Delightful Detox: Natural ways to Detoxify your Body
Many people talk about detoxifying their bodies these days, and even their minds to a lesser extent. I think that in these days, with all the chemicals and unnatural agents we come into contact with on a regular basis, it's a good idea to have some way to regularly help your body with detoxification. I will address physical detoxification this post.
There are many ways to detoxify the body, and it can get confusing when you look it up on Google or Bing. I don't pretend to know all the best or most comprehensive means of detoxification, but I'll share some of the ideas that I've found helpful. Please consult your physician or other medical provider before undertaking any dietary or other change that will affect your health.
Natural Ways to Detoxify your Body from the Inside Out
There are many supplements and food items you can take internally to purge your body of unwanted pathogens. Some like the Master Cleanse, while others like simpler, more targeted approaches. I have never tried the Master Cleanse because I don't eat refined or simple sugar. The Master Cleanse calls for molasses. Some people swear by it and say it's the greatest; good for them! I'm glad they found something that works. I like things that don't make your body too acidic on the pH scale.
Therefore, I prefer seaweed, chia seeds (straight, no chaser other than water), and certain vitamins. Seaweed, algae, other sea vegetables and Spirulina not only have chlorophyll in them, they also do a pretty good job of providing fiber and cleaning out the lower large intestine.
Wheat grass has a nice sweet taste and is also energizing. The first time you take it, you might feel a little woozy and your gut might feel strange, but I've been told that this is a sign that it is clearing out toxins immediately. Scientifically, I haven't verified that; you can do your own research if you like.
Vitamin C is helpful for detox, as is glutathione, an amino acid that is part of an "antioxidant defense system" to clear the body of free radicals (source: http://www.lifescript.com/health/a-z/alternative-therapies_a-z/naturalremedies/g/glutathione.aspx)
Some natural chelation agents are garlic, onions, cilantro, lemons, and limes. I love using all these in cooking and find them refreshing and helpful as well.
If I find that I have eaten something that my body doesn't like, I use bentonite clay, which is a liquid white substance, to bind the agent and carry it out of my body. That has saved me on a number of times when I ate something that I was sensitive to and had a bad reaction.
I've also found limited help with homeopathic remedies like Nux Vomica. I do believe in energy and vibration medicine and its ability to heal people; I also know that's controversial and don't wish to debate about it. If you choose to get homeopathy, please consider seeing a homeopath to get the right cure for you. I recommend the same for hydrotherapy and other alternative medicine forms. It's good to talk to someone who knows what is safe and unsafe to ingest.
Mechanical and Energetic Ways to Detoxify your Body
Sweating is also detoxifying, and activities that make you sweat are great for removing toxins through your skin. Infrared saunas and aerobic exercise are great for this. I realize that not everyone can take extreme heat, but sometimes you can reap the benefits of sweating with a gradual increase of heat or time in sauna without knocking yourself out if you're heat-sensitive.
Enemas have been helpful to remove toxins from the colon and intestines. I haven't tried hydrotherapy, but that is a way to clean out the gut and remove old, rotting material from your intestine. A gentler, easier way to do a more gradual (but less thorough) cleansing is self-administered enemas. Some people use coffee to release toxins from the liver; others use castor oil to make the material move through more easily. I have found that caffeine is not great for me so water is a safe alternative. If you have substances like chlorine, ammonia, or fluoride in your water, you might want to use distilled water for the enema. It's a little pricier but the idea is to remove toxins, not introduce them, right?
While this list of detox methods is not comprehensive, it might get you started on the right path to removing unwanted substances from your body. Eating well and drinking a lot of pure water are good places to start, if you're not ready to dive in the deep end yet. However, we all have something in our bodies that we want to get rid of, and these have been safe methods thus far, at least for me.
If you want to find more targeted ways that work for your specific body, to detoxify your body naturally, give me a call at 661-575-7135.
