10 Ways To Detoxify Your Body

Body cleanse and detox diet tips for beginners

Three naturopathic physicians share insight on why and when to detox, what type of detox program is right for you, and 10 ways to start.

: by Deborahann Smith

 
Feeling sluggish or out of sync? Having skin problems, aches and pains, or digestive problems? Straying from your healthier habits lately? Having trouble kicking off your weight loss? It might be time for a body detox.
Practiced for centuries by many cultures around the world — including ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems — detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health.

"The body has its own natural healing system," says Peter Bennett, N.D., medical director of Helios Clinic in Victoria, B.C., and co-author with Stephen Barrie, N.D. and Sara Faye, of 7-Day Detox Miracle (Prima Health). "Detoxification enhances this system," he explains.

How does detoxification work?

Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. It does this mainly by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. However, when this system is compromised, impurities aren't properly filtered and every cell in the body is adversely affected.

A detox program can help the body's natural cleaning process by:

1) Resting the organs through fasting;
2) Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;
3) Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
4) Improving circulation of the blood; and
5) Refueling the body with healthy nutrients.

"Detoxification works because it addresses the needs of individual cells, the smallest units of human life," says Bennett.

How do you know if you need to detoxify?

Bennett suggests that everyone should detox at least once a year. A short detoxifying program or whole body cleanse is generally safe; in fact, scientific studies show that a detox is beneficial for health. However, Bennett cautions against detoxifying for nursing mothers, children, and patients with chronic degenerative diseases, cancer or tuberculosis. Consult your health care practitioner if you have questions about whether detoxing is right for you.

Today, with more toxins in the environment than ever, "it's critical to detox," says Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D., the author of Detoxification (Healthy Healing Publications). Page recommends detoxing for symptoms such as unexplained fatigue, sluggish elimination, irritated skin, allergies or low-grade infections; bags under the eyes; a distended stomach even if the rest of your body is thin; menstrual difficulties; or mental confusion.

Where do you begin?

First, lighten up your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats, all of which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to your healing process. Also, minimize use of chemical-based household cleaners and personal health care products (cleansers, shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes), and substitute natural alternatives.

Another deterrent to good health is stress, which triggers your body to release stress hormones into your system. While these hormones can provide the "adrenaline rush" to win a race or meet a deadline, in large amounts they create toxins and slow down detoxification enzymes in the liver. So it's a good idea to detox stressful life situations along with detoxifying your body. Yoga and meditation are simple and effective ways to relieve stress by resetting your physical and mental reactions to the inevitable stress life will bring.

 

Which detox program is best for you?

There are many detoxification programs and detox recipes, depending on your individual needs. Many programs follow a 7-day schedule because, as Bennett explains, "it takes the body some time to clean the blood." His program involves fasting on liquids for two days, followed by a carefully-planned five-day detox diet to allow the digestive system to rest. He also advises supplements, herbs, exercise, and practices such as dry-skin brushing and hydrotherapy to enhance circulation.

Page recommends a 3-7 day juice fast (drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water) as an effective way to release toxins.

Other popular detoxing programs and natural body cleanses include:

• Cleansing supplement packages, which generally contain fiber, vitamins, herbs and minerals. There are several safe products on the market, with easy-to-follow instructions.
• A routine of drinking only water one day each week — an ancient practice of many cultures.

10 ways to help your body detoxify

After a detoxification program, you can cleanse your body daily through diet, supplements and lifestyle practices.

1. Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.

2. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.

3. Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.

4. Drink at least two quarts of water daily.

5. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.

6. Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions.

7. Practice hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times, and then get into bed for 30 minutes.

8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.

9. Dry-brush your skin or try detoxifying patches or  detox foot spas / foot baths to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes are available at natural products stores.

10. What is the most important way to detoxify? "Exercise," says Bennett. "Yoga or jump-roping are good. One hour every day." Also try qigong, a martial-arts based exercise system that includes exercises specifically for detoxifying or cleansing, as well as many other exercises with specific health benefits.

Want more information on detoxing? Check out:

 

1-2-3 Detox for Radiance

Detox Buyer’s Guide: Top Products to Help You Cleanse

VIDEO: How to Detox With an Ayurvedic Diet

Detox Yoga How-To Sequence with Photos

 

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Consult your doctor before using any health treatment — including herbal supplements and natural remedies — and tell your doctor if you have a serious medical condition or are taking any medications. The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is in no way intented as substitute for medical counseling.

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The Future of Food

This is crazy!!!

I really had no clue how bad our country was with Genetically modified foods. We really do not have a choice in the matter.

Monsanto is a huge corporation that is slowly killing us, and what do they want...more money. The corporation needs to be stopped, but it is fought by some government officials. Why you ask? These government officials are not out to "protect" the rights of corporations, they are out to protect their investments and pocket books. Most of the people who own and run Monsanto are these same government officials fighting for a corporation take over.

I know this video is kind of long, but EVERYBODY needs to be educated about this. This is our livelihood, our children, and our world!!!

People wonder why there is so much autism and mental health issues in our children, well, when we put our children in harms way, what else does one expect??? The sad thing is we have no idea we are putting our children in harms way.

My oldest has autism, very high functioning, but when I removed the chemicals from my home, and switched to organic, I have found a child who is more in control of himself. I feel so guilty about what I have put into his little body, and the frustration he has lived with because I was uneducated. If for no other reason educate yourselves for your own sake, because no one else is looking out for your best interests with this issue.

Minding manners, not business

As a country, we’re not big on manners. We do the Singaporean thing of minding our own business and eyeballing the floor when we happen to be in the presence of strangers. We score a seat in the train and pretend to fall asleep because it’s so much easier than dealing with the awkward situation of “should I offer my seat to that lady with a slightly roundish abdomen”.

