A skin detox can help if your skin breaks out in spots or if you get some irritation during a detox program.  Skin is one of the major routes of detoxification. Taking one of these skin detox baths can help draw out more toxins from just below the surface.

A warm bath is an ideal way to relax as well as help skin detox.   Rest and relaxation is a big part of any detox program. So take some time out and treat yourself to one of these beneficial skin detox baths.

Vinegar Bath

The vinegar bath is a good way to restore the proper pH to the skin. This can be particularly beneficial at times of skin irritation or eruptions during detox.

Add 2 cups of organic apple cider vinegar to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes then shower off using a natural organic soap or shower gel.  Use a natural cotton towel to dry yourself.

Hydrogen Peroxide Bath

It is believed that this is one way of getting oxygen into the body. Many people report improved energy and well-being after using these.

Add 1 cup of 35% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide (H202)  Take great care when using this as it can cause burning of the eyes or skin if you splash yourself with the neat solution. Wash off splashes
of neat H202 immediately. It will turn the skin white for a few minutes but will disappear.

Soak in the bath for 20 minutes ideally soaking your face and head in it too.

Salt and Soda Bath

It is believed that this bath is helpful for dealing with radiation after air travel or X-ray.  It can be used if you feel you are coming down with a cold as well as part of a detox program.

Add 2lbs rock salt and 2lbs Baking Soda to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes then shower off.  Don’t forget to wash the towels frequently as they may contain toxins.

Avoid putting any chemical skin products on your skin after the skin detox baths. You don’t want to add any more toxins. There are so many natural and organic skin care products around now we are spoilt for choice.

This can be used in conjunction with the skin brushing to aid elimination of toxins from the skin while you are using an effective detox diet.  One of the detox reactions you may get is that your skin may break out in spots or rashes. Just what you want!  You may also get some irritation, itching, redness and heat sensations while you are detoxing.

So what can you do?

Try a Skin Rub.  After dry skin brushing that I mentioned in the last post you can mix equal parts of good quality castor oil and olive oil together in a small container. Rub your skin vigorously from head to toe with the mixture and don’t forget your face.

Soak in a hot bath with no soap for 15 minutes but be careful you don’t slip! Pat yourself dry and go to bed for an hour under a heavy cover.  It’s best to use cotton sheets or wrap yourself in a large fluffy cotton towel. Place a warm cover on top. The hot bath and sweating helps to draw the toxins out.

Take a hot shower to wash off any expelled toxins and finish with cool water to close the pores. Baking soda or natural soap should help to get the oil off.

If you can find an Ayurvedic clinic near you try one of their sesame oil detox massages  with a steam bath afterwards.  Its a great way to relax and detox.

When you are following any sort of detoxification program it helps to brush the skin to improve the blood and lymph circulation. It removes dead skin cells, and helps with the excretion of toxins. It is is an old natural healing method that will help the other organs as well.

You should use a natural bristle brush with a long handle. Make sure the brush is not too hard or scratchy and dry brush your entire body once a day before you shower. It can be quite stimulating so don’t brush before bedtime as it could keep you awake.

Start brushing your skin gently if you have never done this before and  gradually increase the pressure and number of strokes as you get used to it.

Begin by brushing the soles of your feet from heel to toes and then use short brisk strokes up your legs and trunk. Brush the buttocks and lower back upwards. Do your chest and upper back always towards the heart. Women can brush gently around the breasts towards the armpits.

Brush the arms from the finger tips up to the armpits. Brush across the backs of the shoulders and down the front towards the heart.

Use at least one stroke in every area but try to increase the number of strokes so your brushing takes about 10 minutes. Wash the brush from time to time in warm soapy water and allow to dry naturally.

I have just talked about kidney detox so its logical to think about skin detox next as the skin is often referred to as the third kidney. Believe it or not the skin is one of the organs of detox. We don’t tend to think of the skin as an organ but it is considered to be the largest organ of the body. It consists of the nails, glands and nerve endings as well as the skin itself.  It is more exposed to infection, disease, pollutants and injury than any other organ so it pays to take great care of it.

Many things affect the appearance and health of your skin including diet and nutrition, hygiene, circulation, age, genetic traits, psychological state and drugs. The skin is usually important to one’s image and it has many functions:

• It regulates the body temperature through the regulation of sweating in response to  heat or cold.

