Supporting wellness in the modern world requires more than just healthy eating, staying hydrated and getting good sleep. Although that in itself is a major feat for most of the population. Our current ecological state causes us to be constantly inundated with countless substances that require extra energy in order to be processed and eliminated. If the organs of the body are functioning in any way less than optimal, these additional substances can disrupt our precious state of health. In the air we breath, the water we drink and most of the Earth we walk upon, the effect of modern industry on our lives and future now requires our attention in our daily, weekly and annual routine.
Whether you are dealing with a chemical dependency issue, have a known toxic exposure, multiple chemical sensitivity or other toxic state, or just searching to improve your health, detoxification therapies can offer a great deal. For an in-depth assessment and personalized support, please schedule an appointment. An intensive detox program can create shifts in many areas of life and is best undertaken with professional support.
Detoxification is something that can also be enhanced on a daily basis. Fortunately, the adoption of a detoxification routine can be as simple as shifting the daily choices we already make. Adding 5-10 minutes each day, a few days a month or a couple weeks each year for a detoxification routine can get you off to a great start. Not only do regular detoxification routines assist our health and organ function, they can also improve the health of our planet.
Support for Detoxification
Every organ has a specific role in maintaining a healthy body. Listed below are some things that you can incorporate into a cleanse, and into your daily life routine to aid the organ function of detoxification. Please do not try to incorporate everything! Please try everything once (as you are inclined). Sustainability is a key to health on every level. Try to find a few things that feel great and work well for you to incorporate into your daily or weekly routine.
Skin
• Dry skin brushing each morning or before bed can encourage elimination through the skin. Utilizing a natural bristle brush, move the brush in a comfortable rhythm across the skin from the feet to the heart, then from the arms toward the heart. End with brushing the back and then the chest.
• Sweating also optimizes the detox ability of the skin. Saunas are a great way to encourage metabolism and open the pores. Be cautious to not stay in the sauna too long, overheating depletes essential energy. Always end with a cold shower to force the blood that has gone out to the periphery to move back into the internal organs.
• Exercise encourages the skin, lungs and intestines to eliminate optimally. Brisk walks, yoga, bike rides, hiking, swimming, running, etc… all are beneficial for detoxification.
• Baths are a great way to improve the detoxifying ability of the skin. Adding 2-3 cups of Epsom salts to the bath can encourage the process even more. Essential oils can help calm the mind and ease body tension which plays a major role in overall health.
• Massage circulates the blood through the body and helps mobilize toxins stored in the muscle tissue, connective tissue and lymphatic fluid.
Lungs
• Deep breathing techniques aid the elimination through the lungs. Inhale and draw the breath deep into the abdomen. Notice the abdomen filling and then encourage the breath to fill up into the middle abdomen, then the chest and finally the sinus cavities, then release the breath in the same order. Imaging the flow of the ocean waves through the body can assist this method of breathing. 10 deep conscious breaths before bed can help set a great rhythm for sleeping.
• Essential oils can benefit the lungs through the awareness of breath as well as the effect they have on mood and relaxation. Explore scents to support your individual needs. Overall appeal of a scent can relate much more than a particular description of the plants energy as there are so many thoughts and explanations on aromatherapy. Also, smell is linked so closely with memories so finding a smell that appeals can deeply support emotional growth.
• Ending showers with cold may sound like a torturous experience, but it is incredibly invigorating! As we stand in a hot shower, the blood moves to the surface of the body and away from the core. If we leave a hot shower, the body heat evaporates through our skin and our core then needs to generate greater heat to compensate. Ending your showers with water as cold as you can tolerate for as long as you can handle it is a great way to spare your body the extra chore by forcing the blood back into the core. It also demands a great big deep breath!
Liver
• Castor oil is utilized across the abdomen with a hot water bottle compress to encourage the blood flow in the liver. After resting for 15-60 minutes, massage the remaining oil into the abdomen in a clockwise direction. Notice any tension within the muscle layers of the abdomen, hold the point of tension and take deep breaths to help it release.
