Author: Alex Thompson

Full Body Detox: 9 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Body

Allowing the body to take a break from digestive duties will help divert energy from the gastrointestinal tract to the organs recruited for detoxification pathways. Additionally, numerous studies indicate that heavy alcohol use can have long-term effects on the brain. In one study, middle-aged men who were considered “heavy drinkers” experienced more cases of rapid cognitive decline than men who drank less. While the causes of brain fog can vary from a lack of sleep to a stressful week at work, most experts suggest switching up your routine before seeking treatment.

Try brain exercises

The glymphatic system refers to the system of blood vessels in the body that removes waste products from the brain and central nervous system. The glymphatic system is most active while you sleep, which is why getting a good night’s rest is imperative for feeling mentally sharp. The glymphatic system is most active during deep sleep, and getting adequate restful sleep is essential for effective brain detoxification.

This phenomenon is called “brain fog” and it can be nerve-racking, creating a mental cloud of anxiety that can have you frantically searching Google for answers. The good news is that it’s usually just temporary, and with the right lifestyle changes, you can get your brain back on track. We talked to experts to learn what you can do to clear brain fog instantly and regain mental clarity. Maggie Seaver is the digital health and wellness editor at Real Simple, with seven years of experience writing lifestyle and wellness content. She spends her days writing and editing stories about sleep, mental health, fitness, preventive health, nutrition, personal development, relationships, healthy habits, and beyond.

Consider your diet

However, poor glymphatic waste clearance can cause a buildup of toxins and waste products, and it can take several weeks of good-quality sleep to detoxify the central nervous system properly. That said, you can enhance your body’s natural detoxification system and improve your overall health by staying hydrated, consuming less salt, staying active, and following an antioxidant-rich diet. In addition to its many roles in your body, water allows your body’s detoxification system to remove waste products from your blood. Ensuring adequate quality sleep each night is a must to support your body’s health and natural detoxification system. When the body detoxifies, it packages debris in the form of foods and toxins so that it can be easily excreted from the body. These should go away within one to two weeks — however, if they worsen or persist, it’s a good idea to scale back and speak with a doctor.

Increasing your intake of potassium-rich foods — which counterbalance some of sodium’s effects — also helps.
When this happens, your liver cannot function adequately and perform its necessary tasks — including filtering waste and other toxins from your body.
Recognizing acetaldehyde as a toxin, your liver converts it to a harmless substance called acetate, which it eliminates from your body (3).
When you were younger—or just a kid and stress-free—you may not have noticed the ease with which you turned a phrase or could immediately name that actress, restaurant, or fourth-grade teacher.

How long does it take to detox your body?

Health authorities recommend limiting alcohol intake to one drink per day for women and two for men. If you currently do not drink, it is recommended not to start as the risk outweigh any health benefits that come with drinking. While detox diets have a seductive appeal, your body is fully equipped to handle toxins and other unwanted substances. However, popular detox diets rarely identify the specific toxins they aim to remove or the mechanism by which they supposedly eliminate them. The term toxin can refer to pollutants, synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and processed foods, which can negatively affect health.

Sleep at least seven to eight hours each night.

While avoiding all chemicals and toxins may not realistic, try to reduce exposure as much as your can, such as by avoiding smoking, drug use and unnecessary medications. Our team includes licensed nutritionists and dietitians, certified health education specialists, as well as certified strength and conditioning specialists, personal trainers and corrective exercise specialists. Our team aims to be not only thorough with its research, but also objective and unbiased. Sit back with a cup of tea, listen to music or the birds singing, or watch a sunset. You can also ramp up the intensity and see similar benefits with just 1 hour and 15 minutes each week of intense or vigorous aerobic exercise.

There’s some evidence suggesting that exercise may increase glymphatic activity and also improve brain plasticity, which plays a role in learning and memory. Additionally, exercise can help you cope with stress, sleep more deeply, and have more energy in general. Additionally, exercise can help you cope with stress, sleep more deeply and have more energy in general. Due to the gut-brain connection, your diet plays a pivotal role in managing your cognitive health. Getting enough sleep each night is one of the best ways to support your brain’s natural detoxification process.

Aim for 20 minutes in nature each day.

Excess junk food consumption is linked to chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes. These conditions can cause harm to organs important to detoxifying, such as your liver and kidneys. Research links high consumption of sugary and highly processed foods to obesity and other chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes (27, 28, 29). Poor sleep has links to short- and long-term health consequences, such as stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity (16, 17). Limiting or abstaining entirely from alcohol is one of the best ways to keep your body’s detoxification system running strong. When this happens, your liver cannot function adequately and perform its necessary tasks — including filtering waste and other toxins from your body.

You should also seek your doctor’s advice before beginning a brain detox/cleanse if you have existing health issues, such as liver or kidney disease, diabetes, or Alzheimer’s disease. This type of cleanse usually involves steps such as prioritizing sleep, taking certain supplements that may help support brain function, eating an anti-inflammatory diet, exercising and fasting if appropriate. While not a toxin, sleep deprivation is also linked to impaired mental capabilities. Aging also disrupts glymphatic function, such as by decreasing CSF and blood flow to the brain/pulsing of the arteries, although healthy habits can help slow this down. Brain fog can be a symptom of neuroinflammation, poor nutrient exchange, or a buildup of metabolic by-products, damaged cellular components, and other toxins in brain tissue.

By reducing inflammation, exercise can help your body’s systems — including its detoxification system — function properly and protect against disease. Your intestinal cells have a detoxification and excretion system that protects your gut and body from harmful toxins, such as chemicals (40). It typically includes pollutants, synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and processed foods, which can negatively affect health. If you find yourself tired during the day, you’re in luck—science says naps can have great effects on your brain. In one study, researchers found that adults who napped for 30 to 90 minutes every day performed better in memory challenges than those who didn’t. Just be sure the naps aren’t longer than 90 minutes because the same study found that longer snoozes may actually worsen symptoms of brain fog.