THE BENEFITS OF BODY CLEANSES AND METHODS TO ELIMINATE EVERYDAY TOXINS.

We live in a toxic society. From polluted air, to pesticide filled food, sometimes it seems like our bodies don’t have a fighting chance. Body cleanses, whether they be herbal pills or specialty treatments, are designed to aid the body in kicking out these unwanted entities and get you back to clean living.

“Most Canadians start out with vibrant health, but by age 30 begin to develop minor irritations. These small problems become more serious, causing our health to fall into further decline,” says Brenda Watson, a naturopathic doctor, certified nutritional consultant and colon therapist with Vita Health. “Ideally it would be great to avoid all of the pesticides, and other chemical pollutants, however this is simply not feasible. Therefore it is up to you to take responsibility for your own health and the first step towards optimal health is cleansing and detoxification.”

Many experts believe that cleansing can help remove and eliminate potentially harmful toxins from the body, while also improving overall health, decreasing risk of disease, increasing energy, improving digestion and helping to control weight.

“If you breathe, you should cleanse,” says Watson. “Let’s face it; we live in a toxic world with chemicals from factories, trucks and pesticides. Unfortunately, most people focus more on their outer appearance than their inner health and eating nutrient depleted foods, breathing in polluted air and drinking poor quality water is a deadly trio which is poisoning our bodies.”

There are many types of cleanses, taken for many reasons, but ultimately a full body cleanse is ideal. These work on all channels of elimination, but there are also cleanses that target parasites and candida, cleanses for the liver, colon and kidneys, and cleanses designed to help rid the body of heavy metals.

“Ideally you’d like to look for a cleansing product that addresses all seven channels of elimination,” suggests Watson. “You also want to look for products that are convenient and ‘clean,’ meaning free from binders or fillers. Fillers like silicon dioxide and carnuba wax block absorption of other ingredients.”

Just note that whenever toxins are released from the tissues in the body it is possible to experience “cleansing reactions.” These reactions occur as the body works to move toxins out of the system. Cleansing reactions can include flu-like symptoms, headaches, fatigue, brain fog, nausea, and skin eruptions. In most cases these can be alleviated by reducing the dosage of the cleansing program in half and increasing water intake to help flush out the toxins.

You want to stick that where?
If taking pills sounds like too much of a detox commitment, there are treatments, done by professionals, that can help clean out the system. Surprisingly popular is colon hydrotherapy, a treatment where a hose is inserted into the rectum and purified water flows in and out of the large intestine and helps cleanse the colon.

Why should or would one do this you may ask? The colon is like the “sewer system” of the body and if this gets blocked you can imagine the problems that occur. The choking of colon can lead to constipation, and if fecal matter stays in the body too long the toxins can actually be reabsorbed.

“The treatment will clean out all the bacteria, yeast and toxic waste and we then reintroduce good bacteria through supplements,” states Shannon Sarrasin, resident naturopathic doctor at The Centre for Natural Medicine.

Colon hydrotherapy also helps strengthen and increase movement through the bowel in those that have a long history of constipation.

“It’s like a workout for the colon,” she jokes. “It really helps lay a foundation for good health when your digestive system is in balance.”

If all this talk of colons has you feeling a little squeamish, try a treatment that’s more like going to a spa. Ion footbath detoxification, a relaxing soak in salt water with an additional mechanical element, is said to draw toxins out through the soles of your feet.

“Our bodies are made up of positive and negative ions. When we retain excessive toxins the balance changes and we become more positively charged. The ionic detox footbath replaces the positive ions with negative ions and toxins are released through the thousands of pores on the soles of the feet,” says Suzanne Malinowski, reflexologist and reiki practitioner at The Pure Escape.

After your cleansing, the therapist will visually inspect the bath water for clues as to which systems of the body had released toxins. She adds that to induce a full body cleanse the ionic detox should be complemented by massage, reflexology treatments and plenty of water to help flush the system.

But let’s not forget some of the best detoxifiers are found in your own crisper. Juicing and eating organic food is a natural way to help cleanse the body, and a good all around lifestyle choice that helps keep the body strong and full of life. So leave your gas mask at home, and explore a cleanse option that can help the body fight through the environmental haze.

While the methods may be different, all professionals agree that you should always check with your doctor before starting any cleansing routine.

THE BIG SEVEN
The body has seven channels of
elimination which are directly utilized
to eliminate toxins:

• The Liver - Changes or detoxifies harmful toxins into substances that can be safely eliminated from the body.

• The Colon - Eliminates toxins from the liver as well as the waste which has accumulated in the intestines.

• The Blood - Flows through the vascular system and carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells of the body while removing harmful waste.

• The Lymphatic System - Eliminates poisons from cells through a network of vessels that extend throughout the body.

• The Skin - Eliminates waste and toxins through perspiration.

• The Lungs - Expel toxins through breathing (e.g. carbon dioxide). Deep breathing stimulates lymphatic flow to eliminate toxins.

• The Kidneys - Receive water-soluble waste from the liver, so that they can be further filtered and finally eliminated through the bladder.