• It provides a protective barrier and contains cells that are important components of the immune system that help to fend off invaders.

• Vitamin D is made in the skin when exposed to sunlight

• and last but not least is its excretory function.

There are 2 routes of excretion through the skin. One is through the sweat glands and the other is through the sebum, the oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands. Sweating is a major route for the excretion of toxins. Sweat consists of water and salts, urea, uric acid, amino acids, ammonia, sugar, lactic acid and ascorbic acid. It is also a vehicle for the elimination of wastes such as toxic chemicals and metals that have lodged near the surface.

Heavy metals such as mercury and lead can be released through the skins pores and many detox programs include saunas and steam baths. A study done in 1982 by the Foundation of Advancement of Science showed that we excrete as many toxins through the skin as through the kidneys.

The skin is very absorptive and chemicals from personal care products may be absorbed into your circulation providing more toxins for our detox pathways to deal with. It pays to look after your skin and only use non toxic natural skin care products.

As I have mentioned before a toxic colon can affect any other parts of the body and will be reflected in the condition of the skin so cleansing the colon will improve many skin conditions. For diseased kidneys, improving skin elimination can help take some of the load off them.  I will cover how to improve skin detox next time.

Your kidneys are a very important part of your cleansing and detox system along with the liver, bowel, skin, lymph and lungs. Some toxins that have been processed by  your liver to make them water soluble are cleansed from your body by your kidneys through the urine. They help prevent toxins building up in your body damaging your cells and tissues. So you can understand that your kidney detox function is vital to your good health.

Your kidneys do a lot more than detoxify those nasty chemicals. They also:

• get rid of wastes like urea and ammonia that are produced by the breakdown of proteins that you eat.

• reabsorb nutrients and water vital to the body’s fluid balance

• excrete substances the body cannot use in 1 - 2 liters (1–2 quarts) of urine they produce every day.

• produce hormones to regulate blood pressure

• help regulate blood pH

An overload of toxins can cause irritation and the whole of the urinary tract becomes more prone to infection. Normal kidney function may then be interfered with resulting in water retention, mineral deficiencies and kidney stones.

Do you need a kidney cleanse & detox?

Signs of poor kidney function can include:

• fluid retention

• frequent passing of urine

• passing urine that irritates

• frequent bladder or kidney infections

• chronic lower back pain

• high blood pressure

• scalp irritation

• frequent unexplained fevers or chills

Improving your bowel and liver detox will help cleanse the blood and reduce the load on the kidneys.  I am sure you have heard that drinking lots of water is essential for kidney cleansing and detox  but some doubts have been cast on that advice recently. Some researchers found that increasing water intake did not in fact increase the excretion of toxins. But the kidneys do need enough water to function efficiently.

Drinking about 8  - 10 x  8oz pure water a day should be sufficient if you are eating good amounts of fruit and vegetables as they contain water. There have been documented cases where people have become very ill from the effects of low sodium in the body from drinking excessive amounts of water.

If you are following a detox that includes nutritional support for the liver then that should take care of the kidney detox too. Many the nutrients that are needed for the function of the liver are also needed for the function of the kidneys.  If you are following a herbal detox plan then that will include herbs that are beneficial for the kidneys.

Juices for Kidney Cleanse & Detox

Potassium broth (recipe below) and raw vegetable juices are also good for detoxing the kidneys. A 3 day juice fast every so often including Watermelon Tea and potassium broth can be very beneficial. Celery, parsley and young dandelion leaves are particularly beneficial to include in vegetable juices.

For bladder disorders drink fresh vegetable juices that include beet (beetroot in the UK) , cabbage, carrot, cucumber, endive, spinach and watercress. Don’t alarmed if the beet makes your urine pink. About 10% of the population get this. The pigment that colors the beet does not get changed and is excreted.

For kidney problems include apple, asparagus, beetroot, broccoli cabbage, carrot, celery, cranberry, cucumber, endive, grape, melon, watermelon. Watermelon and melon are best juiced on their own. The diet should be low in protein and high in organic fresh fruit and vegetables. Alcohol, sugar, processed and high fat and carbohydrate foods should obviously be avoided.

