Do you want to feel better? Do you want to increase your energy, sleep better, lose weight, decrease pain in our body, or improve mood and concentration? Are you inspired to start detoxing your body? Spring is the perfect time for a body cleanse as we often have more energy or motivation to change our life-style. You may want to jump start your body with a cleanse program for some time including eating lots of greens, drinking dandelion tea or dry skin brushing.
Why do we need to cleanse?
Our bodies are naturally capable to recycle and eliminate toxins to prevent a build-up. However, polluted air, environmental toxins, unhealthy food and high stress levels interfere with natural detox processes. Gathered toxins clog our system, force our bodies to spend more energy to simply function and pave the way for diseases. Then our organs are compromised, and our natural way of cleansing is interfered with. It may cause health problems such as fatigue, poor concentration, sleep problems, digestive troubles, headaches, chronic pain, hormonal dysfunction, allergies, or low immunity.
Ideally, we adopt daily cleanse practices to best support our body!
There are various ways to help the body detoxify and cleanse, ranging from colon cleansing, heavy metal detoxification, dietary restrictions, intake of supplements and herbs. The health market offers hundreds of different detox programs, and it is questionable, if all of these products hold their promise. Below you find some simple natural ways of cleansing. It is best to implement these practices into your day-to-day life. This way your body gets the support needed to naturally eliminate toxins on an ongoing basis.
Lymphatic Treatments
Therapeutic Reflexology is a natural and safe way to promote cleansing and detoxification of the body. Reflexology treatments help to increase the activity of the liver, lungs, kidneys, and bowels, all of which are most important for the cleansing procedure. Lymphatic treatments, a specialty within Therapeutic Reflexology have shown to be particularly helpful to support these processes. The lymphatic system plays an important role in cleansing the body. It is our personal waste disposal system. It is probably one of the most overlooked system in the body, yet it is highly effective in preventive health, and supporting immunity and the body’s cleansing function.
My favourite daily cleanse practice: Dry Brushing!
Dry brushing is a perfect daily detox practice. You can fit it into your life easily, and it takes only a few minutes. Brush your body every morning with a natural bristle brush prior to showering. Start at the hands and feet and brush in little strokes or circles towards your heart. Leave out sensitive areas like nipples. Dry brushing helps to promote lymph flow and circulation and it improves the skin’s ability to remove toxins. It vitalizes your skin, and after doing it for a week or two, your skin looks more glowing! It is invigorating and refreshing!
Other Natural Daily Detox Practices:
- Drink 8 – 10 glasses of water daily (2 – 3 liters). Water increases the functions of the metabolism involved in detoxification. Make your water more detoxifying by adding lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
- Eat a healthy plant-based diet: Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds. Choose whole grain products. Reduce saturated fats. Avoid sugar, coffee and alcohol.
- Dandelion Tea: Dandelion tea cleanses the body by stimulating the gall bladder, kidneys and liver, thus decreasing water retention and helping your body to quickly flush out toxins.
- Relieve stress: Stress in large amounts creates toxins and slows down detoxification enzymes in the liver. Yoga, Qui Gong or meditation are effective ways to relieve stress.
- Breathe deeply: Your lungs are an organ of detoxification. Allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system. Take some time during the day to pay attention to your breathing!
- Exercise or walk briskly for 20 – 30 minutes a day! Cardiovascular exercise induces sweating and toxins are released through the skin.
- Minimize your exposure to chemicals at work or at home such as household cleaners and personal health care products (cleansers, shampoos, deodorants etc.). Purchase environmental-friendly products.
A last note: The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is in not meant as substitute for medical counselling. If you have a serious medical condition or you are taking any medications, please consult your doctor before using any suggested health treatment.
Great suggestions in the list of daily cleansing practices! They are so universally applicable, yet I feel like I need such reminders occasionally as I get caught up in daily life. The dry brushing is interesting. Reminds me of some Lymphatic-focused massage session that were moving from extremities to the centre of the body. What kind of bristle and hardness would you recommend as optimal for this purpose?