Just like we cleanse our bodies externally, our bodies need help with cleansing internally to keep chronic inflammation at bay. With these best herbs for detox, you are one step closer to reclaiming your health and feeling vital!
Essentially, chronic inflammation is a precursor to all chronic disease, since acidic internal terrain (fluid pH levels) feeds fungus, bad bacteria, and parasites that steal energy and vitality, while releasing toxic byproducts. Acids also corrode cells, tissues, and organs, which weaken and underperform over time and destabilize all of the body’s natural processes.
Although the body is highly intelligent and can self-heal, our modern lifestyles and diets have placed enormous burdens on our bodies, which were designed to work by the laws of nature and natural rhythms.
Despite the body’s adaptivity, today, more than ever, we internalize acidic (toxic) chemistry through the foods we eat, the environment around us, chemicals we use daily, EMF radiation, and even our thoughts and emotions, not giving the body a break to rest and regenerate, which in turn means that the body must compensate, hide away toxins in the liver and fat tissues, and create pockets of acids to protect the rest of the body from more damage. These pockets we call tumors and cancer!
Inevitably, health is the consequence of cause and effect, and if internalize chemistry that is harmful to the working of our body, the effects will be the deviation from the laws of nature – or illness. By working with alkaline chemistry – as opposed to acidic chemistry – and helping our bodies rest and heal, we can ensure long-term health, vitality, and longevity.
When you choose to detoxify and prioritize self-care, you are letting your body know that you appreciate its gifts and efforts and that you are its helper on this journey of life! And, believe me, it will thank you greatly.
How to Detox the Body with Herbs
We are all constructed differently, and depending on our constitution and habits, our health and the detoxification journey will vary. Contrary to popular mainstream belief, detoxification is not a feel-good or a quick process. What it does is prime and open up all the elimination channels for toxin purge, which can feel physically and emotionally overwhelming.
This state is known as a “healing crisis,” during which healing can really feel like you’re falling ill, since the body is overwhelmed with dealing with toxins flooding the lymphatic system (the sewage system) and regenerating cells and tissues with alkaline chemistry.
However, detoxification is the only effective way in nature to cure disease and regenerate the body! By investing in the process, we undergo the rebuilding of our body – which is intimately tied to our habits, emotions, and beliefs. Detoxification is ultimately a holistic transformation of the self and requires patience, understanding, gentleness, and commitment.
Detoxification with whole foods and herbs is the most effective way to heal the body and bring it to a state of balance where it can self-heal more easily and quickly.
And as with any powerful substance, the use of herbs is a methodical process that is based on the knowledge of the body’s workings and elimination channels.
Here are my top steps on how to detoxify effectively with herbs and which organs should be prioritized first in order to minimize the effects of the healing crisis and expedite healing:
1) Concentrate on strengthening the function of the kidneys first, as healthy kidneys control the removal of water-soluble metabolic and toxic waste from the body; a two-month kidney protocol is advised to improve their function and waste filtration
2) Move your body daily by doing yoga or light exercise; this will help the lymphatic system – or the sewage system – circulate acidic waste to the kidneys faster and more efficiently
3) Clean your gut to improve your gut flora (elevate your immune system function) and prepare for a liver cleanse, which will enable the liver to detoxify its non-water-soluble elements through the colon/bowels
4) Clean and strengthen the liver, which will improve the function of the pancreas (digestion) and the gallbladder
5) Eat mostly organic, raw foods and consume herbs and whole food supplements (concentrated and dried fruits and veggies); move the body daily (jumping jacks are one of the best exercises for lymphatic system circulation!); continue strengthening all parts of the body, especially, the elimination organs, and fast intermittently whenever possible (what works for me is to stop eating by 6 pm and fast until 8 am the next day – that’s 14-hour break from digestion and assimilation, which saves energy for the body to self-heal instead)
The Most Common and Best Herbs for Detox – Weeds!
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Unfortunately, in our Western culture, weeds are discarded as unpleasant and cumbersome additions to our backyards. Most spend money poisoning them and time plucking at them, not realizing that they are some of the most medicinal plants on the planet! From dandelion greens and purslane to plantain and stinging nettles, the average backyard is a vast medicinal cabinet that we can use on a daily basis.
Many of these plants are bitters, which are wonderful for liver disease, inflammation, and digestive upset, and most of them are full of calcium, which helps to neutralize acidic chemistry in the body (making it more alkaline) and promote better kidney function.
Organic farming is also a great source of many nutritive weeds, which can be utilized as a part of organic farming production.
Instead of looking down on them, imagine how much more blessed would humanity be if it had more curiosity about nature and its wonderful gifts!
