Forget about the fancy diets, dangerous supplements and crazy cleanses. Your body already has powerful mechanisms in place to remove toxins. Here are 5 ways to amplify your own natural defenses and truly detoxify your system.

Cut the Sugar

In addition to piling on tons of empty calories, an abundance of processed, sugary foods wreaks havoc on the liver — your body’s headquarters for removing toxins. The more sugar you eat, the greater the strain on this important organ.

See: How Much Added Sugar Are You Really Eating?

The good news is some of these effects can be reversible when the tsunami of sugar subsides. Say so long to high sugar foods like candy, baked goods and sugary drinks, and be on the lookout for less obvious sources of sugar like condiments, breakfast cereals and snack foods.

Check Your Fiber

Not only does fiber help fight hunger and regulate digestion, eating high-fiber foods also helps support digestive enzyme and protect intestinal bacteria. A healthy microbiome protects the body from the invasion of unhealthy bacteria and other toxins that can make you sick. A 2016 study found that a lack of fiber leaves the gut more susceptible to potentially harmful pathogens. Fiber needs vary from 25g for women to 38g a day for men, so check labels and get in more fiber each day.

See: 11 Ways to Get More Fiber in Your Diet

Drink More Water

You’ve heard it before, but drink more water! most of us still fall short of our daily water needs. Getting enough fluid helps flush away wastes, benefiting everything from skin to kidney health. Drink half your body weight in ounces everyday (more if you exercise regularly) and consider seltzer, flavored waters (See: How to Make Water the Most-Delicious Thing Ever), and unsweetened tea as other beneficial ways to reach your daily tally for fluid.

Explore Fermented Foods

Fermented foods are a top trend for 2018. Foods like kefir, yogurt, kimchi and kombucha are teeming with healthy bacteria that protect, and in a sense, cleanse the digestive tract.

Making these foods a regular fixture in your diet can help keep toxins and other pathogens from doing harm.

Eat More Plants

Free radicals are normal waste products of cell metabolism, but too many of them in the body can damage healthy cells. Antioxidants destroy free radicals, so you want lots of them in the diet. Some of the very best sources of cell protecting and inflammation-fighting antioxidants are plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, pulses and whole grains.