL
You can buy a tongue scraper for like $10 to $15 bucks online.
Or, just use a spoon.
The process is really easy.
First, brush your teeth.
Then you do your tongue scraping.
Start at the back of your tongue and press the edge of the scraper or spoon down, gently dragging it to the front of your tongue.
Gentle is the key phrase here.
You don’t get any better results going all Edward Scissorhands on it. LOL
You’ll notice that some gunk (yup, that’s the scientific term for it) is on your scraper.
Wash it off and keep going.
Do it about 10 times or until you stop getting gunk coming out.
Clean your scraper each time you use it.
You can use warm water and soap, then let it dry.
You can repeat this practice when you brush your teeth at night, too.
Tongue scraping helps you have better breath, improves your sense of taste, and helps with your overall health.
Remember how I mentioned your mouth is a window into what’s going on inside your body?
Tongue scraping helps get rid of mouth bacteria (🤢 yuccckkk) that can make you sick.
Which also prevents cavities, gum disease, and other mouth-related issues.
I mean, it literally takes like 3 minute, so why not?
DETOX HACK #3: Dry brushing.
You know that skin is the body’s biggest organ, right?
That’s some 5th grade trivia shiz right there. LOL
So there are lots of ways to keep it healthy… even from the outside.
Step 1: Choose a body brush with natural fibers.
You can find them at Target, drugstores, Amazon,… literally anywhere there are bath-type products.
Step 2: Get to brushing!
Ideally you’ll do this right before you shower.
Your skin should be dry and you’ll want to wash off right after.
Plan on dry brushing for about 10-15 minutes.
I recommend standing on a towel because it can get messy, if you haven’t dry brushed in a while.
Use long sweeping strokes to dry brush your arms and legs.
And circular strokes on your stomach, torso, arms, and legs.
A firm pressure.
Start at your feet and work your way upwards.
Brush your whole body.
Yup, even the sensitive parts (but take it easy on them, ok?)
You’ll be exfoliating your skin to remove dry, dead cells and promoting lymphatic drainage.
Lymph nodes are the catchers for all the toxins our body needs to get rid of.
That’s why when you’re sick, you have swollen glands.
Your lymph nodes are full from fighting off the infection.
Dry brushing helps those lymph nodes clear out the toxins efficiently by increasing the production and circulation of blood, lymph, and other healing fluids.
Plus , your skin looks and feels a lot better!
Step 3: Pop into the shower to wash it all off.
Use gentle body soap.
Not that scrubby bead stuff… (It’s not good for the environment anyway.)
Step 4: Dry off and apply moisturizer or a body oil, like coconut oil to help rehydrate your skin.
In most cases, doing this dry brushing routine 1 to 2 times a week is sufficient.
Lizard skin, begone. LOL
And while we’re on the topic of spa night and bathing…
DETOX HACK #4: Epsom Salt Bath.
Epsom salt baths are SUPER rejuvenating and healing.
✅ Got stress? Take an Epsom salt bath.
✅ Eczema acting up? Epsom salt bath.
✅ Sore muscles from a workout? Epsom salt bath FTW.
This special salt is loaded with properties that help reduce inflammation.
It helps draw out toxins from your body.
Plus it helps with swelling, pain, and tension.
Pretty magical, if ya ask me.
How to make an Epsom salt bath:
Run the water in your tub at a warm to hot temp.
Add 2 cups of Epsom salt under the running water – it will dissolve quickly this way. (No one wants to sit on chunky, grainy salt, right? 🧂)
Soak in it for at least 15-20 minutes. Lie in the water so you’re almost completely submerged… from the neck down.
When you’re done, rinse off with cool water to close your pores and be sure to drink lots of water afterward.
Here’s my pro tip for this one…
Don’t jump right back into something stressful or energizing after your Epsom salt bath.
You’ve just taken time to detox your body and your mind.
Use this post-bath time to continue your relaxation and pre-bedtime rituals.
You’ll go even deeper into detox mode when you slide into bed right after your bath.
How to create a “next level” bath experience:
Add essential oils. You knew this was coming, right? LOL. Choose soothing oils, like lavender or eucalyptus for day-spa vibes.
Drop in some olive oil. Yup, like from your pantry. Add up too half a cup of it under running water to take advantage of its antioxidant properties. Be super careful – it can make your bathtub slippery AF. Do a really thorough job cleaning your tub if you go this route.
Sprinkle baking soda into your bath. Does it sound like I’m mixing up cooking tips with detox bath tips? LOL. Baking soda has lots of known antifungal properties, so if you have rough, itchy skin or suffer from things like athletes' foot, ingrown toenails, or nail infections, you’ll love it.
Bliss out with some aromatherapy. A candle, a diffuser. Work on your mental detox while you soak in your bath.
Put on some soothing tunes. This will help you relax more fully, which allows for your detoxing to be even more impactful.
DETOX HACK #5: Go to sleep by 10pm.
Ayurvedic wisdom introduces the idea that there are cycles for pretty much everything.
And the evening cycle is when the greatest amount of natural healing occurs (prime detox time is between 10pm and 2am).
Sleep is our body’s #1 healing mechanism and detox is definitely part of the healing process.
If you’re a night owl and the thought of a 10pm bedtime makes your eyes bug out…
It’s ok, you can totally back your way into this.
Start by going to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal.
Do this for a few weeks and see if your body starts adjusting to the new schedule.
Take your new bedtime in 30 minute chunks until you actually get to your desired 10pm lights-out.
For example, if you normally go to bed at midnight but want to conk out by 10, go to bed at 11:30 consistently for a few weeks.
Once that feels normal and doable, change it to 11:00.
Follow this retraining process until you’re at your desired sleepytime.
And be sure to include wind-down time before slipping between the sheets.
Most people can’t jump from activity to sleep immediately.
I’ve only seen ER doctors, narcoleptics, and my husband do it successfully. LOL
How to integrate daily detox into your life.
Commit to one small action to start.
Then work in habit stacking… mastering one new habit before adding another one on.
I mentioned we’ve been focusing on integration in Habit Hackers.
This kind of content is super popular in there.
Because it’s one thing to learn a bunch of new lifestyle hacks, and another entirely to implement them.
We cover wellness tips, tricks, and techniques in various pillars that include nutrition, rest, and productivity.
The best part is not only do you get hacks like this monthly…
You get a plan.
And we actually integrate them together.
With other women on the same path as you – group coaching style – plus access to top guest experts.
And loads of tried-and-tested resources and tools for making it all happen.
Habit Hackers is for busy people with full, amazing lives – zero fluff here.
It’s currently open to new members.
And this is my favorite part…
I’m gathering up what members want to work on next.
Yup, fully crowd-sourced up in here.
Right now I’m getting input on what challenges members are currently experiencing, so I can create a content plan to address them.
Now’s your chance to get in and tell me what you need!
I hope to see you in the group and I’ll see ya online.
XO,
Hayley