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You are here: Home / Archives for detox

detox

The Process to Purify Your Life, Mind, and Soul

December 28, 2019 by Joni Leave a Comment

Detox

Detox is needed by the human body. Today’s environment, as well as highly processed foods, contain toxins that are destructive to the immune system. These toxins are any substances which creates harmful and irritating effects to the human body. It can undermine our health by stressing our organs or biochemical functions.

Such alarming results are due to the side effects of taking any forms of drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) or changes in the physiology patterns that are normally different from the usual functioning. These free radicals usually irritate, inflame, age, and degenerate body tissues. Negative ethers, spiritual and psychic influences, negative emotions, and thought patterns are also considered as toxins. All of it stresses the body causing changes in normal physiology that produces specific symptoms.

Your Body Needs Balance

Keep in mind that the body needs to function in balance. However, it can be disturbed when the body takes in more than what it can eliminate or utilize. Toxicity then occurs. It’s dependent on the frequency, potency, or dosage of the present toxins. It can produce rapid or immediate occurrences of symptoms as been displayed by some drugs and several pesticides.

The imbalance being caused by these toxins can be distressful to your life which disrupts you of a sound mind and a good soul. Detoxing is very helpful so that you can purify your body from these harmful toxins regaining your beautiful outlook in life.

Detox Your Entire Being

Detox, also called detoxification, occurs on various levels. Physically, it’s a process that can help in clearing illnesses, congestion, and potential diseases improving the body’s energy. Many detoxification processes are helpful in rejuvenating the body and preventing degeneration.

Detoxification of the mind is important. Cleansing the minds from negative patterns can improve the health of a person. Physical detoxification can also alleviate mental stress. It also helps in terms of emotional aspects of the person where he or she can express and uncover feelings particularly hidden anger, frustrations, fear, or resentments, and later on replace it with love, forgiveness, hope, and joy.

Cleansing processes can also enhance the purpose of a person about how they view life on a more spiritual level. Light detoxification within a few days can help us feel better while a longer detox process can allow a deeper commitment on eating better diets and eliminating abusive habits.

Body detox is a portion of the transformational medicine which instills changes in various levels. Evolution and change are the keys to a person’s healing. Enhancing elimination can help in dealing with and clearing problems from the past, childhood as well as parental patterns, relationship or job stress. Toxic build-up elimination can make a person feel lighter and experience a new horizon of the future.

Daily Detox Habits

Supporting your body’s detoxification can be done in simple ways.

  • Drinking extra quarts of water each day is good in eliminating more toxins.
  • Eating more cleansing foods, vegetables and fruits with higher contents of water, and less protein foods are helpful in reducing congestion problems.

There are other levels of progressive detox diets ranging from simple diets to total fasting. However, don’t over detoxify yourself. Extreme fasting, enemas, diuretics, colonics, laxatives, and exercise can start losing the body’s essential nutrients. This also results to a negative balance where mineral-vitamin deficiencies occur which can cause problems in the future. Never forget to maintain the balance to have a better life.

Filed Under: Body, Health Tagged With: detox, detoxification, emotions, immunity, spiritual

Detox Herbs Can Do Wonder in Your Lives

December 27, 2019 by Joni Leave a Comment

Detox Herbs

It is a fact that some pesticides, chemicals, and certain fumes are present in the environment that are affecting your immune system and jeopardizing your health. Moreover, the foods that you eat can lead to a toxic atmosphere lowering your overall immunity. Toxic load is the condition of tissues and cells where internal terrain is developed after food consumption of highly processed foods. Your body needs to be cleansed from these unwanted toxins. The process is called detoxification.

Don’t we detox naturally?

Although you have the kidney and liver which are organs considered as natural detoxifiers filtering out the impurities of the bodies, you need to consider other ways to detoxify your body from toxins. Some of the methods can be extreme like long fasting from juice drinks or dialysis.

Take note, your immune system is the defense mechanism of your body. The idea is disease and infections should be prevented before it affects your whole body through toxin removal. I’ve observed a correlation between the illness frequency of a person and their immune system strength which is composed of complex networks of nodes and lymph channels.

