Understanding Detoxification

What is detoxification? 

• Our bodies naturally do it everyday.
 
• Detoxification is a normal body process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph and skin.  In fact, internal detoxification is one of our body’s most basic automatic functions.  Just as our hearts beat non-stop and our lungs breathe continuously, so our metabolic processes continuously dispose of accumulated toxic matter.
 
• However, in our world today, body systems and organs that were once capable of cleaning out unwanted substances are now completely overloaded; thus, many unwanted substances stay in our tissues.  Our bodies try to protect us from dangerous material by setting it aside, surrounding it with mucous or fat so it will not cause imbalance or trigger an immune reaction.  (Your body stores foreign substances in its fatty deposits – a significant reason to keep your diet and body fat low.  Some people carry around up to 15 extra pounds of mucous that harbors this waste!)

Ideally, we should live in a pollution-free environment, eat untainted foods and drink pure water.  However, since humans are born with a “self-cleaning system,” we know this has probably never been possible.  Today, it isn’t even practical, so the next best thing is to keep pollutants to a minimum and to periodically get rid of them through a detoxification program.

How to Make an Apple, Beet and Carrot Juice Liver Tonic

You obviously need a juicer to make up fresh juice and the better quality ones will not only last longer, they’ll deliver a larger quantity and a more nutrient rich juice. Masticating juicers like this one are far and away the best type and better value for both your wallet and your health in the long run if you juice regularly.

Before you start juicing, put a couple of ice cubes and the squeezed juice from your lime (minus the pips) into the bottom of the collection jug. Depending on the size of your juicer feed you may have to chop the apples and beet into halves or quarters, though most juicers these day should handle the carrots whole.

Wash and scrub your ingredients then turn on your juicer and start with the beet. Next juice the carrots and ginger if you’re using it, followed by the apples last. It’s almost a shame to mix up the brilliant colors in the collection jug but it will taste better well blended.

Enjoy your fresh apple, beet and carrot juice straight away. It’s good to sip it slowly and savor it on your tongue for a bit before swallowing it.

Lemon Detox

Drinking hot lemon water every day is a popular detox method that is based on the simple idea of mixing fresh lemon juice with boiling water. Some people add sugar for flavor, but this will reduce the detoxing properties. The intense Lemon Detox, also known as the Master Cleanse, has also become a popular kick start for a healthy routine.

Directions
 
For the best results, mix a slice, or a wedge of lemon, with boiling water and drink at the beginning of the day, every day. When you wake up, your body is naturally cleansing already, so it’s a good idea to capitalize on this. Continue to drink lemon water throughout the day for optimum results. Once you start doing this, and it becomes habit, you’ll find it difficult to stop. It is an easy substitute for morning coffee or tea, and you’ll soon feel the results.

THE MAIN BENEFITS OF SAUNA

• Skin rejuvenation. Sauna use slowly restores elimination through the skin. The skin is the largest organ of the body and a major eliminative channel. In most people, it is inactive, congested and toxic. Continuous use of synthetic clothing, bathing in chlorinated water, and exposure to hundreds of chemicals, damage the skin. Excessive sympathetic nervous system activity and negative emotions cause blood to be withdrawn from the skin, contributing to inactivity of the skin. 
• Enhanced sweating. Sweating in a sauna is a by-product of applying heat to the body. The sweating process gently and safely helps eliminate all heavy metals and toxic chemicals. Medical studies demonstrate that most toxins can be eliminated through the skin, relieving the burden on the kidneys and liver. Sweating during sauna therapy is a great way to reduce the fluid levels in the blood, causing the toxin rich intercellular fluid to be available for detoxification. Sweating increases dramatically in most people after several months of sauna use.
• Exercise benefits. Saunas provide many of the benefits of exercise with much less expenditure of energy. These include enhanced circulation and oxidation of the tissues. Repeated sauna use can lower elevated blood pressure and improve the elasticity of the arteries. Saunas are helpful for cardiovascular rehabilitation, arthritis, allergies, skin conditions and chemical sensitivity. Cholesterol level mean reduction was found after sauna therapy. The sauna therapy resulted in improvements in psychological test scores.
• Decongesting the internal organs. Heating the body powerfully shunts blood toward the skin to dissipate heat. This decongests the internal organs and greatly stimulates circulation. The sauna has an effect on oxygenating and hydrating the cells and organs, and improving circulation. Sinuses, joints and many other tissues benefit greatly.
• Fever therapy (hyperthermia) for infections. Our bodies naturally develop a fever when we are ill in order to enhance our metabolism and to help destroy viruses. Raising body temperature powerfully assists the body to kill parasites such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It helps people with low body temperature to fight chronic infections such as infections in the sinuses, ears, eyes, bladder, throat and intestines.
• Tumor cells and mutated cell elimination. Hyperthermia also helps to kill abnormal cells. Toxin-burdened cells and tumors are weaker than normal cells and tolerate heat poorly. Raising body temperature hastens their death. Though not a conventional method, hyperthermia is a researched therapy for cancer. Heat also disables or kills cells that have been mutated by radiation or damaged by other toxins.
• Inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system. This is a tremendous benefit not offered by many therapies. It enables the body to relax, heal and regenerate itself much faster, causing recovery from many types of ailments.
• Elimination of fat cell store toxins. Most environmental contaminants are fat soluble. Thus they have an affinity for body lipids or fatty tissue. Sauna therapy increases metabolism, which burns fat for energy, releasing some toxins for removal. The body uses metabolic systems, particularly the liver, to convert fat-soluble substances into water-soluble chemicals to facilitate excretion. The physical heat from the sauna helps liquefy fat, further breaking down the chemical lock on the toxic molecules. It is this “fat sweat” that makes saunas so efficient at eliminating toxins.
• Elimination of toxic metals from the body. Concentrations of zinc, copper, iron, nickel, cadmium, lead, manganese, sodium, and chloride were determined after collections utilizing a total body wash down technique (sweating in sauna). The results demonstrated that the concentrations of nickel and cadmium in sweat were higher than those reported for urine, with similar results for lead. The loss of toxic trace metals in sweat could have therapeutic importance.

