Generations ago our ancestors had very little reason to be concerned about toxins entering their bodies. They drank pure water and ate fresh, unpolluted organic foods that were grown on land never polluted with chemicals. But things have changed a lot for our generation. Especially in the last 60 years, more toxins have entered our environment that ever before. Toxins lodge is cells, tissue and muscles until our bodies are completely overwhelmed. And a companion problem is the fact that so many necessary nutrients have been completely destroyed in our land, our sources of meat, and our crops of fruits and vegetables. Add that to the fact that most Americans purchase as much as 80-90 percent of their foods, health products, and cleaning supplies from the chemically laden, toxin-filled canned, boxed, and packaged aisles in our grocery stores.
So it’s no big surprise that on many days—for no apparent reason—we feel sluggish, depressed, weak, and suffering from unexplained illnesses. Our bodies are being slowly poisoned because our detox systems are not strong enough to protect our bodies from all the toxins we are piling in.
I want to suggest one way we can begin to rid our bodies of these toxins —using detox teas. Let me quickly add that there is no one miracle way to do this. A detox tea will have little effect unless we are making many more healthy choices to eliminate toxins from our bodies and finding ways to prevent them from ever entering it.
Toxin Tragedies
Before we look at detox teas, let’s find out a bit more about the effect toxins have on our bodies. Here are a few things to think about:
- Toxins accumulate in fat tissue and breast tissue.
- Toxins like PCBs and dioxins affect your endocrine system, causing harmful health affects like decreased sperm count and testicular cancer in men, early puberty in girls, endometriosis in women and exposure to high levels of estrogen in babies.
- Some toxins are persistent and stay in your body for many years.
- Mothers can pass toxins to babies in the womb or while breastfeeding.
- Toxins have a stronger effect on children’s developing bodies. Exposure can lead to conditions such as eczema, hives, asthma, headaches, dyslexia, irritability, infections, autism, PDD, ADHD and ADD.
- Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the US alone. Adults and children consume these pesticides, causing health problems like heart rate changes, nausea, muscle cramps, confusion, emotional instability, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and even death.
- Seemingly innocent products like household cleaners and lawn care products contribute to your toxic load.
- Most beauty products are loaded with toxins. Your shampoo, toothpaste, body lotion, facial cream and other products may be causing aging and other harmful affects due to toxic chemicals in the ingredients. Even health food store products may contain toxic chemicals.
- Over time, the daily onslaught of these toxins can clog up your detoxification pathways and lead to illness and dis-ease.[1]
It is so important for our health that we are doing all we can to support the proper function of our detox systems. One way we will look at to do just that is by using detox teas.
The Benefits of Detox Teas
Detox teas have been around for years, especially among people who shopped at health-food stores or consulted with alternative practitioners. They’ve become big business today. Social media sites are filled with examples of celebrities, TV shows, and sports/fitness gurus praising their chosen detox tea. Have you ever wondered—“Do they really work? Are they safe?”
What you should know about detox teas
Before I give you some of the benefits, let me just mention some things we should know about detox teas.
- Detox teas can contain ingredients that cause negative effects for some people. Before using any detox tea, be sure you know the ingredients and be sure you are not allergic to any of them.
- Detox teas can increase or decrease the absorption of drugs or herbs you are taking at the same time. Be sure you know the side effects of the tea you are taking.
- The diuretic effects of most detox teas can raise the risk of dehydration in some people.
- Because many detox teas contain caffeine, it can interfere with getting enough sleep. Avoid them at least six hours before bedtime.
Detox teas need to work in partnership with a healthy diet. In order to really detoxify your body you need to also cut processed and fried foods, up your intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins and healthy fats. Once your diet is clean and gentle on your body, detoxifying teas can begin to do the work of getting rid of those pesky toxins.
Important benefits of detox teas
Now let’s look at some of the healthy benefits to detox tea.
- Appetite Suppressant—detox teas have the effect of making you feel less hungry, and therefore, less likely to snack.
- Aide Digestion—the natural compounds in most detox teas aid the digestive process and speed up the emptying of the colon, removing waste from the body.
- Removes Toxins—the natural herbs in detox teas assist the liver in detoxifying the body of alcohol, caffeine, smoke, and other food additives. They lead to the improved activation of detox enzymes in the liver.
- Boosts the Immune System—detox teas are high in antioxidants, which shield your body from free radicals that can trigger healthy issues.
- Increases Metabolism—this allows your body to burn extra calories, even when you are at rest. Detox teas can have a thermogenic effect that burns fat and decreases fat storage in your body.
All of these benefits can get you on the journey to better health.
2016’s Best Detox Teas
There are many detox teas available online. Unfortunately, not all of them are made with the purest of ingredients. If you are choosing a detox tea product there are 3 important qualities to watch for.
- It contains research-proven ingredients.
- The company making it is based in the USA.
- It has minimal laxative effect.