There are detox herbs that are beneficial in making your immune system strong. These herbs are the perfect and natural way of removing toxins from your immune systems to minimize acquired illnesses and to develop your general well-being. Think of it as supporting your body’s natural detoxification processes.

Several herbs for detoxifying are much better for improving your immune systems than others. However, there are specific considerations for the detoxification program that you choose. But the following detox herbs can be used according to your needs.

  • Psyllium seeds promote healthy bowel movement generally maintaining its good condition. It could be used in helping bowel related problems like diarrhea. This herb is good because it has an absorption property similar to a sponge where it helps in removing the toxins inside your body.
  • Cascara Sagrada is generally a good natural laxative flushing the toxins out of your system. It also helps in strengthening your colon and other related muscles. This herb is used together with psyllium seeds.
  • Milk thistle is also a very valuable substance used often to simulate the protein synthesis in the liver. It’s used effectively in soaking up different types of toxins found in drugs and alcohols that can damage your body.
  • Nettles are used as a portion of the detox herb mixture in cleansing the urinary systems as well as any part of the body.
  • Burdock roots are also perfect for stronger cleansing needs. It’s helpful in reducing the heavy metals build-up within your body which causes immune system problems.
  • Dandelion roots are detox herbs having strong cleansing properties appropriate for your liver. It is good for removing the gall bladder wastes and also works well for kidneys if used with other compatible detox herbs.

People really need to consider supporting their detoxification systems due to the presence of toxins in processed foods and in polluted air. Using herbs is not new in detoxification programs because its cleansing and healing properties have been known for so many years.

These herbs can effectively flush out unwanted toxins from your immune system allowing you to look and feel great. It can save you from acquiring severe illnesses. Brilliant detox herbs can really do wonders in a person’s life!

Filed Under: Body, Health Tagged With: detox, herbs, immunity, kidney, liver

Simple Ayurvedic Practices for Daily Detox

September 5, 2019 by Joni Leave a Comment

Daily Detox Tips

You’ve been working hard on your detox and you want to be sure that the effects of all that effort last. You can also set yourself up for your next seasonal detox, primed, and ready to release toxins on a deeper level.

If you have never heard of Ayurveda, here’s the skinny:  Ayurveda translates to ‘knowledge of life’ or ‘science of life’.  Ayurveda is to India what Traditional Chinese Medicine is to China.  Ayurveda is about living in communion with the shifts of the seasons and the rhythms of the sun and moon throughout the day. It is an ancient practice that both supports wellness and recovers health. The principles are universal and can be practiced by anyone with a desire to feel more connected to their health and wellbeing.

When you join one of my seasonal detoxes, you’ve already begun to practice one of the Ayurvedic principles, so adding these 3 simple daily practices will increase your body’s ability to withstand the stress of daily life and the toxins you can not help but be affected by.

Daily Detox Practices

If you haven’t already, begin to add these 3 practices into your routine. Do them sequentially and stay with it.

Banish Bad Breath – Upon rising, eliminate, brush your teeth and scrape your tongue.  Did you know that you will remove more sticky plaque from your mouth with a metal tongue scraper than you will by brushing your teeth?  Here’s a simple video to show you how it’s done.  Do this before put anything into your belly.

Rinse Your Belly – By now, you have an understanding that a clean digestive system works so much more efficiently and uses less energy that a clogged up, gummy one. To keep your system clean and start with a clean stomach, drink 16 – 20 ounces of warm water first thing.  This has three primary effects for your body.

  • Number One – Okay, actually it’s about ‘number two’. It is especially helpful to promote movement and train the body so that will eliminate through the bowel more easily. Do you have to add lemon?  No. Will it hurt to add lemon? No. Just make the water body temperature and you will get the greatest benefit.
  • Number Two – Clean pure, warm, body temperature water first thing in the morning will help to clear out any leftovers in the stomach. This way yesterday’s food that may not have fully digested will not mix with today’s undigested food, kind of like getting a new plate for your breakfast instead of using the dirty one from last night’s dinner.
  • Number Three – It hydrates you! Your body wakes up dehydrated. It’s been starved for water for at least 8 hours. Because optimally, your body is about 70% water when you start your day with all your internal electrical systems flowing, you will think better. Which means you will make better food choices.  Better food choices now mean that your next seasonal detox will release a little more deeply.  

