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- Does Alkaline Water Detox Your Body and Flush Out Toxins?
Detoxing – It is a word that is thrown around frequently. It is often considered from a serious need to change some of our lifestyle habits, whether that be recommended by a professional, or simply because you no longer feel energised and healthy. There are a variety of effective detoxification methods that we can apply to improve our internal processes, such as liver function and the removal of impurities. One of the most effective methods is to promote strong, consistent hydration. Does alkaline water clean out your system? Well, the method of hydration can be potentially improved with the consumption of alkaline water to flush out toxins & detox your body.
But before we go into too much detail, we must first ask, ‘what does detoxing actually mean?
The dictionary definition of Detox – Noun
A process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances; detoxification.
It can be easy to confuse ‘detox’ simply with ‘diet’. The defining difference is that a detox serves the purpose of flushing out the toxins stored within your body as the result of a variety of unhealthy practices. Initially reserved for medical professionals to refer to procedures that treat acute conditions, such as alcohol poisoning, the term detoxification has evolved to cover clean-eating regimens that promote a response from the body that removes toxic build-up of certain elements. One of these is hydration through drinking alkaline water to cleanse your system.
Are There Detox Symptoms from Drinking Alkaline Water, Such as Headaches?
Commercial detox diets cannot always be relied upon to provide the desired benefits of removing pollutants from the body, which is why many people adopt a more natural approach. Choosing hydration as your detoxification method involves the increased consumption of fluids filled with the required minerals and electrolytes for the body to perform a variety of essential functions. A key example of a product like this would be zazen Alkaline Water to clean out your system.
As the body is going through some changes with this alteration in diet or lifestyle, a very small number of people do experience detox symptoms from drinking alkaline water for a few days. These are akin to a withdrawal process, and detox symptoms may include headaches, nausea, fatigue, poor sleep, low concentration and irritability.
This is caused by the fact that the water is actually doing what it is supposed to by being absorbed into your cells! Hydrating your cells and allowing those cells to release stored metabolic waste (also referred to as toxins or acidic waste). These symptoms are an indication of your body becoming fully hydrated.
Experiencing headaches from drinking alkaline water for the first time can be an indication your body cells are finally hydrating and the electrical impulses your cells are trying to send each other can finally transmit successfully. Such headaches can have a negative impact on your cognitive ability , finding it hard to focus on even the most simplest of tasks, and having a hard time falling asleep.
Dehydration is a condition in which the body’s ability to operate as a self-healing organism is blocked.
Dehydration affects a variety of areas within the body, including blood pressure, blood-sugar metabolism, digestion, and kidney function. Fatigue and headaches are the first symptoms of dehydration along with constipation.
You would think that our bodies would tell us we are thirsty. But the modern world’s obsession for coffee, soft drinks, fruit juice and processed foods and additives has desensitised our thirst mechanism. We have forgotten what it feels like to be thirsty. We mistake it for hunger, or we reach for a coffee or sugary drink before reaching for water.
Many children are losing their thirst mechanism & most adults have already lost it!
What happens when your body goes into Dehydration Mode?
It takes 4 to 6 weeks to rehydrate the body—it needs to be coaxed out of dehydration mode, which is the water equivalent of starvation mode. The primary goal of the body is survival. When a body has remained dehydrated for long enough, it will retreat into survival instinct, storing water for the thirsty future. It takes some time before the body trusts that the period of chronic dehydration has come to an end. In dehydration mode the body’s metabolism is compromised in its ability to release toxins and metabolic waste. The body therefore stores these toxins and waste products in fat cells or in our joints where there are fluids. Many arthritis sufferers are severely dehydrated – joints become swollen, stiff and inflamed.
Did you know it is healthy to urinate 6 – 8 times a day!
A great way to judge if you need to drink more quality water is the colour of your urine which should be almost clear after the first purge of the morning – unless you have been taking a B vitamin supplement or eating (drinking) beetroots.
How Can I Alleviate Alkaline Water Detox Symptoms like Headaches?
- Continue to drink zazen Alkaline Water to cleanse and clean out your system
Continuing to drink clean water filled with the necessary minerals is the most important thing you can do for your mind and body in terms of remaining hydrated and completing the cleanse.
Don’t gulp the water, just sip slowly throughout the day and set a goal to drink approximately 2-3 litres each day. You can add some fresh lemon to the water to help aid digestion as well! When you rise in the morning you should drink at least 2 glasses of water in the first half hour as this helps boost your metabolism and helps the body flush out the toxins released as you slept overnight.
- Eat high quality food
Try to eat Organic or spray free vegetables where possible, grass-fed meats, high quality healthy fats (available from virgin cold pressed coconut oil, fresh nuts and avocados as examples).
- Healthy bowel motion is an essential part of detoxing
We also recommend that to assist the gut balance itself, feed and support healthy bacteria and regulate your bowel motions that you start to drink a glass of water with a teaspoon of Psyllium husk in it (organic only as non-organic is heavily sprayed with chemicals). You can do this at least once per day, we suggest you start at night first.
You can increase this to 2 or 3 times per day. This gives the body the fibre necessary to help scrub the colon (helping keep it healthy) and helps to pull water into the colon to assist with healthy regular bowel motions. This is a major detox function. Also start taking a good quality probiotic if you do not already; or alternatively, explore an all-natural and soil derived gut support that goes beyond probiotics to defend you from environmental toxins and diversify your gut microbiome naturaly.
- Movement
Try to move your body daily whether it be through a gentle walk, yoga, stretching or high intensity training whichever you prefer. Exercise gets your blood flowing and helps with the removal of toxins again assisting with a general detox.
If you are feeling unwell, take it easy! You need to allow your body time to rest and recover.
Drinking Alkaline Mineral Water may support your body detox through Hydration!
By becoming hydrated the body will naturally and easily release toxins through sweat, urination and regular bowel motions, so you will naturally detox without experiencing the ‘detox symptoms due to dehydration’ that a small number of people experience for a short period mentioned above.
The benefits of being hydrated include:
- Natural regular detoxification
- Improved skin conditions
- Better mood
- Higher quality of sleep
- Enhanced absorption of nutrients from food
- Reduced muscle aches and pains
- Improved joint health
- Gut issues can be alleviated
- Increase in energy
- No dehydration-induced headaches
- Ability to think more clearly for longer
zazen Alkaline Water can work to hydrate you immediately and will potentially support an increase in energy and vitality, alongside a whole health strategy for a longer, healthier life. Alkaline water may also help enhance your ability to flush out toxins by reducing the acidic waste load present within your kidneys and digestive system to restore a healthy balance.
The right quality and quantity of water is foundational for the prevention of and recovery from disease and illness.
If you are wishing to undertake a detox it doesn’t need to be hard! Simply cutting out processed foods, sugars and soft drinks, and increasing healthy vegetable green juices, smoothies and soups for a short period can be very effective.
If you are wanting to undertake a more serious Detox Program, we would recommend that you speak with your Natural Health Practitioner to ensure that you receive the best advice and care to support you through the process.