Once you have checked these qualities, you can safely use a detox tea product. Some of the teas that have been rated best and healthiest are shown below:
Slimming Leaf Tea Combination —This combination includes one detox tea for daytime, and another for overnight. The teas are made by Cellular Research Institute in the United States. Crucial ingredients are free of exposure to harmful pollutants or toxins.
Green Root Wellness Organic Detox Tea —Rated as one of the Best and most effective cleansing diet tea’s for both Men and Women. 100% Organic Ingredients – Made with only the highest quality green tea and other natural herbal ingredients.
Dr. Stuart’s Hibiscus Ginger Goji Berry Tea —Hibiscus is considered by many to be one of the most powerful natural detoxifying ingredients, and it’s the star of this stimulating and refreshing blend. We make a Fire Cider Cold and Flu tonic using hibiscus (recipe here).
Traditional Medicinals EveryDay Detox Tea —With ingredients like burdock and dandelion root, this tea helps promote healthy liver function.
MateFit 28-Day Detox Tea —Kiss unhealthy bacteria in the stomach and colon goodbye when you drink this down every other night.
Yogi Detox Tea —This brand has several great detox teas. As one of the brand’s best sellers, this detox tea gently supports the cleansing of organs like the liver and kidneys for an overall healthier you.[2]
DIY Detox Teas
Now you gotta know this could not be a Paleo Mama blog without some DIY recipes. You can make your own detox teas, and I have three recipes for you that could be the perfect solution to clear out those nasty toxins from your body. Here are some recipes for you to try.
Homemade Echinacea Tea
Echinacea can be a super herb, both after a detox and generally for immune and system support. It increases the body’s overall ability to dispose of bacteria, infected and damaged cells, toxins and other harmful chemicals. We were fortunate to find that our farm came with a garden patch of Echinacea plants, and as I learned more about this plant, I discovered how useful it can be to help detox our bodies. I want to share with you my favorite Echinacea Tea recipe as well as much more information about the plant and its uses. You will find more information in my Echinacea blog here.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup fresh or dried leaves, roots, flower (¼ if using dried)
- 2.8 ounces of water
- 3 ½ teaspoons of raw honey (we have our own honey from our honeybees, but this is a suggested safe raw honey you can purchase
Directions
Simmer 8 ounces of water in a small pot over medium heat. Add the fresh or dried Echinacea. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain tea into a mug and add honey!
I’ll let you in on a little “Ritz farm” secret—I am really attracted to the wonderful homemade Echinacea tea that I can brew from my perennially blooming Echinacea plants! Please read my blog to find out how to grow and harvest Echinacea, and to find a DIY recipe for Echinacea Tea.
Green Tea Detox Recipe
Green tea is one of the most recommended ingredients for natural detoxing. There are many green detox tea recipes online, and one of my favorites is this one.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will use are:
- Strawberries
- Cucumber
- Lemon
- Green tea bag
- Honey
- Water
To view the whole recipe, please go here.
Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Tea
I have known the tremendous benefits of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) for a long time, and try to incorporate it into my diet whenever possible. If you have not found out about the magical properties it has, I recommend you begin your own research right now! Aside from aiding your detox, apple cider vinegar can help cure even the gravest of conditions, but for detox purposes you have to drink it. It might be a bit difficult to wash down on its own, so here is a super simple apple cider vinegar detox tea recipe that you can make at home.
Ingredients
- apple cider vinegar
- organic raw honey
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- hot water
Go here to read the directions on how to make this ACV tea!
“How Do I Use My Detox Tea?”
The many prepared detox tea products available will each have information for how to detox using that tea. But when you make your own detox tea, you may not be confident that you really know how to use it. I want to make a few suggestions for you here.
- Morning—as soon as you get out of bed, made a hot cup of your detox tea to wake up your organs and kick-start your metabolism. You can have another cup of the tea about a half hour later, if desired, which will give you the antioxidant, vitamin, and energy boost you need for the rest of the day.
- Daytime—throughout the day, drink several cups of your detox tea.
- Nighttime—drink a cup of your detox tea. If desired, you could add a teaspoon of a natural herb that has great effectiveness for cleansing your colon. Try Senna, ginger root, cayenne or fennel. This will help to provide you with an overnight colon cleanse.
Follow this routine for 7, 14, or 28 days at a time. Don’t forget to change your food and meal plans for a healthier menu at the same time. You will be surprised at all the benefits you see from this simple commitment to detoxing your body.
If we don’t take care of this, the most magnificent machine that you will ever be given.…where are you going to live?
—Karyn Calabrese
[1] https://www.savvy-team.com/hww/the-dangers-of-toxic-deposits-in-your-body/
[2] The six teas mentioned in this section were found at: https://www.bestproducts.com/eats/drinks/g552/best-detox-tea-cleanses/?
I need to do this more often! Thank you for the great brand recs – I’m going to try one of these!