Oil Up – The daily practice of Abhyanga is a hot oil self-massage. This one practice will nourish your skin and body on a level that is superior to any other skin treatment. Remember, you skin is your largest organ. Once you start the habit, you’ll find it doesn’t take long to add it to you daily morning routine.

How to Abhyanga 101

  • Warm your oil to body temperature.
  • Pour a small amount into your hand and add oil as you need it.
  • Massage into hands. Then begin with the neck, working your way down towards your feet, because this is a grounding massage. Long strokes on the bones and circular strokes on the joints. Until you reach the feet.
  • When done, get into a hot shower and let the hot water rinse over you. The hot water will open your pores and press the oil into the skin. This is not only nourishing but protective. If you want to use soap, use it on your pits and privates. There is enough chlorine and other detergents in the water to ‘clean’ you.  
  • Dry off as you normally would.

These are so simple, easy, and actually elegant ways of taking care of your body that will promote daily detox in a toxic world.  

Enjoy them!

Filed Under: Body, Health Tagged With: Ayurveda, breathing, detox

5 Easy Self Care Tips

February 13, 2019 by Joni Leave a Comment

5 Self Care Tips

Self care is the act of loving yourself. Whether it is mind, body or spirit, it doesn’t matter as long as you are nurturing You. Dr. Chistiane Northrup says,

“You are responsible TO your life and health, not for your life and health.”

Amen. And Amen. What a powerful shift a simple preposition can make. We are responsible to our lives. Love this!

Once you understand the importance of self care and how to avoid the top three excuses for not scheduling in time for You, it’s time to implement. And implement with passion, Peeps! This is where intuition and self trust comes into play. You will know what feels right if you listen to your inner voice. Once you start taking care of You, it’s addictive and time will never be a factor again. Promise.

Five Fabulous Self Care Tips

1. Schedule quiet time. – Actually write it in ink on your calendar and if you don’t use one – start! I really dig meditation and music. They soothe my savage beast inside. Now that I do it regularly, everyone in my orbit is thankful and they never interrupt. Often they remind me before I have to remind myself. Powerful stuff. Seriously.

2. Take a hot bath. – This is so decadent to me but so simple. A 20 minute soak in an Epsom salt bath with a few drops of lavender, a candle, soothing music and I feel like a Queen. There’s a bonus here too. The Epsom salt helps you purge the toxins from the day.

3. Take yoga or exercise class. – Getting the body moving increases endorphins which help manage stress levels. You may need to try a few different classes, or instructors, until you find the right fit, but do something that gets you moving.

4. Journal. – This little tip is not so little in effect. Journaling is a powerful way to decompress and let yourself go. It can be in any form too! Some people keep a daily update of their lives, some write five things they’re thankful for each day and others still like to free flow and write whatever pops into their big beautiful brain that day. There are absolutely no rules. It’s all about You.

5. Get a massage. – A relaxing massage is not a frivolous activity for those with cha-ching. Massage provides health benefits; calms the nervous system, reduces tension and anxiety and improves blood circulation, which is the highway for delivering oxygen and nutrients to our cells. If you can’t swing it in the budget, make a deal with your partner to practice self care on each other.

Hopefully one, or all, of these tripped a trigger for you and your intuition is pointing you in a direction. Remember, self care is self love it isn’t selfish, it is necessary for radiant health.

 

Filed Under: Body, Mind, Spirit Tagged With: aromatherapy, detox, featured, lavender, self care, self love, stress

Conscious Breathing

October 2, 2018 by Joni Leave a Comment

conscious breathing

How often are you conscious of your breathing? Is it when you are exercising and gasping for that precious air or when you are watching a scary movie and suddenly feel light headed because you’ve stopped breathing? Breathing, for most people, is left to the automatic pilot that runs things while we’re distracted elsewhere. But I want you to consciously be aware of your breathing. Breath work is a powerful tool to increase energy, aid in detoxification and wind you down when things get a little crazy.

