Enhancing the Body thru Natural Healthy Detox

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Welcome back to all who continue on this journey towards complete physical, mental and social wellness. We have covered quite a few topics and you are always welcome to subscribe or add this blog to your favorites so that you may come back at any time. As always, we welcome your comments and questions as we like this to be a fun and informative interactive blog.

Our last topic covered the heart and cardiovascular system. We discussed and provided great resources for keeping your heart and cardiovascular system healthy through natural nutrition. One of the most informative tips in my opinion was that through eating healthy, you can also reverse damage.

Today, we move forward with detoxing, a new topic that has become pretty popular. There are lots of sites and companies out there selling various products that promise complete body detoxification. However, our information and tips will focus on detoxing through natural and nutritional food sources. Many physicians believe that detoxing with nutritious food is the best choice because you know that what you are ingesting is healthy and pure.

Toxins and the Body

The ability to detoxify is a major factor of a person's health level. It's estimated that 25% of the U.S. population suffers from heavy metal poisoning. Exposure to toxic food items, cleaning solvents, formaldehyde, pesticides, and other toxic chemicals can have a huge impact on a person's overall health. Toxins can also be produced by bacteria and yeast can be absorbed in the body and cause interuption of body functions. The liver is an organ that plays a key role in the metabolic process, especially detoxification and cleansing.

The liver detoxification process includes:

1. Filtration of the blood.

2. Formation of bile.

3. Phase I Detoxification Reactions.

4. Phase II Detoxification Reactions.

Additionally, glutathione is an important detoxification compound. It's produced in the liver and plays a ket role to the metabolic process. Glutathione levels can be raised by ingesting foods containing Vitamin C.

The Different Types of Toxins


A toxin is a compound that has a sever negative effect on cell function and structure. Some toxins cause minimal effects while others can be fatal. Here is a list of various toxins:

Heavy Metal Toxins
Liver Toxins
Microbial Compounds
Metobolic Protein Breakdown

Heavy Metal Toxins include lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and aluminum. They accumulate within the brain, kidneys and immune system. These are one of the most common type of toxins that people have in their system. The reason these toxins are so common is because of the air we breathe and the levels of heavy metals in the air.

Liver Toxins primarily deal with the liver and come from things like drug usage, alcohol, solvents, formaldahyde, pesticides and food additives. This is also a common toxic playground for people, primarily because of the foods we eat and the harm that recreational drug use does, including tobacco.

Microbial Compounds are toxins produced by bacteria and yeast. The toxins produced by the yeast and bacteria can be absorbed and cause harm. Examples of these types of toxins are toxins from bacteria, toxic amines, toxic derivatives, and various carcinogenic substances.

Metabolic Protein Breakdown involves the kidney. The kidney is responsible for the elimination of toxic wastes. Drinking lots of water helps the kidney funtion properly as eliminate the waste as it should.

Now that we have a general idea of toxins and how they work to cause harm to our bodies, we can implement a few of the tips provided below to prevent damage.

1. Eating vitamin rich vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts.

2. Juicing with a homemade green drink (see our blogs on juicing)

3. Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise.

4. Avoiding drugs and alcohol.

5. Use herbs to protect the liver.

6. Fasting up to four times per year.

Here's a list of herbs that protect the liver:

Garlic
Lemon Balm
Milk Thistle
Tumeric
Artichoke Leaf
Gentian
Ginger
Oregon Grape Root
Dandelion Root
Licorice

Many of these herbs may be prepared as a tea for drinking. Use approximately 20 ounces of water and bring to a boil, turn the pot down and add your choice of herb. Simmer for about 15 minutes, let the teak cool and pour it into a tea cup. Drink 2-3 cups of tea daily. Here are a couple of herbal tea books that we use. Primarily because they are simple, there are lots of recipes, the herbs are easy to find, and the recipes in these books are not time consuming.

Healing Herbal Teas: A Complete Guide to Making Delicious, Healthful BeveragesHealing Herbal Teas: A Complete Guide to Making Delicious, Healthful Beverages

The Herb Tea Book: Blending, Brewing, and Savoring Teas for Every Mood and Occasion



In addition, drink a green juice which may be easily made at home. The green juice aids in detoxing the body as a whole, including your liver and kidney.

To make a green juice, you will need a juice extracting machine. There are various types on the market today, but you can find some at reasonable prices.

