Television and magazines have a lot to say lately about the benefits of doing a full body cleanse to rid your system of toxins. There is, in fact, so much information on it that it can be hard to figure out how to move forward. Which one should you try? What should you expect? What do you need? How do you prepare? For every question there are a thousand different answers.

Well, here’s the good news – your body cleanses itself naturally! Your real goal here is to keep things simple and enhance you natural body processes. So there is no need to fast, no need for pills or equipment. Cleansing toxins is a continuous internal process. You just have to learn how make your body more efficient at it!

The first thing to understand is where the toxins are coming from and how they get in your system. We absorb most toxins from our environment. Air particulates, chemicals in our food, cleaning solutions, even lotion! Chemicals are everywhere. Toxins can build up inside or bodies if our organs cannot process and eliminate them faster than we are taking them in.

This build up of toxins can eventually lead to chronic medical problems from fatigue to heart problems. This is why so many health experts recommend a body cleanse regime. Experts agree, however, that it should be part of a new, healthy lifestyle rather than the occasional ritual.

Basically what you will need to do is keep the demands on your digestive system to a minimum! Eat only easy-to-digest foods like whole fruits and vegetables. Proteins like meat, eggs, nuts, dairy, and legumes (beans) take a lot of work for your body to digest, which means they make more demands on your organs. Fats are also hard for your body to process. All whole fruits and vegetables (not canned) are great for a body detox, so stock up on your favorites. Eat until you are full, but do not further stress your system by overeating.

The other thing you should do to help your body cleanse detox is to drink a lot of water. Filtered tap water is just fine. Most filters are efficient at screening out toxins in the water. If plain water is difficult for you to drink, try hot or iced tea. Add citrus juice (fresh squeezed) instead of sugar, and try to drink only decaffeinated tea. The water will help your system flush the toxins as well as make sure your organs are properly hydrated so they can work the way they are supposed to.

Technically, for an effective cleansing, you should avoid stimulants like nicotine, caffeine and alcohol. If you plan to do this, make sure to give yourself a week or so to taper off. Most people, however, cannot commit to eliminating one or more of these items. Do what you can. But even if you stick to the fruit and veggie (think vegan) diet and keep your cigarettes, coffee, and alcohol, you will reap substantial detox benefits. Do not stop taking prescribed medications.

It really is that simple. Be easy on your system and drink lots of water. If you plan to do a full body cleanse for more than a week or two, make sure you research how vegans get adequate protein. If you are pregnant or have serious health conditions, definitely consult with your physician first. You may suffer a little withdraw from your sugary, fatty favorite foods, and you may spend more time in the bathroom, but your body will definitely thank you for the detox.