Potassium Broth Recipe

There are a number of recipes for this. The basic idea is to simmer the vegetables long enough to draw out the potassium and other minerals so that you have a mineral rich liquid to help the body cleanse. It does not have to be exact. Make it to your taste.

Fill a large pot with organic vegetables - 25% potato peelings, 25% carrot peelings and whole chopped beets, 25% chopped onions, a whole large bulb of garlic, 25% celery and dark greens. Add hot peppers to taste.

Add enough pure water to cover vegetables, bring to boil, put on lid and simmer gently for 1  hour. Strain and drink only the broth. Put the vegetables in your compost. Left over broth can be stored in the fridge for 2 days.

It is important to use organic vegetables. to avoid consuming toxic insecticides, pesticides or inorganic chemical fertilizers while you are on a cleansing and detoxification program.

A raw food diet detox is based on eating 100% or very high amounts of uncooked plant food that encourages the removal of toxins from your body that make you sick. You can experience cell renewal, rejuvenation, increased energy, weight loss, better skin, better sleep, improved joint and muscle function and better mental clarity with a raw food detox diet.

Raw food diets generally consist of vegetarian or vegan food but some people may eat raw meat or fish. The basis for a raw food diet detox is the generally accepted fact that when the body is taking in a reduced amount of devitalized food and toxins the body will take the opportunity to detoxify or cleanse stored toxins.

Why Raw Food?

Raw food is also known as “living food” as it contains vital enzymes and nutrients that are destroyed by conventional cooking. It has a life force that enables it to sprout and grow. Proponents of the raw food diet detox claim that the body is better able to detoxify when it is given foods that are high in life force, enzymes, high levels of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. A raw food detox diet is low in toxins.

What’s Wrong with Cooked Food?

Heating food above 117F (47C) will destroy vital enzymes that are thought to be needed to aid their digestion rather than depleting the body’s reserves. Heating food above this temperature for more than 3 minutes coagulates and denatures protein causing deficiency of some amino acids. Overheating fats results in the formation of cancer forming agents. 30 - 50% of vitamins are destroyed. Minerals will leach from food when cooked in liquid and are wasted unless the liquid is then used for soups or gravies.

Recent research has shown that many vegetables loose their antioxidant substances when microwaved or boiled. Other research has revealed that heating foods to high temperatures as occurs with many food manufacturing processes causes the formation of substances called acrylamides that can be dangerous to your health. No wonder there is such interest in a raw food diet detox.

Benefits of a Raw Food Detox Diet

• Increased energy and stamina
• Improved concentration and mental focus
• Feeling of wellbeing and clarity
• Improved digestion
• Improvement of joint and muscle problems
• Cell renewal and rejuvenation
• Slowing of the aging process
• Stabilization of blood sugar
  

What to Eat on a Raw Food Diet Detox

• Fresh Fruits preferably unsprayed and organic
• Vegetables in season and organic
• Herbs and Wild Greens
• Fresh fruit and vegetable juices - some argue that these should not be used as they are not whole foods
• Seeds that can be sprouted
• Nuts soaked first for 12 hours in pure water
• Sea vegetables - Nori, Dulse, Kelp, Algaes
• Sprouted Foods - Grains, pulses and seeds
• Dehydrated foods - gently dried at low temperature to retain life force and enzymes

Starting on a Raw Food Detox

Going on a Raw food Diet Detox has never been easier. Greater interest in raw food diets has resulted in more availability of a better variety of raw and living foods in major supermarkets and farmers markets. There is an abundance of raw food diet books, magazines and recipes to inspire and help you.

Start by increasing the amount of raw food you eat. What better way to start the day than with a green smoothie – delicious! Eat more fruit or have a large salad every day. Add a handful of sprouted seeds or beans too your salad.

For more in-depth information on going raw successfully I highly recommend Karen Knowler’s e-Book

“How to get started with Raw Foods”

The Lemon Detox Diet is an entirely liquid diet made from natural ingredients that has been used for years by naturopaths to help people detoxify the body. Interest in it has been renewed with media reports of several singers and movie stars using it to lose weight. Beyonce is reported to have eaten nothing for 14 days while drinking only a lemon juice mixture known as the Lemon Detox Diet.

