Skin Detoxification
When healing from any illness or when working towards improving our health it is important to detoxify our body. The body accumulates a large number of toxins - we do this unavoidably just living in a modern society. It is difficult to prevent the ingestion and accumulation of toxins. Our body has many mechanisms for dealing with and eliminating toxins. These mechanisms include our liver and all of our elimination routes - the bowel, kidneys, lungs and importantly the skin. When these mechanism become overloaded with toxins, is important to assist then to carry out their function of elimination - as much as we are able. As well as dealing with what is occurring on the inside of our body we also need to deal with what happens to our body externally. The processes that we need to use internally for dealing with toxins are diet, herbal treatments, nutritional and other supplements. You can discove how to do this with Safe Colon Cleansing. The processes for removing toxins externally are: brushing, heat treatments and massage. These three methods are excellent ways to stimulate detoxifying from the outside. They will assist in a reduction of the body's toxic load and will therefore help to body to heal.
Body brushing and scrubbing
It has been estimated that we can eliminate about 450g (1 lb) of toxins through perspiration from our skin every day. To eliminate this amount however we need to have the pores in our skin clear.
The cells that make up our skin change over - the old ones die and are replaced by new ones. This process is continual throughout life but is does slow down as we age and the new cells are slower to replace the old cells. The older cells build up on the surface so it is harder for them to be removed. This can lead to a blockage that reduces the amount of toxins that are removed from the body. Removing dead cells is an important part of reducing the toxins accumulated in the body and therefore a part of assisting the body to recover and heal from illnesses. There are two main ways that are used to assist the removal of dead cells from the skin.
Body scrubs. The traditional body scrub is the use of damp sea salt that is rubbed onto dry skin (not damp skin) and then this is rinsed off in a shower. There are many substitutes for this form of body scrub, some of these include rice bran, various nut blends and mixes and others that also include herbal preparations to assist either in the process of cell removal or directly on detoxifying the skin.
Body brushing. This process removes dead cells by actually brushing the skin. A natural bristle brush or loofah is used on dry skin. Long, firm (but not too hard or rough as you don't want to actually scratch the skin) strokes are applied to the whole of the body - one area at a time. The feet are the first place to start - this will stimulate the flow of lymph. Brush smoothly - in the direction of the heart for 4 or 5 times. The following sequence is recommended: after your feet, your calves then your thighs and hips, this is then followed by your arms, chest, torso and back and finally your abdomen. When you have finished shower or rinse the skin. These approaches will assist in removing dead skin and will also increase the circulation in the body - including the circulation of lymph. This will aid in the removal of toxins from the body.
Heat treatments
Countries like Sweden and Finland use saunas and stream treatments to help keep the body healthy and free from a build up of toxins. During a sauna the heart output can increase by up to 75%. This will increase the blood flow and 70% of that blood will reach the skin. Any toxins that are in the blood will be closer to the skin and it is suggested that these will then be more likely to be excreted in the sweat. However, using these heat treatments are not without some risks - particularly if you have heart disease or other medical condition. If you want to use heat as a part of your treatment and detoxification routine it is recommended that you:
Do not do it for longer than 10 - 20 minutes and only at a heat that you can bear.
Do not eat a heavy meal or drink alcohol before the treatment.
Drink plenty of water before, during and after the treatment as you will loose a lot of fluids with the perspiration. Your body can easily become dehydrated and start to slow the flow of urine - this will defeat the purpose of the heat treatment.
If you have any problems with your heart, blood pressure, respiratory system or skin (such as eczema or fungal skin rash) you need to seek the advice of your health professional before you use heat treatments to make sure that they are safe for you.
It is not recommended that you use heat treatments if you are pregnant.
Massage
Massage is able to assist in the detoxification process in two main ways.
The first is in stress reduction. Stress is one of the factors that leads to cravings for toxin filled foods and beverages such as alcohol, caffeine, chocolate and other sugar and fat filled foods.
The second way that massage helps is that pressure from the hands can act to stimulate the circulation of blood and lymph. Research has demonstrated that when the body is massaged the temperature of the skin increases. There are many different forms of massage and some are better at stimulating the circulation and removal of toxins from the body than others. Lymph draining massage, which uses a combination of gentle strokes and pulsing techniques, focuses on stimulating circulation and is very beneficial for stimulating and cleansing the body.
There are a number of techniques that can support the body in its processes of removing toxins and therefore aiding the body to heal. Cleansing the skin using body brushing or scrubbing, heat treatments and massage can be beneficial. These treatments can also stimulate blood and lymphatic circulation and this will further assist the body to eliminate toxic substances.
29.09.2007. 23:03
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