9 Ways to Detox- Skin Health Blog Series Part 3
We have been learning all about how to Support Healthy Skin with:
Gut Health and 3 simple dietary additions
And today we are diving into Detox Support and your Liver
Many people think of 7 day fasts and detox diets when I say "detoxification". But today you are going to learn why and how to sustainably support your detox pathways and ultimately heal your skin from the inside out.
Tips and Tricks: Lifestyle and Diet to support Detoxification
Detox Food List
Artichokes (foods containing inulin, jerusalem artichokes, burdock root, elecampane, echinacea, and sunflower)
Beets
Cabbage Family (broccoli)
Cold water fish
Flaxseed oil
Fruits (fresh)
Garlic
Green Barley Powder (Dandiblend Drink)
Nuts and seeds (soaked and sprouted)
Onions
Vegetables (fresh)
Walnut oil
Hydration
Our bodies are 60% water! The water helps transport vital nutrients and to eliminate toxins. Start by aiming to drink half of your body weight in ounces. Drink more than this is you drink diuretics or when you exercise.
Exercise
Movement is critical for detoxification. It helps move the lymph fluids and circulates the blood. This helps encourage blood flow to vital detoxification organs.
Sleep, Rest and Meditation
Detoxification is a para-sympathetic process, meaning you must be relaxed for it to happen at its best! Sleeping enough at night will improve the liver's detoxification and incorporating rest and meditation throughout the day will support the liver's detox at night.
Herbal Support for Detox
Milk Thistle
Dandelion
Chicory root
Burdock Root
Turmeric
Hydrotherapy (one way, there are many!)
At the end of a hot shower, turn the water to cold and count to 30 seconds, then turn back to hot. Alternate hot and cold water, 30 seconds each for at least 3 times. You might need to work up to 30 seconds!
Skin Brushing
DIRECTIONS FOR DRY-BRUSH MASSAGE
Use a natural bristle brush about the size of your hand or larger. The brush should have a long handle so you can reach all parts of your body. If unable to find a natural bristle brush, satisfactory substitutes are a loofah mitt, or coarse bath gloves.
Tip: It is advisable to start with a less harsh brush and brush gently at first, until the skin is “seasoned”; then switch to a coarser brush.
Starting with the soles of the feet, brush vigorously making rotary motions, and massage every part of your body. Press the brush against your body as much as you can comfortably stand. Sensitivity of the skin varies with every individual. Also, various parts of the body vary in sensitivity. Brush in this order: feet, legs, hands and arms, the back, abdomen, chest and neck, the face.
Sauna
Saunas induce sweating and therefore the release of toxins.
Enemas
How to do a Coffee Enema
What you need:
Enema bag or bucket
1 quart of filtered or distilled water (slightly warmed to body temperature)
3 tablespoons of organic coffee (recommended brand: S.A Wilson’s Gold Roast coffee)
Lubricant (olive oil or coconut oil)
Towels for lying on the ground
Directions
*Tip: you can do a salt and water enema prior if you have not yet passed a bowel movement that day
Perform coffee enemas in the morning, since it is common to feel energized afterwards.
Bring to boil the water with 3 tbsp of coffee in a saucepan, then simmer for 12-15 min. (Start with 1 tbsp if you are new to coffee enemas, then work your way up to 3 tbsp)
Let the coffee cool off the stove until you can hold your finger in the coffee comfortably. Then filter out the sediment in a French press or filter.
Pour mixture into a clean enema bag/bucket. Screw on the tube and make sure the clamp is closed at the other end of the tube.
Hang the enema bag. Over a sink or bathtub, release the clamp and then reseal the clamp after some solution begins to exit the tube. This is to fill the tube with solution and removes any air in the tube.
Set up your bathroom a place to hang the bag that will reach you as you are laying on the ground. You can lay in your bathtub, or on towels on the floor.
Lubricate the end of the tube.
To insert the tube, you can kneel on your hands and knees and slowly insert the tube into your rectum in the direction towards your navel. You can also lay on your left side with knees tucked into your chest.
Slowly release the clamp as the solution begins to slowly flow into your rectum and colon.
You can close and reopen the clamp as much as you like to go at your own speed.
Try to hold the solution for 15 min. During which you can roll onto your back or right side while lightly massaging your abdomen. (As a beginner, you might need to work your way up to 15 minutes, frequently releasing on the toilet and repeating the enema)
When you feel you can’t hold it any longer, take out the tube and evacuate on the toilet.
Wash the enema bag/bucket and the tube with soap and hot water following each use. Additionally, you can rinse it with hydrogen peroxide.
*Salt and water enema recipe:
1 ½ quarts of filtered or distilled water
2 tablespoons of mineral salt (Himalayan or Celtic sea salt)