Hamilton Beach HealthSmart Juice ExtractorHamilton Beach HealthSmart Juice Extractor

Hamilton Beach 67650 Big Mouth Pro Juice ExtractorHamilton Beach 67650 Big Mouth Pro Juice Extractor

You will also need the following vegetables:

Kale
Watercress
Parsely
Cucumber

Start by washing your vegetables. Next, use about 2 leaves of kales, half of a cucumber, approximately 6 sprigs of watercress and a handfull of parsely. Throw it in your juicer and turn it on. The juice will extract into the juicer cup. Drink it immediately so the nutrients are not lost. Practice this twice a day for two weeks. You will notice that your body will expell the waste naturally. In addition, you will feel better, look better, and have more energy. This recipe is my own and I use it because of its ease in finding the ingredients, but at the bottom of this blog, you will find an instructional video in which you can try using other recipes and methods.

Here are a few great books on juicing that we highly recommend. They are packed with recipes and tips to get you started.

The Juicing BibleThe Juicing BibleThe Juicing Bible

by Pat Crocker The Juicing Bible 2nd editionby Pat Crocker The Juicing Bible 2nd edition


Juice Fasting and Detoxification: Use the Healing Power of Fresh Juice to Feel Young and Look Great : The Fastest Way to Restore Your Health


As we wrap up our session today, please note that the advise given here is not intended to replace that of a qualified Physician. You should see your doctor regularly for physicals and check ups. You should also discuss with your doctor a change in eating habits so that it can be monitored for progress.

Join us next time for upcoming topics on additional detoxing information, cleansing, fasting, natural remedies and natural nutrition. Be sure to leave a comments as are always interested in hearing your thoughts and answering your questions. Feel free to utilize any of the resources within this blog by simply clicking on various links and also by viewing the videos we provide as tutorials.

Instructional Videos

Juicing with Fruit All Fun & Treats

Thanks to all who continue to read my blogs on nutrition and more healthy alternatives to eating and staying fit. Yesterday, we finished off our vegetable juicing guide and discovered that carrots may be mixed with almost any other vegetable to make healthy drinks. We also learned that juicing has many health benefits and lots of healing properties. We learned that another juice, the green juice is an awesome detox tool. So, if you missed any of these previous blogs, you may always check out my website blog page at http://www.bargainsdirectly.com/blchopma.html or simply look to the right and click on the topic you want.

So, moving on with the final portion of our juicing guide, we discuss juicing fruits and its benefits. Creating healthy fruit drinks is probably one of my favorite things to do. Its not only healthy, but delicious too. It replaces the urge to eat the junk food we sometimes consume too much of and offers a tasty treat. There are so many things you can do when creating fruit juices. My favorite is freezing them in ice trays and making Popsicles for the kids or making an afternoon fruit smoothie as a treat.

However, there are a few important tips to remember when juicing fruit. First and foremost, do not combine your fruits with your vegetables when juicing. And, for the best health benefits, like fruits should be juiced with like fruits. For example, melons with melons, acid fruits with acid fruits and sub acid fruits with sub acid fruits.

Here's a list of fruit types according to their category:

Melons - Cantaloupes, watermelon, honeydew

Acid Fruits - Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapples, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, tomatoes and boysenberries

Sub Acid Fruits - Mangoes, peaches, plums, pears, green grapes, dark grapes, papayas




Fruit Juices and the Benefits:

So, now that we have a basic concept of fruit and the categories they fit into. We can begin juicing. Remember, this is only a partial list and you should feel free to mix the fruit with other fruits according to their categories to create your own delicious treats.

Apple Juice - Helps to clean the blood and acts as a natural laxative.

Pineapple Juice - Fights congestion and removes mucus.

Cranberry - Fights cancer, cleans the blood, great for the bladder and cleaning of the kidney.

Papaya - Helps relieve indigestion.

Grapefruits, Oranges, Lemon - Helps immediately lower blood pressure, especially the lemon, fights colds and builds the immune system, clears sinus congestion, and clears vaginal discharge.

Grapes - Cleans the blood and aids in the elimination of mucus residue.

As mentioned earlier, try mixing the fruits according to category for tasty treats. An all time favorite of mine is a refreshing peach and mango juice.

1 Peach Washed and pitted
1 Mango Skinned

Place them both in the juicer and drink up. You will feel an automatic surge of energy that will last for hours. In addition, it makes a great in between snack, eliminating hunger and helping you get through until your next meal.

We mentioned in previous articles that in certain areas of the country, it is not always easy to get good quality, fresh fruits and veggies. However, there are many options and alternatives, like shopping online. Here's one of my favorite online grocery stores. They deliver right to my home, it saves me time and gas, keeps me from impulsive shopping for unhealthy treats and they accept coupons and club cards all online, allowing me to save a bundle.

Save $12.95 on your first order of $50 or more at Safeway.com.

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This concludes our juicing segment, but be sure to join us as we discuss how the colors surrounding you in your home or in your wardrobe can affect your mental health. As always, we have a few resources for you, allowing you amazing savings.