Detoxifying Drinks

1. Master Cleanse Recipe. Warm lemon water with a little cleansing cayenne pepper and sweetened with mineral-rich organic maple syrup. How can you go wrong?
2. Lemon water (cold or warm). As we found out last week, lemonsare a super fruit. Among their many benefits, they cleanse the bloodstream and detoxify and neutralize the system.
3. Peppermint tea. For it’s calming and strengthening effects on the nerves, and help with indigestion, nausea and gas. It also restores balance of the colon and promotes healing.
4. Ginger tea. Ginger facilitates detoxing through perspiration and soothes stomach irritation occasionally experienced when using cayenne pepper.
5. Fresh apple juice. High in anti-oxidants and nutrients, apples have many health benefits. They also flush the liver and kidneys.
6. Fresh pineapple juice. Pineapple‘s enzyme breaks down protein (which is congesting), benefits intestinal troubles and is high in manganese and vitamins C and B1.
7. Fresh papaya juice. Like pineapple, papaya also helps digestion.
8. Aloe Vera juice. The texture of this pulpy, sweet juice is a little disconcerting at first but it restores balance of the colon and promotes healing by reducing inflammation.
9. Raw cabbage juice. Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin C. It also contains significant amounts of glutamine, an amino acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It’s good for ulcers, cancer and all colon problems.
10. Fresh carrot juice. High in Vitamin A, antioxidants and minerals, carrots are also known to treat digestive problems, intestinal parasites and constipation.
11. Fresh beet juice. Make your beet juice with both roots and greens and you’ll heal your liver, balance cholesterol and lower blood pressure

Healthy eating, colorful fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet. They are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
Some great choices include:

• Greens. Branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce. Kale, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options—all packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K. 
  
  
• Sweet vegetables. Naturally sweet vegetables—such as corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, and squash—add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets. 
  
  
• Fruit. Fruit is a tasty, satisfying way to fill up on fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.
  

WHAT ARE SIGNS THAT I NEED TO DETOXIFY?

When the organs of elimination (liver, intestines , kidneys, lungs, and skin)
are burdened with excessive toxins, they will show sings of distress. The
following are some of the signs and symptoms that show that it is time to
assist your body in waste elimination:

• Allergy or intolerance to certain foods
• Bad breath and foul-smelling gas and stools
• Constipation, diarrhea, sluggish elimination, irregular bowel movements
• Frequent congestion, colds, and viruses
• Flatulence or gas and frequent intestinal disorders
• Frequent headaches for no apparent reason
• General aches and pains that migrate from one place to another
• Intolerance to fatty foods
• Low energy; loss of vitality for no apparent reason
• Lower back pain
• Lowered resistance to infections
• Needing to sleep a long time
• Pain in your liver or gall bladder
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), breast soreness, vaginal infections
• Skin problems, rashes, boils, pimples, and acne