Detoxification Made Simple: Part 2
In "Detoxification Made Simple: Part 1," we discussed the first six ways that your body will detoxify itself naturally and safely. To review, here they are again: Poo, Pee, Move, Breathe, Rest, and Sleep. Now, in Part 2, we will discuss six more ways the body detoxifies itself.
7. BATHE- Bathe every day in all or at least one of the following: water, air and sunlight. Your body will thank you for it. Your skin is one of the largest detox organs you have, and it likes a bath on a daily basis. Wet and dry skin brushing can also be a great addition to one's detox regimen. When you do bathe, avoid using harsh, irritating chemicals on your skin (including certain soaps, sun blocks, perfumes/body lotions and deodorants). Taking a 'sound bath' may be beneficial as well. This could be done by surrounding yourself with healing sounds of nature, or by toning the sacred vowel sounds (as was discussed under the BREATHE section in Detoxification Made Simple: Part 1).
8. SWEAT- Speaking of skin, allowing your skin to breathe and purge is a good idea. Working up a sweat is a great way to detoxify the body. Get in the sun or a sauna; or just move around until you sweat. If your body odor is strong and malodorous, you may have an overload of toxins in your body. Sweating them out (as opposed to holding them in) is a good idea. Therefore, antiperspirants are not recommended. You need to sweat. If you want something to absorb moisture (and possibly odor) safely, then try using some aluminum-free baking soda.
9. LOVE- Love conquers all! Yes, it's true. So, love yourself, love others, and love the planet. LOVE is a very cleansing energy. Don't be afraid to love or be loved. Hug at least one person every day (with his/her permission of course). Love yourself enough to consume a healthy diet and have a healthy lifestyle. Express tears of joy or sorrow when needed (crying is another great way to detox). Surround yourself with loving people, and help to create a loving atmosphere wherever you go. Live your life from a loving space. This will help you from becoming toxic in the first place.
10. CLEAN- Keep your body, home and work environments clean (and once again, without the use of harsh, irritating chemicals). You are a product of your environment--both internal and external. Therefore, keeping your environment clean is an important part of the detox process. Put another way: IT WILL BE MUCH EASIER TO KEEP YOUR ENVIRONMENT CLEAN IF YOU STOP CONSTANTLY POLLUTING IT!
11. DRINK- Keep your body well hydrated with plenty of clean water (natural spring water or filtered water will do). A diet rich in fresh fruits and veggies can also help you meet your water needs. Besides water, the addition of some fruit smoothies and green veggie juices can aid the detox process nicely as they are full of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed to keep the body healthy. Alcohol, coffee, most teas, caffeinated beverages, diet drinks (with artificial sweeteners), sodas and most commercial sports drinks are not recommended, as they are often full of false promises and do more harm than good.
12. EAT- What should you eat to help detoxify the body? Whole, natural, organic plant-based foods (fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, sprouts, legumes, tubers, herbs, and wild edibles). What about supplements? Yep, when and if you think you need them. Just remember, supplements are NOT substitutes (they should help complete your diet, not compete with your diet).
What you don't eat is just as important as what you do eat! As mentioned above, if you don't put garbage in your body, it will not have to work so hard (detox) to remove it. Things recommended to avoid: PROCESSED FOODS- such as refined sugar, refined starch and grains, hydrogenated oils/trans fats, processed meats and dairy, most spices and condiments and GMO's.
Sometimes, the best diet is no diet at all. Now and then, your body will turn off it's hunger signals and want you to skip some meals (this is called fasting). It's wise to listen to your body. If you are not hungry, don't eat! (no matter what the occasion, time of day, what your friends are doing, etc.) When the body loses it's hunger, it's because it wants to catch up on house cleaning. Let it do it's job.
Your emotional and spiritual diet is just as important as your physical one. What you put into your mind and spirit is just as crucial as what you put into your mouth. Be aware of your thoughts, and think before you take action as all actions have consequences (some more favorable than others).
So, in summary:
ALL you need to do to detoxify your body safely and naturally is: Poo, Pee, Move, Breathe, Rest, Sleep, Bathe, Sweat, Love, Clean, Drink, and Eat. For most people, this is usally the best place to start. Why? Because it's not that hard, not that time consuming, and not that expensive! Oh yeah... and it works!
In loving service,
Dr. SAM