Ingredients

The Lemon Detox Diet goes under many other names such as Lemon Detox Fast, Lemon Fast, Lemon Detox, Lemon Diet, Lemonade Diet and Mater Cleanse. The drink is made from 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, a pinch cayenne pepper to taste and half a pint of pure filtered or spring water. The recipe is attributed to Naturopath Stanley Borroughs who included it in his book The Master Cleanse over 30 years ago.

The maple syrup which should be organic provides minerals and sucrose which the body turns into energy. The lemon juice contains potassium and Vitamin C and acts as a cleanser. A pinch of cayenne pepper helps the circulation and increases the metabolism helping detoxification.

A product known as Madal Bal tree syrup, a blend of maple and palm tree syrups, can be used in place of the maple syrup and some recipes include a little ginger for taste. Drinking as much as you like or at least 6 - 9 glasses of this Lemon Detox Drink a day can keep hunger at bay while getting rid of toxins as well as encouraging weight loss.

The original Lemon Detox Diet lasted 10 days but people are so full of toxic chemicals that are released into the blood stream during fasts that naturopaths are recommending more frequent but shorter 3 day fasts. However many people do the diet for 5 - 7 days. For the feint hearted one or two meals a day can be replaced with 2- 3 glasses of the Lemon Detox drink . The other meals should of course be healthy.

Detox reactions

Although our bodies have their own detoxification systems research has discovered that we all carry a number of toxic chemicals in our blood and organs. The amount of pollution that we are subjected to these days from the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe overwhelm the system. During effective detoxification they are released and can cause headaches, mood changes, coated tongue, bad breath, skin rashes or spots and general sluggishness or feelings of unwellness as they work their way out of our bodies.

After the Lemon Detox Diet

When you have finished the fast it is important to to break the fast slowly and gradually. Introduce easily digested foods like fresh fruit or vegetable juices on the first day after the Lemon Detox Diet. Then you could try some live bio-yogurt and a raw salad or some lightly steamed vegetables. Stick to light foods and small frequent meals until your digestion has recovered.

Giving up smoking or drinking can be a challenge. Cravings gradually reduce once the body is cleansed. Start cutting down on your habit before the diet and aim to stop completely by the 4th day. Many people have succeeded with The Lemon Detox Diet.

A herbal liver detox consists of following a specific diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables that eliminates foods that tax the liver and bowel. It incorporates foods that contain nutrients that support liver detoxification together with a herbal supplement containing herbs that stimulate bile flow and help rejuvenate liver cells .

The herbs usually used to support liver detox are:

• Milk Thistle (Silymarin) - helps stimulate glutathione production, is an antioxidant  and helps with liver cell regeneration.
• Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)  - Increases bile flow.
• Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis)-  A Chinese herb used for liver protection. It may help to lower liver enzyme levels and improve the symptoms of chronic viral hepatitis.
• Bupleurum  - A Chinese herb that helps to neutralize liver toxins.
• Globe Artichoke (Cynara ) - Increase the production of bile from the liver and the flow of bile from the gallbladder, and to increases the contractive power of the bile duct.
• Turmeric (Curcuma longa) - Helps to protect the liver against damage stimulating bile flow and supports liver detoxification.
• Burdock (Arctium lappa) - A powerful antioxidant and a blood purifier. Can help to restore liver and gallbladder function.
• Chinese Wormwood - increases bile production and flow while increasing liver cell regeneration.

Liver Detox Diet .

The diet should exclude the foods that tax the liver:

• Artificial flavors, flavorings and preservative
• Trans fats and hydrogenated fats in many processed foods
• Oils heated to high temperatures
• BBQ or burnt foods
• Rancid or old nuts and seeds
• Fatty preserved foods like sausages, bacon, salami, mortadella
• Excess saturated fats in fatty meats, milk, ice-cream, cheese
• Alcohol

Include plenty of fruit and vegetables that support liver detox as well as specific foods that help promote liver detox:

• Cabbage, broccoli,  Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, cress, watercress, turnips, rutabaga (swede), kohlrabi.
• Asparagus, avocado, walnuts.
• High protein foods such as meat, fish and eggs or beans, lentils and grains. Buy organic or free range meat to avoid more chemicals.
• Fish oils (make sure they are free from sea pollutants).
• Oranges and tangerines (but not grapefruit).
• Caraway and dill seeds.
• Red beets
• Asparagus
• Watermelon
• Garlic

Treating your liver well will have a huge impact on your health and longevity.  To learn more about detox for health get my Free Report all about Detox at The Detox Specialist

Or should I call this “Are Chemicals Making You Fat? “

A new study that is being reported in the media is apparently the first to link chemical pollutants with obesity in humans. They report that previous studies have been on animal and show that environmental chemicals found in plastics and pesticides can make the animals more prone to overweight. They can alter gene function leading to disease and obesity.

