Detoxification involves multiple organs, here’s how we can assist each system to cleanse and repair.
Gastrointestinal Tract: 70% of your immune system is in your intestines. It is also considered your second brain. You make serotonin in your intestines, so your mood is dependent on the health of your gastrointestinal tract.
When toxins sit in your colon they reabsorb into your bloodstream. By cleansing your intestines and colon you remove built-up waste from your body. Fiber absorbs toxins, moves waste and scrubs the intestinal walls. Flax Seed, Chia Seed and raw fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber while cleansing.
Kidneys: The kidneys filter waste from the other organs insuring full-body detoxification. When kidneys aren’t functioning optimally they contribute to high blood pressure and acidity. Water flushes the kidneys to keep them clean while cleansing and dilutes acids and toxins that accumulate during the cleanse. Your body mass and level of activity determines how much water you need. A good rule is to divide your body weight in half, this number is equal to the ounces of water you should be drinking daily, more when cleansing. You should urinate frequently and there should be no urine odor. The color of your urine should be light yellow. The darker the color and stronger the odor tells you how much more water you require.
Liver: Your liver is the size of a football and provides over 600 functions. One of the detox functions is to convert toxins into water soluble substances to be excreted through bile and urine. When you stop eating solid food you take stress off the liver and it can spend most of its time detoxing and repairing itself. Your liver loves lemon water.
Skin: Your skin is your largest organ that eliminates toxins through your pores. While cleansing it is beneficial to exercise, sit in a sauna or in the warm sun to increase toxic elimination through sweat. Dry skin brushing removes dead skin cells and opens pores for better perspiration and moving the lymphatic fluids.
Lungs: Each breath out releases toxins from your body. Deep breathing practices and exercise increase this natural function. Breath through your nose to a count of 10 and blow out your breath through your mouth to a count of 20, with a big push at the end to get every bit of air out of your lungs. Start with a set of three and work up to more. Do this several times daily.
Lymphatic System: Your lymphatic fluids take toxins and waste out of the cells. Your blood has your heart to pump it through your body but the lymph fluid only has the movement of your body to keep it flowing. Lack of movement causes stagnation. Any movement or exercise helps but the up and down motion of rebounding is the very best. Dry skin brushing physically moves the lymph fluids and aids in cleansing. A lymphatic massage during cleansing is helpful.
What to Do, Eat and Drink During a Cleanse
Depending on your health, time and goals will determine what kind of cleansing program you need. There are many gimmicky detox programs selling pills and products with big promises. Remember you are a natural, living, organic being. It makes sense to use natural, living organic products to cleanse and support your body. Use your good sense and caution when choosing a detox program that fits your needs. You can choose a slow gentle detox or a more strict faster detox. My favorites would be juice fasting, water fasting and whole foods programs that can be incorporated into your daily lifestyle afterwards.
To cleanse you have to stop putting in your body what is mucking up your detox organs and systems. This includes meat, dairy, sugar and flour products. Acidic products like soda, alcohol and coffee are not allowed either.
The length of time you are on a cleanse depends on your health. The sicker you are the more strict and longer you need to be cleansing and replenishing your body. A few days of cleansing won’t do much, unless you are on a stick cleanse a few days a week, every week for a month. Continually cleansing for a few weeks at a time would be more beneficial.
It is recommended to cleanse 4 times a year with the seasons, as we would naturally out in nature. If you have health challenges cleanses more often are needed to recover your health.
Drinking a lot of water and taking fiber supplements while cleansing is imperative and not a choice. As you are cleansing and releasing toxins you have to absorb them and flush them out of your system or you could become ill. Take water with you everywhere you go and drink it all day long.
Oil pulling while cleansing will clean the bacteria and toxins in your mouth and freshen your breath.
Digestive enzymes in-between meals act as metabolic enzymes and clean up muck and plaque in your blood vessels.
Daily detox baths in hot water with Epson salt, baking soda and essential oils speed up the cleansing process. Soak for 20 minutes, if you get light headed cool down the water. Don’t try to get out of the tub if you are light headed. Make sure to drink a glass of water before your bath. Shower off with cool water and drink another glass of water after your hot bath.
If your body is over burdened with built up toxins, detoxing can be stressful so getting plenty of rest is important during your cleanse. Taking naps, strolls in the fresh air and sunshine, getting a massage, reading a good book, listening to soothing music and taking detox baths are beneficial and enjoyable things to do while cleansing.
What to Do After a Cleanse
When ending a cleansing program it is important to slowing introduce food and give your digestive system time to adjust to solid foods again. This is a good time to experiment with new smoothie and juicing recipes, making soups and putting together great salads and homemade dressings.
- drink more filtered water & lemon water
- make homemade broth, bone or veggie
- take probiotics and fermented food like kefir, kimchee and sauerkraut
- take whole-food vitamin and mineral supplements
- take fiber supplements, as needed, until your BM’s float
- take digestive enzymes with meals
- eat more whole food and raw food
- drink smoothies and fresh juices
- make homemade protein/energy bars
- daily oil pulling
- hot detox baths
- intermitted fasting
- relaxing practices such as; quiet time alone, yoga, meditation
As your body has detox systems in place, it is important to support them on a daily basis so you don’t have a health crises. The more of the above items you add to your daily regime the more your body can slowly detox on a daily basis.
You have the power to heal yourself, it is your birthright. And it is my mission to help you learn the many ways available to you.