Give Me Oxygen Or Give Me…

Life starts and stops with a breath. We survive without food for weeks, without water for days, but without air we cannot survive more than a few minutes. This says a lot of how important our breathing is. Breathing is important for two reasons. It is the only means to supply our bodies and its various organs with the supply of oxygen which is vital for our survival. The second function of breathing is that it is one way we get rid of waste products and toxins from the body. Our breathing is usually too shallow and too quick. We are not taking in enough oxygen and we are not eliminating enough carbon dioxide. As a result, our bodies are oxygen starved, and a toxic build-up occurs. Every cell in the body requires oxygen and our level of vitality is just a product of the health of all the cells.

LET’S GET TECHNICAL: 10 Benefits of Increased Oxygenation
  1. Improved Blood Quality – This helps eliminate toxins from the system.
  2. Better Digestion – The digestive system receives more oxygen and flows more efficiently.
  3. Healthier Nervous System – This improves the health of the whole body, since the nervous system communicates to all parts of the body.
  4. Rejuvenation of the Glands – Especially the pituitary and pineal glands. The

    conscious breathing
    lungs

    brain loves oxygen! It requires three times more oxygen than the rest of the body. This has far-reaching effects on our well being.

  5. Rejuvenation of the Skin – The skin becomes smoother and a reduction of facial wrinkles occurs.
  6. Lung Power Increases – A good insurance against respiratory problems.
  7. Reduces Work Load for Heart – The result is a more efficient, stronger heart that operates better and lasts longer. It also means reduced blood pressure and less heart disease.
  8. Weight Control – If you are overweight, the extra oxygen burns up the excess fat more efficiently. If you are underweight, the extra oxygen feeds the starving tissues and glands.
  9. Increased Energy – It is the mitochondria of the cells that produce almost all our energy (called ATP) through combustion of nutrients and oxygen, and the mitochondria cannot function without oxygen. Deeper breathing fuels ATP to run efficiently providing more energy for us.
  10. Relaxation of the Mind and Body – Slow, deep, rhythmic breathing causes a reflex stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which results in a reduction in the heart rate and relaxation of the muscles. These two factors cause a reflex relaxation of the mind, since the mind and body are very interdependent. In addition, oxygenation of the brain tends to normalize brain function, reducing excessive anxiety levels. Love this benefit!

conscious breathingOk, so now we have a scientific understanding of the importance of deep oxygen rich breathing to our fabulous bodies. We all agree this is something we’ll benefit from and are ready to throw bad breathing habits to the curb, right? Great! Poor breathing habits are very common. But most people don’t realize that their own breathing is not as good as it could be. Take a look at the list below. You may be surprised to see that any of these activities is a sign that your breathing habit is poor:

– clearing  your throat when you are stressed (throat-clearing is a form of breathing)
– holding your breath while you concentrate
– breathing forcefully when you talk
– keep your mouth open while you exercise
– snoring when you sleep (snoring is a form of breathing)

BREAKING BAD HABITS

  • Sit up! Don’t slouch when you are at your desk. There were some interesting studies done that showed the more someone focused on a task the more slouched they became and the less oxygen they took into their system. Be aware and sit up tall to give your lungs the room to breathe deeply.
  • Breathe through your nose. Don’t be a mouth breather! A good, conscious breathing pattern means that our breathing is in and out through the nose, deep (not big), reaching down into our stomach, and is slow and relaxed, rhythmic and quiet. That’s all there is to it, simple right?!

EXERCISE THOSE LUNGS

I love Dr. Weil’s breathing exercises. They really help build powerful lungs and calm me when things get a little tense in my life. They work wonders and, if truth be told, help keep me off blood pressure meds!

Exercise 1:

The Stimulating Breath (also called the Bellows Breath)
The Stimulating Breath is adapted from a yogic breathing technique. Its aim is to raise vital energy and increase alertness.

  • Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise.
  • Try for three in-and-out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellows. Breathe normally after each cycle.
  • Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try. Each time you practice the Stimulating Breath, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute.