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Blessings, Peace & Prosperity

Hydrotherapy to Restore & Purify Naturally

Thank you for those who joined me on my vitamin segments. I hope you found the information useful and enlightening. We are never too old to learn and during my research on vitamins, I too discovered additional things. As promised in my last blog, we are moving on from vitamins, after covering the basics to the feel good segment. We will start out with one of my favorites, hydrotherapy.

What is Hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy is defined as restoring and purifying yourself with the use of water. Hydrotherapy may be used as a form of detoxification, stress relief and mind restoration. Warm water soaks can be relaxing, allowing you to relieve yourself of stress. Salt baths can draw out toxins, stress and anxiety to promote a state of serenity. Have you ever taken a hot bath and simply soaked? Have you ever noticed what happens to you? You perspire or sweat. Perspiration is one of the bodies most natural ways to cleanse your body. One of the best ways to sweat out the toxins is through hydrotherapy. And, it can easily be done at home. People pay lots of going to a spa when they can create their own spa experience at home.

How to Create A Hydrotherapy Spa at Home?

Creating a hydrotherapy spa at home is simple, fun and rewarding. There are so many ways to create your at home spa, but I'm going to explain how I created mine, just to give you ideas and get you going. In addition, at the bottom of the blog, I will have resources on where you can find some of the items at the least expensive prices.

My hydrotherapy spa is in my own private bathroom. Its a do not enter zone for my daughters. They have their own bathroom to do with what they will. However, if you only have a single bathroom with children, its best to establish boundaries from the start. The first thing I did was to decorate my bathroom with meaning. I carefully chose my colors, lavendar and green. The reason I picked these colors is because green stands for energy and lavendar stands for royalty. And, because I'm always lacking energy, I felt like the green would be the best choice for restoration. Lavendar was chosen because I believe all women should feel like royalty.

So, I decided to get wall appliques in those colors. They were designed as lavendar flowers and green foilage or leaves. I placed them on the walls of my bathroom in an attractive dispay as well as on my white bathroom cabinets. Next, I cleaned and cleared my bathroom countertops after discovering that the less clutter you have, the less stress you feel. I then placed green and lavendar pillar candles on the counters. I then got a wicker basket and placed lavendar potpourri in it. The scent of lavendar is especially soothing after a hard day of work.

Finally, a nice bouquet of lavendar colored silk flowers and on the counter a small cd player. And in the counter drawers, I placed classical and smooth jazz music. The softer the music, the more soothing it is to your mind, allowing you to completely relax. I then got myself an oil burner and large bottles of pure, uncut lavendar and eucalyptus oils. Aromatherapy and hydrotherapy work wonders when used together. The shower curtains, the bathroom rugs, the towels and the soaps were all in accordance to my green and lavendar color scheme. You see, the decor and ambiance is equally as important as the physical act of the therapy because, when you feel like you are surrounded by beauty, your attitude becomes beautiful. Hydrotherapy is not only about the physical, but its about the mental temple as well.


How to Finally Decompress with Hydrotherapy

First, I start by running a tub full of hot water, as hot as I can stand. I make sure I have my smooth jazz softly playing and my candles lit. All the lights in the bathroom are turned off, allowing the room to fill with the soft light of the candles. I place a large bottle of water with lemon squeezed in it next to the tub. After the tub has filled with water, I then add a few drops of pure essential lavendar oil and a pound of dead sea salt or epsom salt. I soak in the tub for approximately 30 minutes with my eyes closed and my mind in deep relaxation mode. While soaking in the tub, I drink approximately a pint of of the lemon water to enhance the cleansing. Finally, after soaking, I begin a body massage from head to toe, allowing myself to mentally and physically release all negative situations from my body temple.

After I'm done with my relaxation techniques, I let the water out the tub. At this time, you will notice how much you sweated. This is a good thing because that means you released toxins from your body. Next, I turn on the shower, and wash using hot water, a little more lavendar oil and handmade lavendar soap. I tthen turn the water to a slightly cooler shower and rinse off, allowing my pores to gently close.

This exercise is best praticed at night, right before you go to bed because you will feel too relaxed to do anything else. It will also be one of the best night sleeps you ever experienced.

However, if you are one of those people who have a hard time waking up in the morning, try taking a shower using the pure essential eucalyptus oil. It will immediately awaken your senses and get you going. Always rinse with slightly cool water before heading out for the day. You want to make sure your pores are closed, not allowing the dirt and poisons from pollution to easily enter your body through your skin.

Again, thank you all for taking a moment to read my feel good blog. I hope it will inspire you all to feel your best. As promised, here are a few resources so that you can experience amazing hydrotherapy sessions right at home. But, we girls know that a trip to the spa is always great too.

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Until next time when we begin our juicing segment.

Blessings, Peace & Prosperity
www.bargainsdirectly.com