Article of the Month - January 2006
Detoxification
Christmas is over. The weather is still cold; it is dark and we are pounds heavier, feeling sluggish and have weighty resolutions hanging over our heads. All the alcohol, rich foods, stress, and overindulgence take their toll on the body. This is an ideal time to detoxify our bodies.
Imagine what would happen if the garbage men went on strike and no one could take our garbage away. Very soon there would be piles of waste everywhere: attracting flies, germs and rats. There would be bad smells and pollutants. Similarly, our bodies generate waste from natural metabolic processes (breathing, digesting food, fighting disease, cell regeneration, etc.) and from pollutant intake such as chemicals in food, water, air, exhaust fumes, household cleaners, medication, etc. Elimination is a major part of keeping the body alive and in good condition. Detoxification is a part of the elimination process.
The first thing to understand about detoxification is that by releasing the toxins within the body, you need to have channels available for the body to excrete them. You eliminate through your lungs, skin, kidneys (bladder and urination) and bowels. Hence, ensure that you are not constipated before beginning detoxification. The second thing to be aware of is that detoxification is not always a pleasant process. You may develop a rash or become moody as your crutches (sweets, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.) are taken away. You will discharge via your lines of elimination. So, look out for a cold, increased nasal discharge especially on mornings, more need for the toilet, perspiring more than usual and mucous formation that you need to expectorate. Vaginal and penal discharge may occur and even your eyes might produce more mucous overnight.
There are several ways to detoxify and combining herbal tinctures, diet, nutritional supplementation and homoeopathic remedies is a very effective way to draw toxins from the body. Try detoxification for two to four weeks depending on your needs and see how much more energy you have at the end. By eliminating toxins from the body, you are freeing up energy that the body can utilise in other ways. As fat tends to be a favourite place for toxin storage, you might even find it easier to lose weight by reducing your toxic load.
The following steps will help you to detoxify:
- You need to keep drinking good quality water for maximum effect. This is a must whether you are detoxing or not. Drink 2 litres every day by drinking a small glass of water every hour. It is important to keep drinking during the day and not try to drink too much in one go as it will only go straight through you. Much like water will run off dried areas, sipping regularly will gradually hydrate your body.
- Take a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement. Take good quality essential fatty acids.
- In terms of homoeopathic remedies, nux vomica 6C is excellent. It helps the liver in the detoxification process. It is best taken at night. To make this work even better, try carbo vegetablis 6C on mornings. This will help to oxygenate and purify the blood. Take every day for two weeks. If you feel that there is still a lot of toxicity left in your system, continue for another week and reassess how you feel. Detoxify for up to one month and see how you feel. I would advise seeing a homoeopath before continuing detoxification.
- There are several herbal tinctures that can help with this process. My favourites are milk thistle or carduus mariannus and cleavers or gallium apparine. The former is excellent for liver support and cleansing the body, the latter is an exceptional blood and lymph cleanser. Bioforce or Jan de Vries do very good tinctures, as does Neal's Yard. You can combine both tinctures or just try one of them. 10 drops of each morning and night for two weeks or as described in point 2.
- For detoxification to occur, your body takes toxins, attaches a molecule and makes them safe for passage out of the body. One of the main elements used in these special molecules is sulphur. Hence, MSM or methyl-sulphonyl-methane (to use its proper chemical name) is excellent in providing your body with the material it needs to ferry out the toxicity.
- Psyllium husks act like a broom to cleanse the colon and gives the toxins something to bind to during the journey out of the body. Without fibre, the body will reabsorb the toxins for circulation. Bentonite clay expands into the walls of the colon and pulls out toxic matter that may have become impacted. This is especially beneficial for those with diverticulosis and diverticulitis.
- Avoid red meat, sugar, margarine, refined and processed foods. Stick to whole grains like rice, millet, oats, barley. Cut down on dairy products, caffeine (coffee, tea, cola), alcohol and cigarettes (and exposure to cigarette smoke).
- Take light exercise to encourage lymphatic movement and perspiration to help eliminate toxins.
- Detoxification bath salts will help to eliminate toxins through your skin. Epsom salts work as does other detoxification baths on sale at good health shops.
|
Depending on your lifestyle, detoxification once a year should suffice. Smokers, frequent drinkers, workers in polluted environment, people on processed diets, regularly stressed people and those with high toxic intakes (due medication, occupation, location, etc.) should detox every six months. After Christmas is a good time to detox to combat the toxin build up from overindulgence. According to Chinese medicine, the best time to detoxify is spring time. Spring cleaning your body and surroundings can have a very therapeutic effect on your sense of wellbeing.
Sometimes, during a detoxification, we also find we have a mental and emotional detox. Do not surprised if you are irritable, weepy, snapping at friends, etc. You are having an emotional and mental discharge to match your physical discharge.
With less toxicity in your body, more energy can now be directed into other areas. Hence, better food assimilation, repairs and regeneration can occur. You should feel as if you have more energy and notice that you have taken a step that has increased your good health.
Please be advised that the above are only my personal views. I have advised based on a healthy person on no medication. Any measures you take are at your own risk. Consult a nutritionist, herbalist and homoeopath before taking high doses of supplements, herbal tinctures and some homoeopathic remedies. This information does not replace medical advice and you should consult your doctor if you have any concerns about your condition or how the above can affect your medication.