If done properly, you may feel invigorated, comparable to the heightened awareness you feel after a good workout. You should feel the effort at the back of the neck, the diaphragm, the chest and the abdomen. Try this breathing exercise the next time you need an energy boost and feel yourself reaching for a cup of coffee.

Watch a video of Dr. Weil demonstrating the Stimulating Breath.

Exercise 2:

The 4-7-8 (or Relaxing Breath) Exercise
This exercise is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

  • Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
  • Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
  • Hold your breath for a count of seven.
  • Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
  • This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important; the ratio of 4:7:8 is important. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply.

This exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Unlike tranquilizing drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but then lose their power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in power with repetition and practice. Do it at least twice a day. You cannot do it too frequently. Do not do more than four breaths at one time for the first month of practice. Later, if you wish, you can extend it to eight breaths. If you feel a little lightheaded when you first breathe this way, do not be concerned; it will pass.

Once you develop this technique by practicing it every day, it will be a very useful tool that you will always have with you. Use it whenever anything upsetting happens – before you react. Use it whenever you are aware of internal tension. Use it to help you fall asleep. This exercise cannot be recommended too highly. Everyone can benefit from it.

Watch a video of Dr. Weil demonstrating the 4-7-8 Breath.

Exercise 3:

Breath Counting
If you want to get a feel for this challenging work, try your hand at breath counting, a deceptively simple technique much used in Zen practice.

Sit in a comfortable position with the spine straight and head inclined slightly forward. Gently close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then let the breath come naturally without trying to influence it. Ideally it will be quiet and slow, but depth and rhythm may vary.

  • To begin the exercise, count “one” to yourself as you exhale.
  • The next time you exhale, count “two,” and so on up to “five.”
  • Then begin a new cycle, counting “one” on the next exhalation.

Never count higher than “five,” and count only when you exhale. You will know your attention has wandered when you find yourself up to “eight,” “12,” even “19.”

Try to do 10 minutes of this form of meditation.

Watch a video of Dr. Weil demonstrating Breath Counting.

You can find more here: Dr. Weil’s Breathing Tools

YOUR CHALLENGE

Since we always breathe, we have the potential to practice breath awareness at any and every waking moment. Challenge yourself to be more aware of your breathing throughout you day. Is it shallow? Can you create the habit of breathing from the belly instead of the chest? Sure you can! Work through the exercises above and FEEL the difference – it is FANTABULOUS!


Filed Under: Body, Mind, Spirit Tagged With: breath, breathing, challenge, conscious, detox, featured

Why detox in the fall?

October 20, 2015 by Joni Leave a Comment

Detox in Fall

It is a common practice to detox at least four times per year, once with every change of season. Doing this cleanses our bodies and helps to remove any toxins that exist from stress, lifestyle choices, and even environmental factors.

It is no secret that our taste changes and the foods we eat change with the turn of the seasons. We go from cold, fresh fruits and vegetables to more warm and hearty meals. Completing a Fall Detox Cleanse can help prepare your body for these changes and withdraw any toxins or build ups created from the hot summer months.

Some signals your body gives off letting you know it is time for a detox may include allergies, digestive problems, fatigue, acne or other skin issues, bad breath, bad circulation, headaches, bloating, and weight gain. By doing a simple cleanse or detox you should see immediate improvements and benefits including better sleep, more energy, improved digestion, clearer skin, weight loss, and even a reduce in cravings.

A fall detox will also help prepare your immune system for the exposures to come, especially with kids going back to school. Typically the fall detox focuses more on the lungs and large intestine, which are important for circulation, heart health, and proper digestion.

Here are some general tips to help with your Fall Detox:
  1. Try to eat primarily whole foods. We need to remove processed and refined foods from our diet and focus on clean eating.
  2. Check out some detox teas and broths to amp your detox.
  3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Focus on increasing water intake to flush out your systems.
  4. Go toxin-free with your soaps and cosmetics. Toxins are absorbed into the skin just as easily as they are consumed through your mouth.
  5. Lower or reduce your stress levels through meditation, yoga, conscious breathing, or some other form of exercise.
  6. Reduce or eliminate alcohol from your diet.

 

Filed Under: Body Tagged With: cleanse, detox, fall, featured, toxins

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