I recently completed a six week detoxification program
prescribed by my doctor and it got me thinking “What is this for and what are
the benefits from it”. I then coincidentally stumbled across a detoxification
section in the Diploma of Naturopathy course that I am currently studying which
also sparked my interest and got me researching.
So what is detoxification and why is it so important? With
today’s diet and hectic lifestyle, its no surprise that our bodies are full of
unwanted toxins, pollutants and waste. This can cause us to feel sluggish or
fatigued, feel out of sync, have aches and pains, bags under the eyes, suffer
from digestive issues and bloating and the list goes on.
Detoxification is about giving the body a rest, nourishing
it from the inside out, helping the body get rid of the build up of toxins,
pollutants and waste products and letting the body’s own healing process take
over. In simple terms, detoxification is cleaning the blood, which will help it
circulate better.
There are many ways to detox. You can use a program
prescribed by your doctor, which will involve the use of supplements
specifically designed to flush out the toxins. You can also do a diet based
detox (juicing, bowel-liver-kidney cleanses, fasting etc) as well as enemas,
colonic irrigation, exercise and saunas. It’s these last two options got that
got my attention.
It’s no surprise that exercise plays an important part in
any detoxification program. It increases circulation, strengthens the heart,
increases lung capacity, improves brain function, expels carbon dioxide and
sweat cleanses out the sweat glands. The lymphatic and circulatory systems also
play an important role in detoxification. Not only does exercise help the lymph
move throughout the body, it also improves oxygen delivery.
So what exercise helps with the detoxification process? Well
there are the obvious ones; low impact aerobic exercise to get the blood
pumping and hot yoga to increase expulsion of toxins. What I found interesting
though is that rebounding has been shown to be the best exercise to detox and
improve the immune function.
So what is rebounding exactly? Well it’s simply jumping on a
small trampoline! Who would have thought huh? Apparently, when you are at the
top of the jump, the weightlessness experienced actually helps pump lymph
through your body, which helps flush out toxins from the rest of the body. Not
only that, rebounding can help initiate healing, improve the digestive system
and speed of waste through the colon so that regularity is improved. The good
news is that this exercise is low impact, simple and can be done by anyone,
regardless of their fitness capabilities.
Did you know that using a Sauna is also a good way to detox
as it flushes out toxins through perspiration? The intense sweating in a sauna
can help your kidneys detox 1/3 of the toxins that they remove from your blood
stream.
Through the use of a sauna, your white blood cell count can
also increase up to 58%, which will help boost your immune system. Sauna’s can
help lower blood pressure, strengthen heart muscles, improve cardiovascular
system, improve the lining of the arteries and improve fat metabolism.
The benefits as a whole from a detoxification program
include gaining more energy, glowing skin, balancing your hormones, stronger
immune system, improved digestion and concentration as well as assisting with
weight loss. However, it is important to also know that it can be coupled with
symptoms such as fatigue, feeling unwell and clouded thinking while your body
works hard and getting rid of the toxins from your body.
From a personal experience, I can say that I definitely
noticed a positive difference in my skin, energy levels and concentration
levels. Experts recommend that you complete a detoxification program once or
twice a year to give your body a much-needed reboot.
