What is detox?

“Detox” used to refer to the first step of a drug or alcohol abuse treatment process, however these days, “detox” has become a buzz word in the health and wellness world.  Upscale health spas have “detox” treatments to cleanse your body of toxins, health food stores stock a variety of “detox” cleanses like liver cleanses and colon cleanses, and a wide range of “detox” books give advice on detoxing to eliminate disease, reverse aging, lose weight, and more.

Why detoxify?

Detoxification is as essential to your well-being as a healthy diet and exercise.  Detoxification supports the body’s natural ability to cleanse and restore itself by eliminating impurities from the blood, liver, kidneys, lungs, digestive track, lymphatic system and skin. 

Toxins are in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and are even created when we experience stress.  We are continually exposed to toxins and pollutants like smoke, pesticides, fertilizer, plastics, dust, mold, heavy metals, household cleaners, dry cleaned clothing, animal dander, petra chemicals, and toxins are even emitted from photocopiers and electrical devices.  As toxins build up, they can overwhelm the body leading to:

·         Poor Digestion

·         Fatigue

·         Cravings for sugar or fatty foods

·         Stress

·         Skin Breakouts

·         Bad Breath or Body Odor

·         Yeast Infections, Jock Itch, or Foot Fungus

·         Weight Gain

·         Weakened Immune System

·         Premature Aging

Processes to Detoxify and Purify Your Body

1.  Provide your body with what it needs to stay healthy.

Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, organic when available.  Fresh fruits and vegetables provide beneficial enzymes and fiber needed for proper assimilation and digestion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Drink at least 64 ounces of pure, clean water daily. 

 2. Eliminate as much toxic exposure as possible. 

Reduce or eliminate cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, fried foods, highly processed foods, and foods with refined sugars and saturated fats.

Use personal care products without chemicals and excessive toxins.  Many daily use products like shampoos, deodorants and cleansers contain numerous chemicals and toxins that are absorbed into your body with use.  

Reduce or eliminate the use of chemically-based household cleaners.  More natural cleaners like vinegar, baking soda, and others are often as effective, but without the toxic chemicals.  Many “green” variations of household cleaners are available, too.  Remember though that not all advertised “green” cleaners are necessarily free of toxins.

3.  Sweat

The skin is our largest organ and can be very helpful in toxic elimination.  Exercise that causes you to sweat and breathe deeper not only eliminates toxins through the skin, but also through the breath.  Incorporating at least 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine will increase metabolism and improve circulation, as well.

Using a sauna will also help your body eliminate toxins through the natural process of sweating.  

4.  Massage

Massage can stimulate the lymphatic system and help release toxins.  Be sure to drink plenty of pure, clean water after your massage to cleanse the released toxins out of your system.  

5.  Skin Brushing

Skin brushing removes old skin cells, leaving your skin energized and radiant, but it does far more than just exfoliate your skin.  Skin brushing stimulates the lymphatic system, stimulates surface circulation, and draws out toxins through the skin. Before bathing, use a dry skin brush with soft, but firm bristles. Starting at the feet, brush in a circular motion and work towards the heart.

6.  Fasting

Be sure to consult a doctor before fasting.  Juice fasting involves drinking only fresh fruits and vegetables such as carrot, spinach, celery, cabbage, apple, pineapple and cranberry.  Citrus fruits are commonly excluded in a detox fast. Water fasting means that only water is consumed during the fast.  Typically, a fast will last from one to three days, but it’s very important that proper steps are taken both before and after the fast for it to be effective. Improper or lack of preparation before or after a fast can be dangerous so it’s important to consult a doctor before undergoing any type of fasting.

Live Clean, Live Better

Detoxification should be an ongoing process.  While some techniques, like fasting or supplemental cleanses, are meant to be occasional, many other detoxification methods are beneficial on an ongoing basis. 

Our bodies are continually exposed to many different toxins from various sources.  Just as our homes are better maintained with regular care and cleaning, so are our bodies.  With a home, it’s easier to keep things clean on a regular basis than to let everything build up for months and try to clean it all at once.  In the same way, we can keep our bodies clean and healthy with consistent detoxification.

For optimal health, eliminate the toxin sources you can control, and provide your body with the necessary support to handle the unavoidable toxins of daily living.  The ideas listed above, when practiced regularly, will help purify and detoxify your body every day… so you can live better.