According to media reports last week Denzel Washington booked himself in for an alcohol detox after an “alcohol-fueled” and “gluttonous” holiday. This was strenuously denied by his publicist who said he was doing an “extreme health cleanse,” which he routinely does after a holiday and prior to his next role.
Denzel apparently enlists the help of a personal trainer, a nutritionist, and a chef when he does these “extreme cleanses” but we can’t all do that. If you have been partying too hard it’s easy enough to do a natural alcohol detox at home.
Alcohol is probably one of the most consumed substances on the planet. Because of the way it makes most people feel it’s easy to get carried away and drink more than you intend to, especially over the holidays or weekend.
Natural Alcohol Detox
Here are some quick natural alcohol detox remedies that can help when you’ve overdone it.
1. Pure Water
You may think this is obvious but the importance of pure water (not tap water) in your body can never understated. Our bodies are made up of 70% water and this just shows how important it is.
When you consume alcohol your bodies become very dehydrated and this is when the body systems start to break down because the cells are dying of thirst. Dehydration can contribute to- Headaches- Body aches- Muscle soreness- Moodiness – Dizziness – Fatigue.
Pure water is an excellent natural alcohol detox as it helps remove the toxic waste in your body brought about by drinking alcohol. If you want to feel good, cleansed and energized then you should definitely drink water. It will also make the work of your liver easier by constantly filtering out the waste and bad stuff from your body.
2. Fresh fruit and vegetables
Reduce processed foods, fats, sugar and caffeine for a natural alcohol detox. Eat mainly fresh fruit and vegetables. They will help supply the vitamins and minerals lost when you drink alcohol.
They will also help to make your body more alkaline after a period of eating and drinking unhealthily which makes the body more inclined to acidity. An alkaline diet reduces any cravings for alcohol.
3. Juices
Drinking fresh vegetable juices will help supply the body with plenty of enzymes and nutrients that it has been robbed off by alcohol.
Juices get absorbed straight from your stomach so they are the best way to get the nutrients you need into your body for a natural alcohol detox.
It’s best to focus more on vegetables than fruits because they contain less sugar. Bouts of heavy drinking can play havoc with your blood sugar so avoiding sugary foods and drinks will aid in detox.
For a hangover try this detox hangover smoothie:
4. Coconut Water
As you have probably noticed, alcohol mainly attacks the functioning of the brain and that is why when you are totally drunk you find it hard to coordinate your body and your thinking.
Coconut water is wonderful since it contains natural electrolytes. The brain fuel provided by the electrolytes helps your bodies function properly.
Alcohol depletes your body of nutrients and Coconut water contains vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients that will help make you feel better.
You can add it to a green smoothie for an additional boost.
5. Wheat Grass
Although I have seen this recommended as a natural alcohol detox remedy I would not advise it if you are not used to drinking it. The grass is enzyme rich and packed with a lot of nutrients which will help detox your liver but could cause nausea.
Wheat grass is also rich in chlorophyll and this will help oxygenate the brain cells which suffer the consequences of heavy drinking.
6. Nutritional Supplements
Vitamin C – large doses of Vitamin C can help with alcohol detox. Patrick Holford advises 1000mg every two hours for a hangover.
Vitamin B complex – Alcohol destroys B vitamins, especially B1, B2,B3 and B6 which are needed by the liver detox system. Take a high dose B complex.
Milk Thistle – this is a wonderful liver herb. The active ingredient in Milk Thistle is Silymarin, actually a group of flavonoids, which can help repair liver cells damaged by alcohol and other toxic substances.
7. Exercise
Exercise helps to get the blood and lymph circulating which helps generally with detoxification. It also helps to increase your endorphins, the brain chemicals that will make you feel better while detoxing.
Simply walking in the fresh air, away from traffic for 20 minutes can help make all the difference when doing any sort of detox.
Although you may get some detox reactions while you are eliminating the toxins once you have cleansed your liver you should feel a lot better.
It goes without saying that going back to drinking after a natural alcohol detox is not a good idea.
Just be aware that the detox reaction resulting from cleansing alcohol toxins may cause symptoms such as headaches and nausea for several days. Stick with it, since once you have eliminated the toxins from your body, you will feel better than you have in a long time.