• Tea blends of dandelion, milk thistle, and turmeric are all utilized to aid the detoxification process of the liver. These herbs can be used throughout a cleanse program, or on a daily basis. Many others can also be helpful to detoxification based on your individual needs.
• Reflex points along the lower edge of the ribs can correlate to liver circulation. Run your fingers along the lower rib edge starting at the center of the chest (xyphoid) and slowly down the right side of the rib edge. You will likely find a tender spot or two in this region. Massaging this point yourself can aid liver circulation.
• Stretching is beneficial for the body as a whole but also plays a part in the activity of the liver from the energetic perspective. The liver is represented by the element wood and just like a healthy tree, the ability to bend with the breeze will keep you vital and growing.
Intestines
• Encouraging daily bowel movements is an important aspect of cleansing as it is the greatest eliminator for the bodies waste. Abdominal massage in a clockwise direction can encourage the peristalsis that moves in waves through the intestines. Do this each morning before getting out of bed to facilitate normal bowel function.
• Fiber supplementation may be necessary for encouraging bowel function during a cleanse, or for everyday life. Fiber helps to add bulk to the stool by absorbing water into the colon. There are many forms of fiber available. Psyllium seed powder is a mucilaginous substance that helps bulk the stools immensely. Betonite clay binds toxins in the intestines in addition to bulking the stools. Freshly ground flax seeds provide the fiber to bulk stools as well as omega 3 oils, which are essential for normal organ and hormone function.
• Colonic hydrotherapy is the use of water inserted into the colon at a pressure that causes the flow to reach as far as the iliocecal valve, or the junction of the small intestine and large intestine. The value of this form of therapy is to stir up the residual waste in the intestinal wall and can be incredibly beneficial for some individuals.
Kidneys
• Drink clean water in sufficient amounts on a regular basis. Clean is an important key here. While tap water is cleaned of many bacteria and toxins, there are remaining organisms and other substances that can disturb our health. Portland tap water is known to have measurable levels of pharmaceutical drugs due to the high use in our area and insufficient means of removal. The best water filter that I know of is the Multi Pure system. It is thoroughly tested in terms of what it is able to remove and is far cheaper than most other filtration and/or delivery systems. Email sararynhart@yahoo.com for more information.
A rule of thumb for how much water to consume is to drink half of your body weight in fluid ounces. This variably includes fluids consumed in food products or juice, depending upon the osmolarity. For example, a tea will have more water in it than soup. Some fluids require that you drink more water to accommodate for their dehydrating effects. You must consume 2 cups worth of clean water to make up for 1 cup of coffee.
_____ wt. / .5 = ______ ounces per day of clean water.
• Sleep well. This is an aspect of detoxification that is also of great importance. Generally 7-8 hours is restorative. During healing processes, 9-10 hours is often necessary. The most important time to be sleeping for detoxification is from 10pm to 2am. This is the liver’s most active time for eliminating toxins. Also, notice the time of day that your energy is the lowest and if possible, allow yourself to nap. Every time of day correlates to a different organ and when a person is tired during a certain time, it may be that the associated organ is in distress. Rest is often the best thing you can do in that case.
• Adrenal support is something you may be familiar with. The adrenal glands are responsible for our circadian rhythm of energy in the body. Fatigue, exhaustion or erratic energy can all be related to disharmony in the adrenal glands. Working to balance the nervous system is a key element to supporting the adrenal glands. Meditation is a wonderful way to get the body into parasympathetic (rest and digest) activity, which is when our body has a chance to restore itself. A simple meditation to start with is to try to follow your breath with your mind’s eye. Imagine your consciousness descending from your head down into your abdomen. Imagine that any thoughts are clouds drifting by through the sky. Notice the internal landscape of your body. Is it a forest, a desert, a marsh, an ocean? Try to explore the details of your internal landscape with a quiet mind. Then, try to connect your internal landscape to what you can picture to be your favorite place in nature.
Whatever your method, supporting the bodies natural ability to eliminate and detoxify unnecessary elements from the body can provide greater health, a fresh start and an overall improvement in your vitality. For optimal health, I encourage a yearly cleanse of some sort for every individual. To create the best possible cleansing program for your personal needs and abilities, contact Dr. Hart today.
