Eight Ways to Detoxify at Home for the New Year
With the New Year come New Years Resolutions and the possibilty of New Habits.
Health is often at the top of our New Years list, but how to get it? One area often misunderstood is "Detoxification". Detox is an important part of health that is often overlooked! Our bodies detoxify naturally with about 10% of that process occurring through the skin in association with organs such as the liver, and kidneys. Our environment is filled with toxins...chemicals in our homes; in the air we breathe; in the processed foods we eat; not to mention daily use of cell phones, TV’s, computers & microwaves. To top it off we don’t get as much movement as we should and we have high levels of stress…
All this leads to an increased toxic load on our bodies which means we may absorb more than we can naturally get rid of, which may lead to increased rates of diseases like Cancer or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
You can see the importance of detoxing as part of your daily & weekly routine not just for New Years!
Top Ways to Detox
1. One of my daily rituals for years is to drink warm or hot water with lemon first thing in the morning, before anything else. This is a gentle way to wake up your body and the lemon gently flushes. As an added bonus this helps keep your blood at an alkaline PH (Note: a body with higher acidity is more likely to get sick).
2. Eating Raw Food – eating raw vegetables and fruits that are packed with water and nutrients allows the body to be assisted in naturally detoxifying as part of your day (you can also try my 7 day online cleanse (see link below) to learn the foods that encourage this and can be incorporated into your everyday eating habits!
3. Hydrotherapy – Hot & cold showers can promote detoxification and strengthens the immune system by increasing the white blood cells. Dr. Kneipp one of the forefathers of Naturopathic Medicine was a Bavarian Priest. 'He is most commonly associated with the "Kneipp Cure" form of hydrotherapy, the application of water through various methods, temperatures and pressures which he claimed to have therapeutic or healing effects.'1 Start with 3-5 minutes of hot water shower followed by less than a minute of cold water. Repeat at least once, finishing with cold. (ahhhhh.... if this doesn't wake you up! LOL)
4. Salt Baths – soak in a tub to which you’ve added epsom or sea salts. Add one cup of epsom salt to your bath and enjoy some home spa time! Salts contain minerals and trace elements that are beneficial to our health & assist with drawing out the toxins.
5. Skin Brushing – stimulates the lymphatic system and white blood cells migrate to the skin, as well as increasing blood circulation. Use gloves or natural bristle brushes, start with the feet and work your way up the body, always brushing towards the heart.
6. Foot Baths – Either epsom salt baths at home in a bucket or book a session with a pracitioner where an ionizer sits in a foot bath with your feet; acting as a conductor it pulls neutralized particles (toxins, heavy metals, etc) out of your body.
7. Infrared Sauna – There are many powerful reasons to have an infrared sauna. When you sweat, your body eliminates toxins; this is a profound method of eliminating environmental chemicals that are stored in fat cells. Start out for a 2-5 min (a short time to see how you feel) and work your way up to 15 minutes at 150 degrees. Regular use contributes to as much as a 75% reduction of harmful toxins.
8. Last but not least ---YOGA!! Yes, hot yoga and regular yoga can assist with detoxing and the twists can act almost like a sponge being wrung out to help move toxins out, which is why it is important to drink lots of water pre & post yoga.
There are many more ways to help your body detoxify your body for optimum health! Ask your massage therapist about Lymphatic Drainage Massage.
Warning: Always consult your physician first before adding any new exercise, heat or detox regimen.
1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Kneipp, Source Wikepedia
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