Instead of piecing together single herbs and supplements, choose a gentle detox kit to ease the process. (See “5 Whole-Body Detox Kits,”) Then, follow the tips below to support your body during the cleansing period.

  • Eat organic, unprocessed foods.
    Choosing USDA Organic foods greatly reduces your exposure to toxic pesticides, says Morello. Check the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Dirty Dozen list (ewg.org/foodnews) of the most contaminated produce to avoid. Beyond organic, opt for unprocessed, unrefined foods (think: no packaging) to relieve your system from having to digest complicated cuisine, suggests Gaeta. Your body can then put more energy toward breaking apart and excreting toxins. Also, use a filter for drinking water.
     
  • Boost lean protein.
    Amino acids in protein fuel toxin elimination. To aid the process, up your protein intake by  20 grams each day during detox, recommends Morello. Drink a protein powder drink—organic whey and pea-rice-hemp blends are high-quality, nutritionally complete sources—with your morning bowl of oatmeal. Or eat eggs for breakfast.
     
  • Get moving.
    For 30 to 45 minutes at least every other day, exercise at a moderate intensity that makes you sweat and gets your heart pumping. The effort engages your lungs and skin, which are also exit routes for toxins, says Gaeta. And do seated spinal twists, yoga poses that aid digestion and stimulate the liver, according to Frank Lipman, MD, coauthor of Revive (Fireside, 2009).
     
  • Upgrade your body care.
    Skin is permeable, allowing toxins in personal care products to easily enter the body, says Lipman. Before you buy lotions, shampoos, soap, and makeup, check the EWG’s Skin Deep database (ewg.org/skindeep) for clean options.
     
  • Sweat it out.
    Each week of the detox period, take a 30-minute sauna. Sweating stimulates adipose tissue so that toxins stored in fat loosen up for release and elimination, says Morello.