Detox Tips

• At the start of each day drink a glass of warm water with a little freshly squeezed lemon juice. It’s a great way to start the day and this will help to make your system more alkaline as we are more acidic on waking in the morning.
• Make a point of chewing your food thoroughly.
• Sip hot water prior to meals and make a point of drinking 2- 3 litres of mineral water per day.
• Be aware of portion sizes, it’s better to eat smaller meals more frequently.
• Exercise gently every day.
• Avoid sugar.
• Eat lots of fresh coloured vegetables.
• Soak in an Epsom salts bath daily.
• Go and have a good lymph drainage massage with a skilled massage Therapist.
• Eat lightly one day per week. Drink lots on that day.
• Try to be in bed – asleep before 10.30pm.
• Include antioxidants in your diet

What are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Antioxidants help to neutralise these potentially harmful but naturally occurring by-products.

Unchecked free radicals can cause cell damage. Over time such damage can lead to disease. This is where antioxidants come in because they play a role of mopping up free radicals before they can cause harm. Antioxidants include vitamins A; C & E which can be taken in supplements but better still are found in a variety of fruit and vegetables.

Add raisins, sultanas, fresh dates, figs, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, garlic and ginger to your diet.
To get the maximum benefits you need to eat different types of fruit and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables all contain different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. So aim to include a variety of fruit and vegetables in your daily diet to get the most benefit. Also include herbs such as fennel, basil, celery, parsley.

Also you may need to include some of the following;

• Psyllium seed is a lubricating mucilaginous fibre used as a gentle bulking and laxative agent. The mucilage in the seeds expands eight to fourteen times the size of the original seeds. This can also create a feeling of fullness, decreasing one's desire to overeat. Psyllium fibre works as a broom, sweeping the gastrointestinal tract of toxins. Be sure to drink lots of water when using psyllium as a cleansing agent!
• Licorice root is known as "the great harmoniser" in Chinese medicine. It is mildly laxative, nutritive, and considered a rejuvenative. It soothes irritated mucus membranes and nourishes the adrenal glands. Using small amounts of licorice helps to instil a feeling of calmness.
• Alfalfa is a natural diuretic and laxative. It is an excellent source of fibre and provides natural chlorophyll, which has deodorizing properties, helping to sweeten the breath and freshen body odours.
• Oat straw is highly nutritive, rejuvenative, and calming to the nervous system, even helping in exhaustion and depression. Oat straw helps provide minerals to nourish bones, skin, hair, and nails.
• Pumpkin seed helps the body expel parasites and is also highly nutritive, containing beneficial linolenic acid.
• Passionflower leaf is best known for its calming effect on the nervous system. It helps to calm stress and slows the breakdown of neurotransmitters. It also helps to calm an irritable bowel.
• Marshmallow root is an alternative, demulcent, diuretic, mild laxative, nutritive, and rejuvenative. Its high mucilaginous content soothes an irritated digestive tract and provides moisture to dry tissues.
• Slippery elm bark is an excellent antiflammatory agent. It is a demulcent, laxative, and nutritive and promotes tissue healing, thus soothing irritated tissues of the gastrointestinal tract. It is one of the most digestible substances known.
• Capsicum also known as cayenne pepper is an alternative, antioxidant, antiseptic, and circulatory stimulant. It is rich in vitamin C and helps improve metabolism, thus contributing to weight loss.
• Milk thistle seed is commonly used to improve liver function by stimulating protein synthesis. It also is a hepatoprotective (liver protector) agent. Milk thistle is considered a natural antioxidant, helping to detoxify a wide range of potentially damaging contaminants, including drugs, alcohol, and a wide variety of chemicals.

Remember fruit and vegetables are naturally not only high in fibre, vitamins and minerals (antioxidants) but the result in including them in daily diet means you not only look good on the outside but you can rest assured you'll be good on the inside too. These are all important for your health not only now, but for the future too.

Massage is very beneficial in the treatment of toxicity. It helps to relieve the symptoms such as headaches and fatigue and improves the function of the organ or system affected.

Massage is first of all applied to improve the circulation systemically in order to secure a good nutritional supply to all tissues. It is also utilised to enhance the venous return which is essential for the removal of toxins. To this end massage movements like effleurage and petrissage are applied to the superficial tissues and to muscles. Circulation to the visceral organs can also be enhanced; using similar techniques and, in some cases, by more specific methods such as compression massage for the liver and for the kidneys.

Enhancing the lymph flow with Massage.

The lymphatic system is given considerable attention in the treatment of toxicity. As well as reducing oedema lymph massage is applied to increase the actual flow of lymph in the interstitial spaces. Stagnation in the interstitial spaces can impair the lymph flow through the lymph vessels. Circulation to the tissue cells is also diminished which in turn slows down their nutritional supply and metabolism.

The congestion has the additional effect of preventing the removal of toxic wastes from the interstitial spaces. Increasing the lymph flow with massage on the other hand has the benefit of delivering nutrients to the cells and transporting building materials to restore the tissues. In addition massage carries lymphocytes to combat and neutralize toxins and bacteria.
Research has indicated that massage creates sufficient pressure to mechanically push the lymph through the gaps between the endothelial cells of the collecting lymph vessels. It has also been observed that raising the temperature of the skin forces more junctions between the endothelial cells to open.

Lymph flow can be increased by the general strokes for circulation such as effleurage. It can be enhanced further with more specific techniques like lymph effleurage and intermittent pressure technique. These can be applied throughout the body.

Remember to seek medical advice before doing a detox if you have a medical condition that requires management.