Detox has become a seriously watered-down term because of the many over-hyped products that are peddled in its name–from juice cleanses to infomercial foot pads.
The truth is, your body is set up to take care of the process on its own via a variety of systems, but there are a handful of ways you can pitch in to help it perform.
DRINK WATER
Water carries nutrients to our cells, aids digestion by forming stomach secretions, flushes our bodies of wastes, and keeps our kidneys healthy.
It keeps our moisture-rich organs (our skin, eyes, mouth, and nose) functioning well, it lubricates and cushions our joints, and it regulates our body temperature and our metabolism, just to name a few of its many functions.
Water also plays a crucial role in disease prevention. In a study conducted at the Centre for Human Nutrition at the University of Sheffield, England, researchers concluded that women who stay adequately hydrated reduce their risk of breast cancer by 79 percent.
SWEATING
Sweat is the most important elimination route for toxins. Everyone, in today’s society, is exposed to toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Although it is a major eliminative organ, most people’s skin is very inactive. Repeated use of the sauna can help slowly restore the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins. Released toxins are then eliminated from the body by perspiration and through the intestinal tract. Sauna detoxification is thought to lead to the removal of fat-soluble chemicals from the body by encouraging their elimination through sebaceous glands (microscopic glands in the skin that secrete an oily/waxy material) and sweat glands.
DRY BRUSHING
A loofah or soft brush can be used on a daily basis, to help remove dead skin cells, which can block pores and slow the release of toxins through the skin. The dry brush should be used on extremities, starting at the farthest points and working toward the trunk of the body. Dead skin cells that are removed allow new, healthy skin to do its job more efficiently.
EPSOM SALT BATH
The two main ingredients of Epsom salt are magnesium and sulfate. It is believed the combination of both ingredients stimulates detoxification pathways.
Magnesium is a natural substance that aids a variety of bodily functions, including the removal of toxins. Sulfate can strengthen the walls of the digestive tract and make releasing toxins easier.
PROBIOTICS
Researchers are discovering that good bacteria affect our gut flora and even determines our mood. Overall, the bacteria promote the health of our immune system and digestive system.
In modern times, it is much more difficult to maintain the proper amount of gut flora because of all the toxins, medications, and chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis. Things like antibiotics, food preservatives, pesticides, and chlorinated water and all destroy these good bacteria. Even people suffering from chronic stress will have an imbalance of good bacteria. Once this happens, it paves the way for bad bacteria to take its place. These bad bacteria include parasites, yeast, and fungus.
DEEP BREATHING
How to Breathe deeply to Detox the Body: the human body can go months without food, and days without water. However, we can only survive a few minutes without oxygen. There are many benefits to deep conscious breathing and detoxing the body is one of them.
OXYGEN HELPS THE BODY ABSORB VITAMINS, NUTRIENTS, AND MINERALS MORE EFFICIENTLY.
It also promotes the creation of white blood cells. Every time you inhale your lungs fill with oxygen that thereafter get transported in your blood throughout other detoxing organs including: lymphatic system, kidneys, colon, and even the uterus for women.
Conversely every time we exhale we eliminate part of the body’s waste in the form of carbon dioxide. By breathing deeply we take in more oxygen that cleanses the body, and by exhaling deeply we eliminate more waste both actions have an overall detox effect on the body.
HYDROTHERAPY
Hot water has relaxing properties, helping to reduce stress. Cold water helps relieve inflammation and stimulates the removal of toxins from elimination organs like the skin and lymph. Hydrotherapy is a time-honored technique that uses these properties of water such as temperature and pressure to stimulate healing and cleanse toxins. There are many different types of hydrotherapies, including saunas, colonics, and simple hot and cold showers.
How do Hot and Cold Showers Work?
When the body is heated by hot water, the blood will move in greater volume to the surface of the body, the skin. This is an attempt by the body to release heat more readily to ensure an even temperature is maintained within the body’s vital organs.
When the body is cooled by the cold water, the blood will move in greater volume to the inner body. This is an attempt by the body to keep the inner vital organs warm and ensure that a balanced temperature is maintained at all times.
So we can see by simply warming and cooling the body alternately, we are making the circulation move in and out like an accordion. And when the blood moves like this, the lymph is encouraged to move with it along parallel vessels, thus releasing stagnation and toxic build-up.
TAKE VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is anti-inflammatory, helps increase our blood’s white count by strengthening our neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and macrophages; and generally boosts the immune system against viruses, bacteria, yeast, mold, and other unwanted fungus. This makes getting an adequate amount of vitamin C essential if you are battling a chronic illness or symptom.
The right kind of vitamin C also helps to cleanse the liver, blood and lymph, strengthen the adrenal glands, repair damaged neurotransmitters, and restore the central nervous system. It also helps the body to detox effectively, which is a challenge many chronically ill people face until they get the right detox-supporting nutrients.
Vitamin C also strengthens all levels of the liver’s personalized immune system. The liver uses vitamin C in all of its over 2,000 chemical functions. It not only detoxifies and cleanses the liver; it can also stop a sluggish liver, loosen and disperse fat cells stored inside the liver, and help the liver recover after bouts of stress-related adrenaline surges. Vitamin C can also help stop and repair scar tissue deep in the liver’s core. It can also help with nodules, tumors, and cysts.
#DETOX #NOURAALTHANI #Issue6 #DunesIssue6