Detoxification is something that our bodies do naturally every day; it is a bodily process whereby normal toxins and waste products are eliminated and neutralized via the colon, liver, and kidneys. Though it is something that will take place automatically, there are ways the body can be influenced to take the detoxifying process a few steps farther.
For starters, increasing the amount of water consumed per day to around 64 oz., varying based on weight, body fat percentage, etc., is the most immediately effective improvement that can be made to a person’s physical and mental well-being via detoxification. This change alone helps maintain the body’s hydration while flushing the body’s organs of toxins; this can help to improve weight loss, clear up skin, increase energy, mend aches and pains, and resolve digestive problems. These are just a few of the many reasons that water may be characterized as the elixir of athanasia (immortality)… okay that may be a bit of an exaggeration.
Incorporating about 64 ounces into an everyday nutrition schedule, minimizing sugar intake (during detox especially, but also in general) and adding juice will advance the process of detoxification; It’s important to note that juice also may contain high amounts of natural sugars, and this should be considered with regard to blood glucose and insulin levels, especially when diabetes is involved. The water content of juice should also be taken into account as part of the total daily fluid intake.
Preferably, juices should contain full servings of both fruits and veggies. Some such juices are available for sale pre-made and there are also recipes online for homemade versions.
After the body is adjusted to the increased intake of liquids, juice fasting as a means of detoxification can be introduced. The idea behind juicing is to separate the fiber and pulp from the juice, which allows the body to digest the pure nutrients of the fruits and vegetables. When the body has less work to do, cleansing and elimination of toxins is much more efficient. Because the human body can not survive on the nutrients provided purely by juice, juice fasting is ideally done for only a few days – any less and results will be minimal (though still beneficial), any more and the fast will soon become a risk.
Although many toxins are a result of what the body takes in, some are unavoidable by-products of things beyond our control such as stress and dead cells. Altering what the body consumes may help to abolish these toxins, and therapeutic massage can support this process. Lymphatic drainage and other detox massages are especially beneficial. The lymphatic system is one of the primary systems the body uses for elimination of toxins; This is the basis for lymphatic massage, and specific massage techniques that encourage the system to more easily cleanse are utilized. Other detox massages such as Swedish and Chinese massage normalize oxygen levels and improve colon function. Massage therapy is a special component of body detoxification in that it improves resistance to the accumulation of toxins and thereby helps to restore the body to its healthier natural state.
It should be kept in mind that the intent of detoxification and fasting is not primarily to lose weight and it is especially not to starve yourself in order to do so. The idea is to remove toxins from the body, which can only be done by limiting what one takes in and managing the way toxins are ushered out. It is surprising to discover just how little the body needs, enlightening to unveil the power it has to sustain its being, and invigorating to return the body to its natural, optimal state.
W.J.Pilsak at the German language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
