How To Detox

How to Detox...

There are many ways to safely and effectively detox. Each one of your body's natural elimination organs and systems will benefit. The most common is a colon detoxification. If you're not having at least one bowel movement a day, toxins aren't being eliminated effectively.

Colon detoxification begins with eating a healthy diet full of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and whole grain foods. Supplements, herbs, and fasting are part of colon cleansing. Common herbs that stimulate the organs and aid in cleansing are psyllium husk or seeds, Cascara Sagrada, flax seeds, and slippery elm. Most experts recommend beginning any body detoxification program with the colon. If you attempt to clean the blood, liver, or lymph systems, dangerous toxins can become backed up in an overloaded colon and re-circulated into the body.

Kidney detoxification is vital. Every day, the kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood, filtering out 2 quarts of waste products and water. A kidney cleanse often consists of drinking large amounts of liquids and eating a healthy diet. One common kidney cleanse is with watermelon. Eating about 20 pounds (yes, 20 pounds!) in one day with regular bladder emptying has dissolved kidney stones and reduced their size so they can be passed; however, if you're diabetic, this isn't a safe method for you due to all of the sugars contained in the fruit.

The liver filters microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites from the bloodstream. Liver cleansing is beneficial, but should be performed under supervision and no more than two times a year. Eating a liver healthy diet on a daily basis is the best way to keep your liver functioning well.

Usually done in conjunction with a liver cleanse is blood detoxification. There are many blood cleansing or alterative herbs. A few are red clover, plantain, burdock root, and chickweed.

Skin and lymph detoxification is stimulated with exercise and is easily added to your daily routine. Partaking in regular exercise that is easy on the joints, along with using red clover extract, are great tools for skin and lymph cleansing. Dry brushing the skin stimulates circulation, thus increasing elimination of toxins.

Detoxing the lungs simply involves breathing techniques. Most people don't take enough deep breaths. Investing the time each day to focus on breath, specifically deep breathing in a clean oxygen environment, will stimulate and help to clear the lungs of toxins.

There's also a heavy metal detox. Heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, aluminum, etc.) are dangerous to have in your body, particularly for long time periods. We also have free radicals in our bodies waiting to do damage. When free radicals collide with toxic metal, this collision sets off a chain reaction and creates numerous, sometimes millions, of new free radicals. Free radicals damage DNA and can cause cancer. Any detox program should include heavy metal detoxing.

It's recommended that you don't fast during a heavy metal detox and maintain at least 2 bowel movements per day. It's also important to eat a high protein diet during this type of detox. Chlorella, an algae with high levels of chlorophyll, garlic, MSM (a form of sulfur), and cilantro are used in removing heavy metals from the body. NAC (N-Acetylcysteine) and EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) are helpful in removing lead, mercury, aluminum, and cadmium from the body. EDTA has been the standard FDA approved treatment for heavy metal poisonings.
When using detoxification you may well experience what is known as the healing crisis. This happens when all your body, as a complete system, is working to eliminate toxins and waste products, these get temporarily released into the body from the different cells they came from. The effect of this is you may temporarily experience past conditions or another number of symptoms that may cause you to feel uneasy. Don't worry, this will soon pass when the toxis are expelled from your body once and for all.
Detoxification is a natural and vital body process; however, with a world full of deadly toxins, our bodies need intervention to restore them to proper functioning. If we don' t take action, the consequences of this toxic overload can be debilitating and even deadly.

It's relatively easy, pain free, drug free, affordable, and can usually be performed on a regular basis at home. Regular detoxification is a foundation for good health now and in the future.

Thanks to Barbara Cronin, writer for HealthyNewAge.com, the holistic cures web site and blog for her guest post. Would you like to write blogs for us? Contact us here!