Every few months, cleaning out the nooks and crannies of your living and working areas is important. It feels refreshing when every spot in your space is clean and gleaming with no dust or cobwebs. This can also have mental health benefits. But the same feeling can be achieved by cleaning out your body. The traditional cleanse is a scam that can lead to poor health. However, an inner body cleanse can help you reset and reduce stress levels.
Many popular cleanses do more harm than good. Going on a juice cleanse depletes your body of needed nutrients and energy. It also leads to dehydration due to the diarrhoea that happens a few days in. Most of them also contain none of the nutrients that the body needs to perform a natural detox better.
How to “spring clean” your body
1. Add fibre to your meals
Fibre is one of the most effective nutrients to help your body cleanse. Your stomach doesn’t digest it. The fibre remains in your colon, feeding gut bacteria that help with digestion, blood sugar regulation, and mental health. You should eat at least 14g of fibre for every 1000 calories you consume daily. Fruits and vegetables such as pears, strawberries, avocado, apples, bananas, carrots, broccoli, kidney beans, oats, or sweet potatoes are a great addition to your meals and ensure your body has healthy and timely bowel movements.
Read also: Health And Nutritional Benefits Of Sweet Potatoes
2. Drink enough water
Drinking water maximises physical performance. Dehydration leads to less productivity, fatigue, headaches, and constipation. Studies show that mineral water rich in magnesium and sodium can especially benefit people with constipation. There is also limited research to support that drinking enough water can help the recurrence of kidney stones among people who’ve had them before.
Read also: Health Benefits Of Drinking Hot Water
3. Test your mobility
Exercises like squatting and lunges can show you where your problem areas are. For many adults, having limited exercise increases the risk of injury. Having weakness, tightness, and postural imbalance makes it difficult to heal from an injury or a fracture. Keeping your body moving like a well-oiled machine requires some movement. Sparing at least 30 minutes weekly helps maintain joint and muscle health. Add exercises like ankle raises, sit-ups, and press-ups to maintain joint mobility and flexibility.
Read also: What Type Of Exercises Are Right For You?
4. Breathe
Setting aside at least 5 minutes daily to do breathing exercises helps reduce stress. Find a quiet place or use noise-cancelling headphones. Sit comfortably, cross-legged preferably. Relax your neck and shoulders. With your mouth closed, inhale through your nose for about two seconds. Pucker your lips, then exhale slowly through your lips for four seconds. You can also use a breathing app to track how to inhale and exhale. Breathing reduces your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress. Daily breathing exercises also improve your posture and reduce the risk of back pain.
Read also: Breathing Exercises To Try And Find Which One Works For You
5. Sleep
Getting enough sleep is important for overall health. However, you need to ensure you sleep enough to get complete Rapid Eye Movement and non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep cycles to wake up refreshed. Sleep is linked to maintaining a healthy weight. Studies show that getting enough sleep boosts productivity and brain function. Sleep also maintains insulin sensitivity, boosts heart health, and reduces the risk of depression. It helps manage metabolism and helps your body remain in shape to perform at optimal levels. Prioritizing your rest just as much as you do your work and leisure time helps your body reset. Sleep also helps cleanse the brain.
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