But one previous study found that women with the highest levels of organochlorines (DDT, lindane, PCB’s -all now banned but persist in the environment) in their bodies were found to be fatter than those who had lower levels.

Environmental health and metabolism specialist Dr Paula Baillie-Hamilton has been conducting her own research and wrote her first book about the need to detox chemicals to get the weight off and stay slim in 2002.

How do chemicals make you fat?

1. Synthetic chemicals damage the appetite center in the brain so you end up eating more to feel satisfied

2. They damage your body’s mechanism to burn foods efficiently for energy production.

3. They interfere with the way the body burns stored fat.

You can read more about detox for weight loss in my article at Ezine Articles

Did you know that according to the  EPA  the average American consumes four pounds of pesticides each year and has residues from over 400 toxic substances in their body? Living in a chemically-based world has made toxicity a much greater concern for the 21st Century. Detox is necesary more than ever before if you want to improve your health, lose weight or stay healthy.

You can find out more about detox in my Free Detox Report at The Detox Specialist

This liver flush is aimed at getting the gallbladder to contract to empty the stored bile, sludge or gravel and “stones” that can form in it. It can also help cleanse the liver ducts of the “stones” that form there. Many people have cleared numerous small pellets or balls of cholesterol/bile from their livers even if they no longer have a gall bladder.

Controversy over the “stones”

There is a lot of controversy over these pellets or stones that are eliminated during the flush.  Critics claim that the balls are not really gallstones but are soft complexes of mineral, olive oil and lemon juice produced within the digestive tract. People who understand chemistry say that this is not possible.

I know a medical doctor and a naturopathic doctor who have cleared stones from patients using this flush in cases where the stones had been confimed by Ultrasound before and shown to have been cleared afterwards.  No doubt many people can testify to its effectiveness in clearing stones from the gallbladder and bile ducts.

Different Versions

There are a number of different versions of the Liver/Gallbladder flush and I personally find that Dr Hulda Clark’s version is the most palatable.  They all revolve around drinking large quantities of fresh organic apple juice for 5 days prior to the flush. The tartaric acid in the apple juice softens any ’stones’ that are in the gall bladder. If you are unable to tolerate apple juice then Phosphoric acid  drops can be taken 3 times a day in some water.

On the day of the liver flush you eat a breakfast and very light lunch without any fat. Some versions recommend eating a bowl of mixed fruit topped with a large spoonful of cream  to make the gallbladder contract for dinner but Dr Clark says not to eat after 2 pm or you might feel very nauseated in the night.

You then fast for the rest of the day and evening and take 2 doses of  Epsom salts dissolved in water at set times. It tastes very bitter on its own so it is better to disguise the taste with some fruit juice or carrot juice. The magnesium in the Epsom salts relaxes the liver, gall bladder and liver ducts so the stones and cholesterol balls can easily slide out.

Before you go to bed you drink  a half cup of olive oil with grapefruit juice. Some versions instruct you to drink the oil followed by the grapefruit juice. Hulda Clarke suggests that you blend the two together which many people find much more palatable.

The following morning you have 2 more doses of Epsom salts and watch for the “stones” or green or tan cholesterol/ bile balls to appear in the toilet. They can often be seen floating on the top of the water. You can use a large colander in the toilet bowl to catch all the stones if you want to see what you have expelled. Some practitioners like to follow the flush with a colonic to wash out the stones. Be prepared for a day or two of diarrhea or loose stools after this. This can be repeated at 6 week intervals until your liver and gall bladder are clear.

Warning

Critics say that it is a dangerous procedure if you have large stones because they can get stuck in the bile ducts, cause a lot of pain and a medical emergency. If you have large stones and are considering this liver flush  it is best to be supervised by a doctor or naturopath who has experience treating patience with this flush.

This liver/gallbladder flush can give a lot of relief to symptoms caused by gall-bladder stones or a congested liver.