As promised in my post 6 Super easy ways to detox, here is my review of the Salt Water Flush.

A few weeks ago, I felt a tad bloated and decided to try out the much hyped salt Water Flush (or SWF as it is better known). Not interested in doing a complete Master Cleanse (a specialized lemonade only diet apparently popularized by celebrities), I only wanted to try the one day flush.

In simple terms, it involves adding two teaspoons of uniodized salt in a quart of water and drinking it first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach.

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Now, did I hear you ask ‘Why’?

Said to have the same pH level as blood, the saline solution is supposed to flow through your system without getting absorbed. Instead, it forces the digestive system to release all toxins and waste matter clogging up your system. Yeah, all those years of binge eating adds up!

They say you must do a SWF every few months at the very least, to enable proper functioning of your digestive system. Plus, it helps in reducing fluid retention that leads to that bloated feeling we all get. And the most important part? It is supposed to be an excellent way to lose weight – yes, all that waste matter adds to your pounds! Long term effects include a healthier skin too.

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What you need

I bought a pack of unrefined Himalayan sea salt off Amazon (for around INR 100). There are many varieties. Buy any kind of sea/pink salt – just make sure it is unrefined and uniodized. Apart from this, all you need is a liter of water and one lemon (optional).

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How it went

The first time I tried the SWF, it didn’t quite work as expected. I mixed two teaspoons in lukewarm water and had it in under 10 minutes. The process is supposed to kick in after at least 30 minutes and should ideally result in frequent trips to the bathroom. Well, so I waited.  And then I waited some more. And then I dozed off. And then I woke up and waited some more. It kicked in only after about 6 hours! Also, I’d eaten two meals by then, so I wouldn’t really say it worked. I read online that this may happen if you don’t add enough salt. Darn!

The next time, I added a little more salt. The trick is to add about two teaspoonfuls (add a little more if the water doesn’t taste yucky yet). Yes, it should taste pretty much like sea water – salty and bad. I desperately wanted to pop in a mouth freshener or a chewing gum after gulping it down (I didn’t).

And this time, the flush worked great! Although, again, it took a little more time for me (sigh, maybe my toxins are like reaaaallly stubborn and wouldn’t let go). After about three hours, I felt an urge to use the washroom. After about ten minutes, I felt much lighter and better overall. I felt no uneasiness post that. The next few days, I felt lighter and maybe a tad more active than usual.

They say the permanent effects show after doing it a few times, or at least until all the toxins have been flushed out. How do you know this has happened? The water you pass out will be clear.

And the third time (or maybe I should just call it the second since the first time didn’t count), it worked amazingly well for me. It started working in less than half an hour. And I felt much much lighter post this session. This was so awesome, I cannot recommend it enough.

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Steps

Add two teaspoons of uniodized unrefined sea salt to a a quart (a little less than a liter) of lukewarm water.
Stir and shake the solution so the salt mixes in the water thoroughly.
You can add a few drops of lemon juice to the water so that it tastes better.
Gulp it down within a span of 10-15 minutes. Anything within 30 minutes is fine.

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Tips

Do it on an empty stomach
Do not attempt with regular table salt
I did not feel nauseated but many people do (as I read online). They said drinking with a straw helped them keep it down
Make sure you have access to a bathroom – you may need to make numerous trips!
It helps to lie down on the right side of your body after drinking the solution – helps the water flow down to the abdomen
Do not eat or drink anything after drinking the water, for at least half an hour. After that, sip on lemon water or plain water. After about an hour, you can eat normal food.

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Can I eat?

The best part about this detox is that you don’t need to make changes to your diet. While originally done as a part of the Master Cleanse (which involves no food intake), it is completely okay to have food the entire day. Just make sure you don’t have very heavy or fried food for a day before the flush. I, however, ate very little all day and had only two very light meals – I simply did not feel hungry enough.

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The verdict

Overall, my experience with SWF was easy and not problematic at all. I felt no uneasiness and barely any nausea (just a side effect of releasing the toxins). I don’t plan on doing it again for a while now. But I would completely recommend it to anyone else (unless, they are pregnant, have high blood pressure, or any such issues, in which case you probably shouldn’t).

If you wanna read more about this before attempting it, here’s a link I found to be really useful.

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Have you ever tried the SWF? How was it? Or do you want to? Let me know in the comments below!