Here are just a handful of the most common backyard weeds and their incredible health benefits. Go ahead and pick some today to add to your tea and salads!
Dandelion – a bitter green plant that is known to be one of the most effective liver and kidney detoxifiers in nature
Red Clover – red clover – the flowers, especially – is a wonderful lymphatic detoxifier that helps inhibit tumor growth, contributes to female and male reproductive health, helps support brain function, and promotes skin health (red clover is very beneficial for treating eczema and psoriasis)
Purslane – this citrus-y and mucilaginous plant is surprisingly full of Omega-3s and is very effective for brain health, skin irritations and disease, reduction of overall body inflammation, and improvement of heart function
Chickweed – this tiny herb does wonders for helping to clean and strengthen the lymphatic and glandular systems and is known to be one of the best herbs for skin problems and wound healing
Stinging Nettles – nettles are known to sting, but drying them or preparing them with lemon will denature their prickly nature; in fact, stinging nettles are known to alkalize the body and replenish tissues with minerals and electrolytes; the plant is a panacea for all health conditions
Shepherd’s Purse – this heart-shaped leaf plant is known for its blood cleansing/circulation benefits, helping to alleviate menstrual cramps, internal bleeding issues, fibroid tumors, and more
Plantain – plantain is the best herb to use for fevers, colds, and congestion; it’s also a powerful wound cleanser and can be applied topically to acne, boils, and bites to extract toxins and promote healing
Other Potent Herbs That Help With Body Cleansing
Photo by Anna Tarazevich
These are some of my other favorite and incredibly powerful detoxifier herbs that you should incorporate as part of your daily dietary regimen. They not only instigate the elimination of acidic and toxic waste but promote circulation, hydration, and healing in all cells and tissues.
My recommendation is to start slowly with the following herbs and increase the dosage over time (see how your body feels and reacts first). This approach will let your body get used to the herbal stimulation and will ensure that the system is not overwhelmed with the acidic waste circulating in the system due to the cleanse.
Burdock Root
This powerful blood detoxifier improves lymphatic and blood circulation and promotes lymphatic drainage. It removes heavy metals from the blood and is highly detoxifying to the skin.
Herb Robert
This herb which grows prolifically in Southern Europe, is known as a health panacea; it boosts the immune system, balances out major health imbalances, lowers chronic inflammation, and heals liver, kidney, and gallbladder problems.
Goldenseal
A potent liver detoxifier, goldenseal is anti-inflammatory and astringent, helping the body purge toxins, increase the function of the immune system, and reverse inflammation. It destroys harmful cells in the body and prevents the proliferation of cancer cells.
Milk Thistle
This herb is a wonderful detoxifier that promotes liver and gallbladder health by regenerating their cells over time. It lowers oxidative stress, lowers inflammation, and helps the body detoxify faster and more efficiently.
Ginger
Ginger is one of the best detoxifying herbs, as it stimulates circulation, decongestion, a purge of waste build-up, and sweating. It helps with gut problems and digestion, lowers inflammation, and boosts immune function.
Overall, when it comes to purchasing herbs, a big tip is to ensure your herbs are organic and come from wild-crafted origins; otherwise, they may be chemically processed and will not have the maximum healing components of the herbs in their natural habitat.
If you’d like a personal recommendation, one of my favorite herbal stores is Starwest Botanicals – the most reputable and largest all-organic herbal store in the US! They have operated since the 1970s and commit to using renewable energy and environmental practices in their production, packaging, and shipment process.
*Starwest Botanicals is the herbal store of my preference and is my affiliate partner. You won't be charged anything by purchasing herbs through the link on my website, but a small part of the proceeds of your purchase will help the growth of my small business. Thank you!
Final Thoughts
To give our body the assistance it needs, we have to turn back to nature and its wisdom! In my opinion, herbs, organic whole foods, and frequent time in nature are the triad antidote to all the imbalances we are experiencing physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Detoxification is the primary step in how we can reclaim our health, and I hope this list of my best herbs for detox truly helped you in making the preliminary steps on that journey. By removing toxic obstructions and hydrating and strengthening cells and tissues, we become more resilient, vital, and capable to deal with and even thrive in the modern world.
The journey back to health can seem difficult, given the extent of cleansing we require, but the gifts of the journey are worth every setback!
If you’d like to learn more about how to start with an effective body detox protocol, I wrote an insightful article about the most effective herbs you can use to detoxify and strengthen your kidneys – the elimination organs to prioritize during every cleanse.
Alongside the herbs, I also advise you to incorporate watermelon and red grapes when in season or most other ripe fruits for breakfast (the best time to cleanse the body); fruits are the most astringent and hydrating foods found in nature.
And if you need more help on your detox journey, I am here for you!