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Eczema Detox Diet
Time to Detox?
The dreaded word... DETOX. Thoughts of hunger, fasting, strong-will, discomfort and deprivation come to mind. Not something you want to face after a season of festivities. The good news is, you don't need to punish yourself to become healthy, and can detoxify in a way that will support and be kind to your body, and have a longer-term benefit. If you need a health overhaul or are suffering with any of the symptoms mentioned below, a well-managed detoxification is one of the best New Years treats you will give to your body.
Detoxification is a way of ridding the body of unwanted toxins. Toxins can come from outside and inside the body, and can start to accumulate from the day we are born. Environmental toxins include: heavy metals (e.g. mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic), cosmetics, detergents, alcohol, caffeine, poor nutrition, medications, pesticides, detergents, pollution and smoking. Toxins and internal debris that clog up metabolic processes within the body include gallstones, too much cholesterol, unwanted hormones, bad bacteria and yeast or parasites in the digestive tract. In addition, your body is capable of producing its own toxins, which is does, daily.
The current approach to detoxification is to support the organs directly involved in detoxification - the liver, the digestive tract and the kidneys, through correct nutrition, supplementation and the use of appropriate herbs. Yes, you can eat while you detox - it's about choosing health-giving foods and avoiding those foods that add to toxicity. Starving yourself is taxing to organs such as pancreas, thyroid and adrenals, can cause low blood sugar, amongst other symptoms, and can place further strain on the body.
Dr. Khush Mark (consultant in Nutrition and Metabolic Typing with degrees in Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pathology, Oncology, Human Nutrition and Practical Homeopathy) distinguishes between detoxification and cleansing, and says that the two go hand-in-hand. She links detoxification to cleaning a car using an automated system to wash the outside, and cleansing, to taking your car for a valet where the inside and outside becomes clean and shiny.
Cleansing is a more targeted form of detoxification and includes practices such as liver or gall bladder cleanse, parasite cleanse, cell or kidney cleanses, Candida cleanse and heavy metal detoxification.
Cleansing and detoxification may just turn your health around and slow down or even prevent the formation of some illnesses including: irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, obesity, acne, infertility, eczema, fibromyalgia, depression, hair loss and more.
If you have any of these symptoms, or suffer from the following, you will benefit from a detoxification:
Headaches or migraines
Watery, itchy eyes
Swollen red or sticky eyes
Dark circles under the eyes
Itchy ears, earache, ear infections, drainage from the ears or ringing in the ears
Excess mucous, stuffy nose or sinus problems
Acne, skin rash or hives
Sweat a lot with strong body odour
Joint or muscle aches or pains
Sluggish metabolism and find it hard to lose weight
Underweight and find it hard to gain weight
Frequent or urgent urination
Nausea or vomiting
Bitter taste in mouth or furry tongue
Have a strong reaction to alcohol
Abdominal bloating
Coffee leaves you feeling jittery or unwell
Nutrition and lifestyle guidelines to detoxify include: identifying foods to which you are intolerant and avoiding them, as well as breaking or making the following habits:
5 Habits to Break:
Wheat
Dairy Products
Caffiene
Alcohol
Bad fats
5 Habits to Make:
Drink eight glasses of water
Eat the Big Five super foods (1 tbsp ground seeds; a serving of super greens mix; broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts,
cabbage, cauliflower or kale; garlic clove, small onion, shallot or 4 spring onions; and a superfood juice or smoothie
Eat plenty of antioxidants (fresh fruit & vegetables)
Take detoxifying suppliments
Do daily exercise
Detoxification can help improve your energy and vitality, balance brain chemistry, boost concentration and improve memory, help you drop weight, sleep well, balance hormones, improve skin and many other benefits. However, once each of your cells has been cleansed and well nourished, it is your responsibility to keep your body well by eating good foods and practicing a healthy lifestyle - all year long, not just in January.
Bibliography
Holford P and McDonald J. 2007. The Holford 9-Day Liver Detox. Great Britain: Piatkus Books
Khush M. Detox, Retox and Botox. 2004. Available from http://www.khushmark.com/newsletters.asp?id=27 [Last accessed 12 December 2008]
Khush M. Here's Looking at You? 2003. Available from http://kushmark.com/newsletters.asp?id=14 [ Last accessed 12 December 2008]
About the Author
Fresh Earth Food Store
This Article Courtesy of the Fresh Earth Food Store Website: http://www.freshearth.co.za/store/p-239-time-to-detox.aspx
The Fresh Earth website offers: Healthy Meal Plans, Vegetarian Recipes, Health Articles, Expert Advice and Organic Grocery Shopping Online. http://www.freshearth.co.za
Liver Detox: Sure Way to Optimize Your Health
Liver detoxification is slowly becoming popular. The reason behind this is that more and more people are becoming increasingly aware of the decline on their health due to various reasons like lifestyle, diet, stress, and even global warming. These factors introduce various levels of toxins into the system. There are three known toxins, environmental, household and dietary. In food alone a person unknowingly consumes toxins by the eating processed foods, sodas, saturated fats, food rich in preservatives etc. additionally the use of chemicals in cosmetics, cleansers, and even the fabrics worn can increase toxicity in the body.
The first line of defense against these toxins is the liver. The liver's main job is to work as a detoxifying agent for the body. It filters and flushes out toxins, toxic substances and wastes from the blood. However a massive buildup of toxins in the body can at some point cause overloading in the liver thus weakening it and making it susceptible to viruses and diseases. And because the liver is the main filtration system any attack on it will affect the rest of the organs. To simplify the liver is the body's main line of defense once it crumbles then everything beyond it is an easy target.
Detecting an unhealthy liver is not so tough to do. Individuals who have unhealthy livers suffer from chronic fatigue, sluggishness, irritability, anxiety, aches and pains and even cause problems irregular bowel movements. Depressions, bloating, bad breath, body odor, protruding belly are other symptoms. More noticeable ones are skin problems such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, dry skin and even itching. An individual experiencing some or unfortunate enough to be experiencing all the aforementioned symptoms should act upon it immediately. A dysfunctional liver requires a liver detoxification or a liver detoxification diet.
The body cleanses itself via natural methods like wastes through, sweating, urinating, breathing, bowel movements etc. The colon and kidney pass on toxic matter to the liver which it works on purifying and filtering. A congested liver however is incapable of filtering all this junk and in effect ends up releasing these toxins into the blood therefore slowly infecting the body until an impressive build up in the colon lining or other body tissues poison the body leading to liver cancer and several other diseases. Just like any filtration device the liver requires a cleaning maintenance as well in order to perform properly each time. While other tools require the occasional cleaning the liver would work best if cleaned on a daily basis. The simple incorporation of certain foods or by using the liver detoxification diet is an effective way to do this.
Liver flushing is a process by which an individual fasts or goes on a liquid diet for as little as 3 days to as many as 10 days. Liver flushing is so effective that a day or two into this method immediately yields some noticeable results especially in the tummy area. Liver detoxification diets employ the use or consumption of organic products, the more unprocessed the better. The inclusion of health supplements that provide minerals that an individual may be missing out on paired with a good exercise habit is what completes liver detoxification.
Liver Detoxification is key to optimum health. For more information a please check out the blog - Natural Liver Detox
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