Total Body Detox

By Kate Whimster, N.D.

In spring and throughout summer, detox is a hot topic in my practice. For those of you who do not know, detoxification is the removal of toxins in order to alleviate the burden on organs and improve overall body function. Let’s put it this way, imagine that your body is a bucket that constantly fills with waste due to the normal stressors of daily living. Detox organs drain the bucket and keep it from overflowing and causing illness.

The most important detox organ is your digestive system, including your liver. You literally “are what you eat” since the raw material that builds every structure in your body comes from the food you eat. It is important to eliminate gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol for three to four weeks in order to give your body a break. You may initially have mild withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, headaches or irritability, but when you cut out caffeine and sugar you will soon feel lighter and more energetic. You can then reintroduce eliminated items back into your diet one at a time. This process acts as both treatment and diagnosis; you can improve digestion and learn how each food affects you.

The next stop is your kidneys. The most important detox strategy for the kidneys is simply to drink enough water. Your kidneys require enough water to make urine, which is how they eliminate waste.  Patients always ask how much water they should drink. A simple guideline is half your weight (in pounds) in ounces of water per day.  So, for a 140-pound person, this is about two liters of water per day.

Lungs are also important detox organs. To detoxify try “the Breath of Fire.” First, sit comfortably with your hand on your belly, exhale completely, then expel any remaining air through your nose by quickly contracting your belly. Repeat a steady stream of quick, forceful exhalations through your nose (you will inhale automatically between each exhalation).  Start with a series of ten and work up to three sets of 20 breaths.

Finally, your skin is your largest organ. It is also the way you detox when other organs are overloaded, hence why people develop acne and eczema.  An invigorating detox treatment for the skin is dry skin brushing, which moves lymph and sloughs off dead skin cells to reveal healthy new skin underneath. To get the best results use a soft body brush you can find at your local health food store, start at your hands and feet and brush in light, long strokes towards your heart, adding a few circles in extra-dry areas like knees and elbows.

These simple detox strategies are just the tip of the iceberg! See your naturopathic doctor for a personalized treatment plan to address your unique concerns.

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