Cleanse and detox in 6 easy steps

Why detox?

Our bodies are exposed to huge amounts of environmental toxins and regular cleansing is needed to reduce damage to the immune system and the metabolism. Detoxification is a way to maximise the body’s energy and prevent chronic illness. A detox is also a beneficial practice to regulate digestion and keep circulation and stress under control. Detoxification maintains good health and promotes healing from illnesses.
Here are six ways you can cleanse and detox:

Massage therapy

Massage therapy is beneficial as it is able to improve lymph movement and blood flow, helping to get cellular waste products and accumulated toxins out of tissues, into the bloodstream and to the kidneys, where they are eliminated in urine.
There’s a range of massage styles that can aid lymphatic drainage and the detox process. For instance, Swedish massage therapy uses more vigorous rubbing techniques that stimulate the lymph and circulatory systems. Using aromatic essential oils can also enhance the detox process. The regularity of treatments is another factor.

Heat treatments

Hyperthermia techniques, which elevate body temperature slightly to remove toxins, are beneficial for a detox. Steam baths, hot tubs and saunas help get the heart beating and blood circulating, which in turn improves toxin transfer from tissues to the bloodstream, then to the liver, which chemically alters many harmful substances into harmless ones. These help with the detox process by removing toxins from the system.

Skin brushing

Dry skin brushing aids the detox process by removing toxins accumulated in dead skin cells and by enhancing circulation. Dry brushing removes the old layer of skin and lets a clean, new, layer come to the surface. Remember to brush bottoms of the feet, across your upper back and down the front and back of your torso.

Food and drink

Certain foods and drinks are beneficial for a detox as they help remove or deactivate toxins. Beneficial food choices for a detox include fruits and fruit juices, fresh vegetable juices, chlorophyll-rich foods, herbal teas and sea plants.

Blending or juicing fresh fruit in the morning makes a refreshing drink that can also play a role in detox. Fruit juices speed up metabolism to release waste quickly and have an alkalising effect (acid-neutralising) on the blood.

Fresh vegetable juices also provide the body with necessary vitamins, minerals and enzymes to power the natural detoxifying activities of cells. Eating chlorophyll-rich food such as leafy green vegetables will help to boost immunity, treat illness and rid the body of unwanted toxins, making them a beneficial choice for a detox.

Sea vegetables such as seaweed, kelp and nori also aid in the detox process as they transform toxic metals into salts the body can eliminate. They are also rich sources of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and proteins.

Exercise

Exercise is an essential part of any detox. Exercise accelerates the removal of toxins through the skin when we sweat. It also stimulates lymph flow, which is critical to our body’s ability to cleanse itself. Almost any kind of exercise is beneficial for a detox and it also works to enhance metabolism, circulation and reduce the risks of disease associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

Breathing

India’s Ayurvedic system of health involves breathing techniques, or pranayama, to settle, balance and detox the body. Prana refers to the vital life force and pranayama is the process by which this vital force is increased. Certain breathing techniques enhance the body’s ability to eliminate toxins because detoxification is directly related to the delivery of oxygen to cells and the removal of carbon dioxide.