What is Detoxification?
Detoxification is the process of cleansing our internal organs from environmental pollutants, food toxins, and toxins like alcohol, medications and parasites. Our bodies are designed to get rid of waste and rely on our colon, liver, lungs, kidneys, skin and lymph glands to do the job.
Dedicating a specific amount of time each year (or a few times a year) to complete a properly guided cleanse (ideally a fast) is the best way to truly detoxify your body. I do several each year myself, and have led thousands of others in various cleansing and detox programs. But what about on a daily basis?
If we give our bodies a break with appropriate cleanses throughout the year, we don’t want to backtrack on all of our progress in the interim. There are things we can do daily to support the body’s continuous job of processing toxins. Remember, while we are working, sleeping, eating, playing, and going about our day, our body never stops.
The body’s internal system of detoxification never takes a break. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, our system is working to handle what we expose ourselves to daily. Our bodies never get to take a day off from this intense job. If they did, we would die. So, here are ten ways for you to support and care for the body that cares for you unconditionally.
1. DRINK MORE WATER
I know what you’re probably thinking, no kidding! You’ve heard this one before. I have too. But for many of us, drinking enough water still becomes something we need to be mindful of, because as our day progresses and we are busy with our lives, water drinking can drop off. Then, by the time early evening comes, it’s too late to make up for lack of hydration during the day. Not only does regular water drinking throughout the day help prevent fatigue, but it also helps eliminate more toxins. Water drinking also helps encourage peristalsis which prevents the back-up of toxins known as constipation.
2. EXERCISE DAILY
It’s important to do some form of exercise each day that gets the lymph flowing. Lymph is the clear fluid that flows throughout our bodies and contains white blood cells. Our lymph system contains “nodes” which are like mini-filters, and capillaries. Our lymph fluid collects all types of toxins throughout our bodies, and filters the though the nodes.
Unlike our circulatory system, which relies on the heart as a pump, our lymph system has no pump and requires bodily movement to flow properly. That is why exercise is so important. In all of my detox programs I recommend rebounding, and in our family, we have several rebounders throughout the house. It is by far, the best way to get the lymph flowing. Try to do at least 20 minutes a day. Walking, swimming and some forms of yoga are other activities that help lymph flow.
3. SKIN BRUSHING
Another important detox protocol I include in my cleanses is skin brushing. Our skin is the single largest organ of elimination in the body, and daily dry brushing with a natural bristle or loofah brush helps eliminate dead skin cells and assist the body in removing toxins.
4. TONGUE SCRAPING
Tongue scraping is done using a small device that can be found in most health food stores and online. You gently scrape from back to front a few times a day, to remove build-up on your tongue. This technique helps remove whatever your body is naturally releasing. It is something you can do daily every time you brush your teeth.
5. CONSUME PROBIOTIC FOODS AND TAKE PROBIOTICS
Gut health is a big factor in determining how quickly your body is able to remove toxins. Any problems in the gut can result in a slower detox response in the body. Most of us have some level of under-performing gut function due to past use of antibiotics,prescription and over the counter drugs, coffee drinking, processed foods, gluten, being born via Caesarian, and other factors. When we eat probiotic foods like coconut yogurt or kefir, fermented soy in the form of miso, and fermented cabbage like kimchi or sauerkraut, we help the body maintain a healthy gut. For most people, the daily addition of a good quality probiotic like Dr. Ohirra’s is vital to maintaining your best health.
6. GET A DEEP AND RESTORATIVE SLEEP
While you sleep, your body cleanses itself. The most detox-efficient “good sleep” is one where you are asleep before midnight, to take advantage of the deeper sleep cycles that occur during that time. Waking earlier is also important, so that you can eliminate the waste from your body via bowel movements during the time when your liver is naturally doing most of it’s “dirty work”, which is in the early morning hours. If you regularly sleep past this time, your body can reabsorb some of the waste and may become constipated.
7. EAT AS MUCH RAW FOOD EACH DAY AS POSSIBLE
Raw foods (especially the cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, and all high water content fruits, especially grapefruits, berries and melons) help our body naturally detoxify. Unlike many cooked foods and all processed foods, raw fruits and vegetables do not burden the body by creating waste that must be eliminated. In fact, they have the opposite effect with their high water content, and help the body remove waste.
8. DRINK A DETOX TEA DAILY
I include detox teas in most of my cleanse programs, as some are particularly suited to support specific organs. Chanca Piedra is one such tea that is immensely beneficial for the kidneys during and after a cleanse, or any time you want to help support the kidneys. There are many detox teas to choose from including dandelion tea, green tea, Chanca Piedra, Gymnema Sylvestre and Milk Thistle (liver support), Triphala (bowel support) and many others. Always choose only 100% organic teas, to avoid adding additional toxins to your body.
9. ENGAGE IN STRESS-REDUCING PRACTICES
It is known that stress creates toxins in the body. The stress response causes excess hormones like cortisol, which your body is then required to work extra hard to remove. It is vital that you regularly engage in practices that reduce stress, which some researchers believe is the single most significant factor in disease development and aging. Ways to reduce stress daily can be: any spiritual practice of yours such as contemplative prayer or meditation, yoga, earthing (spending time barefoot on the earth) or doing some form of creative art or music. Reducing or eliminating exposure to television news programs, violent movies and stressful online news sources can also significantly lower your stress levels.
10. GO RAWGANIC!
Going RAWGANIC means to go green in as many areas of your life as possible. It doesn’t mean perfection, it just means that at every possible opportunity, you choose plant foods grown in organic soil. You avoid dyes, chemicals and preservatives, You avoid refined wheat and white sugar. You avoid toxic cleaning chemicals, and refuse to put cancer-causing toxins on your body, face, or hair with lab-created “beauty” products. You avoid stressful tv, news and movies. You spend less or no time with negative, harmful and toxic people. Going Rawganic means loving yourself and showing yourself that love by how you treat your mind, body and spirit. Love yourself and honor yourself, and you are well on your way to a cleansed and detoxed Body Mind and Spirit!
If you are interested in learning all of the fundamentals of cleansing from A to Z in an easy to read and follow format, including how to juice fast for 3, 7, or more days, all of the detox methodologies, supplements and practices, check out the Juice Fast Guide and Parasite Cleanse hereWWW.JUICEFASTGUIDE.COM