“Good morning” and “How’s it going?” aren’t things you hear on a typical morning grind. In fact, all it takes is for your toddler to hold up the elevator for an extra 2 seconds and you hear the impatient “tsks” getting progressively audible.

Then there’re the establishments that seem determined to take the service out of customer service. The husband knows that I’m very particular about exactly what goes into my food. I order a double cheeseburger and it has to be without pickles, mustard and ketchup (yes, I know it technically is NOT a cheeseburger without them). My mee pok has to have chili but no vinegar or ketchup.

On good days, my order gets taken with a slight brow furrow and a curt nod. On other days, I get an irate “if you don’t ask for ketchup, we don’t put ketchup one hor.”

One time the husband was ordering dinner at a tze char stall and he politely asked the lady how long the wait was going to be. She proceeded to lose her marbles, screaming in Mandarin “you want to eat, you wait. If not, forget it.” We did wait, because the food is remarkably good there and besides, what’s dignity compared to the legendary claypot chicken? But imagine, the experience would have been so much better if he didn’t have to get yelled at.

With the kids, we’re determined to inculcate good manners. And not just the perfunctory “please” and “thank you’s” but the genuine enthusiasm that goes into being gracious and polite. The heartfelt compliments when they’re deserved and a kind word to someone who didn’t necessarily deserve it.

We’ve done a manners list. A set of rules for the kids to abide by, where the penalty for non-compliance is to not have McDonalds for a week. So basically, we win either way.

Ok, we also try to lead by example and do all of those things.

1. In the morning, say “morning momma/daddy” and round it up with a hug and a kiss. Don’t grunt and roll your eyes unless they’re rolling back into your head, and even then, it’s your own fault for tormenting me till midnight the night before.

2. When you want something, say please. If you want something really bad, say “pretty please mommy, btw you look so beautiful today, I really like your hair/jeans/smile/eyes.” Also doesn’t hurt to throw in a kiss.

3. If you don’t get what you want when you want it, it’s your prerogative to whine. But that only means you’re never going to get it. Ever.

4. When you get something, say thank you. You can also say “I love you so much, you’re the best mom in the world.”

5. Sometimes you’ll see other aunties/uncles/kids get into the lift with you. Smile and say “hello auntie.” If it’s a kid, you can give a hi-5. If it’s the weird uncle downstairs, stay the hell away from him.

6. When someone does something well, say “you did a great job”. Remember when you guys finished all your food and mommy said “great job, kids, you did well?” Like that.

7. When someone doesn’t do a really good job and there’s room for improvement, say “it’s ok, you can do it next time.” Remember the time you guys didn’t finish your food and mommy said “That wasn’t so good, no gummies. But it’s ok, you can do better at dinner?” Yeah, like that, except without the gummies part.

8. When you leave a house after a visit, say “bye and thank you for having me.” Don’t just grab your stuff and dash off. Or have a meltdown because it’s time to leave.

9. Be respectful to adults. That means not being rude or obnoxious. Obnoxious is when…forget it. Just don’t be rude.

10. Be nice to other kids. Unless they’re repeatedly mean to you then tell mommy and I’ll deal with it.

11. Sometimes when mommy is driving, mommy gets to be not very polite to other drivers when they do very bad driving. Cover your ears. One day, you will understand.

What’s on your manners list? Do tell. 

by DAPHNE on NOVEMBER 9, 2011

in LISTS YOU SHOULD PASTE ON YOUR FRIDGE, UNQUALIFIED PARENTING TIPS

If You Are Not a Parent, Don't Tell Me How to Parent!

Non-parents are notorious for knowing almost everything there is to know about parenting. Their children would never cry in a restaurant or go to a movie before 3. They would never throw a tantrum because she wouldn't "stand for it." How the mighty do fall once they have children. 

I actually enjoy watching people have children who were especially judgemental about parenting. It's funny to watch them think everything is easy at first and then learn that the first year is actually just a light warm-up compared to the real workout. Having children is exhausting and difficult and maddening in a way you can't imagine prior to having them.

Yes, that's right. You can't imagine. No matter how much you like to think you can. Non-parents are notorious for saying obnoxious things, but here are some of the biggest:

• "My child would never do that": "That" might be anything from being noisy in a restaurant to coloring on the walls with a purple crayon. Trust me, your kid will. So shut it.

• "Aren't you going to X?": Yes, my child just made a poopy joke. But I'm not going to punish him for it. I punished him for 10 other things this morning and it's just a poopy joke. If you had kids, you would know how common it is. So shut it.

• "Wow, I am so glad I don't have kids": We get it. Kids are hard and they look hard, but when you look at our little baby and you say things like that, it hurts us. Yes, even when they have runny noses, boogers in their eyes, and screams on their lips. Keep it to yourself and shut it.

• "I hate when parents (fill in the blank)": Here's the thing, just because we aren't giving our children a Popsicle to shut them up at the exact moment doesn't mean we never have. Since you don't have kids, you really don't know how you just try to survive from moment to moment. So shut it, please.

• "Just give him a movie!": Yes, my child's shouting is annoying me, too. And yes, it's making it hard to have a conversation, but the fact is, I don't just stick him in front of the TV and he is my child. No, he shouldn't interrupt, but he also shouldn't be placated with TV so you can tell me about your boyfriend's annoying habit. Shut it, please.

• "Wow, that outfit is interesting (*smirk)": Have you ever dealt with a 4-year-old's sense of self expression? No? Then be quiet. Why would I want my child to conform to your fashion needs just so you don't make fun of a child? Yes, this is what she wanted to wear, and yes, she looks a little "creative." But you wear black platform slides from 1996, so you have no room to talk. Shut it!

Posted by Sasha Brown-Worsham 

on July 28, 2011