At Authentic Health, we believe detoxifying the body is one of the first steps to feeling and looking your best, as well as bringing our bodies back into alignment. Our bodies detox naturally every day by eliminating wastes through our kidneys, colon, liver, lymph, and skin.
However, daily toxins that we ingest through the foods we eat, the air we breathe, and the chemicals we apply to our skin accumulate in our system that can cause unwanted skin conditions, allergy-type reactions, and other annoying ailments. Detoxification is a process of maintaining the stability of the body’s internal environment in response to changes in external conditions.
Depending on the amount and type of toxic load, you may feel great while detoxing, while others can experience unpleasant symptoms. As your body releases built-up toxins, it is common to feel a bit worse before you begin to feel better.
Some common symptoms include:
- Constipation
- Cravings (especially for sugar)
- Diarrhea
- Excess Mucus
- Flu-like symptoms
- Gas/Bloating
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Nausea
Oh, but there is good news? These symptoms do not last forever, they will generally disappear after 3-5 days.
If you experience one or more of these symptoms, it is easy to become discouraged, but knowing how to manage and control the severity of these symptoms will allow for a safe and easy detox.
Tips for a Safe and Effective Detox
1. Hydrate
Drinking at least 64oz of water (work up to ½ your body weight in ounces of water up to 100 ounces) each day will not only ensure you stay properly hydrated but will also support your body with proper elimination and detoxification. Also, starting your morning with a glass of room temperature lemon water is an excellent way to alkalize your body and kick start your digestion.
2. Avoid Food Sensitivities
Bioenergetic scans offered at Authentic Health identify food sensitivities. Avoiding those foods that you are sensitive to will help decrease inflammation in your body, creating a better environment for detoxification.
3. Eat Clean
Eating whole, organic foods with an emphasis on healthy vegetables, fruits, and lean protein will give your body the proper nutrition to support a healthy detox. Avoid processed foods with preservatives and refined sugars.
4. Exercise
Commit to at least 20-30 minutes a day to break a sweat. Sweating releases toxins from the body, gets the lymphatic system moving, and keeps your joints and muscles mobile. Brisk walking, rebounding, cycling, swimming, and yoga are all great activities to do while you detox.
5. Epsom Salt Bath
Taking an Epsom salt bath detoxifies the liver and provides your body with magnesium, and sulfate, both of which are essential for detoxification. Epsom salts also help draw toxins out of our skin, which is the largest organ in our body and responsible for a large amount of healthy detoxification.
Add ¼ cup Epsom salt, ½ cup baking soda, ½ cup sea salt, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, and a few drops of lavender essential oil to a warm bath. Talk about a great night’s sleep try this bath before bed.
6. Dry Skin Brushing
As mentioned earlier, our skin is our largest organ, and is vital for healthy detoxification and proper digestion. Skin brushing improves lymphatic drainage while promoting healthy digestion and detoxification. You can purchase a dry skin brush at any health foods store. To begin, gently brush in a circular motion, moving from the extremities towards the heart, improving blood flow to the heart. To improve digestion, use counterclockwise strokes on your belly. This is great to do right before your daily shower.
7. Oil Pulling
Oil pulling has been a common detoxification practice for centuries and helps remove harmful bacteria in your mouth that can disrupt the microflora in your gut leading to digestive upset. We like to use coconut oil when pulling as it is naturally anti-bacterial.
To start use ¼ teaspoon of coconut oil, grape seed oil or other healthy oils, put in your mouth, swishing it around for 5- 10 minutes. (it’s a little harder than you think). Work up to 1 TBSP for 20 minutes per day.
Dispose of the oil by spitting in your garbage can, avoid spitting in the sink because it is very toxic, and it can cause a major clog! Rinse your mouth with water and sea salt and brush your teeth. Oil pulling is best done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I use to do this on my way to work each day, driving time was 20-30 minutes.
8. Homeopathic Approach
The foundation of the homeopathic detox system is the Comprehensive Homeopathic Detox Kit.
This system contains 6 combination homeopathic remedies designed to detoxify and drain the entire body:
- Cerebromax (brain)
- SpinalMax (spine)
- Matrix Support (extracellular space)
- Detox I (GI and liver)
- Detox II (kidneys, bladder)
- Detox III (lymph, immune)
This emphasis on whole-body detoxification is key. Many detox programs focus on only one area of the body, such as the liver or colon, failing to address the relationships between organ systems. This can result in deeply harbored toxins being untouched, or toxins getting “stuck” along the route to elimination leading to toxin recirculation. The unique function of the homeopathic remedies in the Comprehensive Homeopathic Detox Kit is that they address toxins stored in the body and allow for the complete removal.
Schedule a free 15- minute phone consult if you need coaching to get started or if you want to dive deeper with your health journey. I am here to encourage and cheer you on to look and feel your best.
