Embrace the new season with these spring detoxing tips from the experts at the College of Naturopathic Medicine.
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How to detox
Your body is able to get rid of toxins by eliminating them through organs such as the liver, the kidneys, the gallbladder or the skin.By stimulating and supporting these organs so that they can work at maximum efficiency, you can enhance any detox programme. The flow of blood and lymph also aids the detox process.
Read on for some easy detoxing tips from our experts at the College of Naturopathic Medicine…
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Cut out the culprits
Begin by starting to remove any foods that make the liver work harder. These include fattyfoods, sugary foods, salt, alcohol and caffeine, as well as refined carbohydrates like white rice, white pasta and white bread. Remember also that milk is the most common food allergen. In other words, it causes your immune system to react, and it’s also mucusforming. During your detox, give your system a break from milk and all dairy products.
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Diet for detox
There are a number of foods that provide vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants, which the body needs to assist the detox process. These include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. For example: Fruits: apricots, cantaloupe melon, citrus fruits, kiwi, papaya,mango, red grapes and berries. Vegetables: artichokes, peppers, beets, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, red cabbage, carrots,cauliflower, cucumber, celery, kale, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, tomato, watercress and bean and seed sprouts.
To ensure that you aren’t taking in any pesticide residues, it’s important to eat an organic, natural and chemical-free diet.
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Naturopathic nutrition
Certain foods can be used therapeutically to gain further detoxifying effects.
Fibre-rich linseeds have a stimulating effect on the bowels. If you’re not having at least one bowel motion a day, stir two to three heaped teaspoons of linseeds into an 8oz glass of water, leave to soak for a few minutes, then swallow. This is a very gentle bowel treatment that will not cause discomfort. If it doesn’t work for you within a week, consult your natural health practitioner.
Add turmeric to your cooking. With its main component, curcumin, it not only helps to cleanse the liver and purify the blood but it also increases bile flow and promotes good digestion. One of the ways that the liver eliminates toxins is to make bile, which aids digestion and breaks down fat, hence an increased flow of bile is beneficial to detox.
If you want to kick-start the liver and kidneys, you could try starting the day by drinking a glass of water with the juice of one lemon and one lime squeezed into it. If you’re feeling especially brave, you could even add a pinch of cayenne pepper to further enhance the effects.
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Drink up!
The kidneys filter large volumes of waste from our bodies every day, and keeping well hydrated encourages efficient kidney filtration. If, for example, urine wasn’t free-flowing then toxins wouldn’t be removed so efficiently. Similarly, sweating is another important route of elimination and you need to be well-hydrated to sweat properly in order to remove toxins.
But how much water should you drink? Aim to drink around 1.5 to two litres (depending onsize, air temperature and activity level) of water (preferably filtered or purified) a day. The easiest way to check if you are on track is to keep refilling a water bottlethroughout the day. Remember though, rather than gulping down several large glasses at a time, it’s much better to sip smallamounts, regularly. Also, beware that too much water is as dangerous as not enough. A good check is to look at the colour of your urine – it should be a light straw colour.
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The brush-off
The lymphatic system is another major route for detox and the skin is the body’s largest detox organ. To give both a boost, take a body brush and before you have a bath or shower brush the entire surface of your skin, working from the extremities in towards the heart. Finish with clockwise circular strokes over the abdomen.
Then, whilst you’re in the shower, take some time to switch between contrasting hot and cold water – 30 seconds of each, up to seven times. This is an extremely powerful way of activating the skin’s eliminative capacity.
Whilst it’s a good idea to practise skin brushing every day, you would also benefit from a complete body massage, or a Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) massage carried out by a qualified practitioner, once a week during your detox.
Embrace the new season with these spring detoxing tips from the experts at the College of Naturopathic Medicine.
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Pores for thought
Steaming open the pores helps to rid the body of waste. Try having a 10 to 20-minute sauna or steam room session to increase circulation, promote sweating and saturate the body with ‘feel good’ negative ions.
You could also use a few drops of an essential oil such as rosemary or eucalyptus to enhance the effect of your sauna and clear mucus congestion. Remember to drink plenty of water to re-hydrate afterwards.
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Helpful herbs
There are many herbs that can help support the action of either the liver, kidneys or digestive system (or all of them, combined), each of which play a significant part in any detox.
LiverMilk thistle improves liver function, protects the liver from toxins and prevents depletion of glutathione, which is important for liver detoxification. Available in tincture form, dandelion root, turmeric and artichoke also support the liver. There are several formulas containing these herbs.
Kidneys Nettle is mildly diuretic and promotes kidney function. Try red clover in addition to nettle for a gently cleansing effect.
Dandelion leaves not only promote good kidney function but they also protect the kidneys from damage, which might be caused by filtered wastes. If picking them wild or from the garden, avoid any plants which are close to the road as they are more likely to be contaminated by exhaust fumes.
Digestive system Freshly grated ginger tea with fennel, cumin and cardamom encourages the whole digestive system to work more efficiently. Grate or chop some fresh ginger root into a flask or teapot and add one teaspoon of the mixed spices, either in powder form or as seeds, and pour on boiling water.
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The eyes have it
Iridology is the practice of examining the iris of the eye in order to assess the functioning of the key organs involved in the elimination process. It has been a traditional method of assessing the need for detoxification for over 100 years.
This is nothing to do with the overall colour of your eyes, but most indicators concern the appearance of what is called ‘secondary pigmentation’, ie, patches and accumulations of pigments that are frequently too small to be seen with the naked eye.
Strong yellow pigments can suggest that the liver is having difficulties with the detox process.
A yellow or brown ring around the pupil may indicate problems with the liver or bowel.
A dark ring around the outer edge of the iris shows that the skin is under-active in secreting acidic waste.
NB It’s vital that you have these signs identified by an iridologist who is trained to interpret them accurately.
You might be wondering what the real point is behind detoxing – and in a nutshell, the main aim is to prevent the build-up of toxic chemicals in your body. The body produces toxins as a result of normal metabolism, which can become harmful if allowed to build up. However, the most damaging toxins are more likely to come from the environment, including from the food you eat, the water you drink and bathe in and the products you use on your skin and in your home, for example.
Luckily, the body has a very complicated and sophisticated detox system, which works on your behalf every day. The sheer amount of toxins you’re exposed to though, means it often becomes overwhelmed and sometimes needs a helping hand. The benefits, which may include more energy, improved immune function, reduced congestion and inflammation and brighter skin, hair and eyes are usually a very welcome effect.
With special thanks to expert lecturers from the College of Naturopathic Medicine including nutritionist, Emma Wells; naturopath, Melanie White; naturopath and iridologist, Peter Jackson-Main and herbalist, Sarah Williams.
CNM trains students for careers in naturopathy, nutritional therapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine and homeopathy. Short courses and postgraduate courses are available in additional therapies. Each of CNM’s colleges across the UK operates a student clinic at which members of the public can book health consultations with advanced students working under qualified professionals. For more information about CNM visit naturopathy-uk.com or call 01342 410 505.
CNM’s college in London is holding an open weekend on 12th and 13th March. You can attend a range of talks on naturalhealth, including detox, skin problems, beauty, herbs, homeopathy, nutrition and more. For more info visit naturopathyuk. com/events or call 01342 410 505.
