Today’s topic gets pretty…well, personal. We can’t really talk about cleansing without addressing bowel health.
But before we get to the “off the beaten path” cleansing techniques our title suggests, I want to mention the most basic daily detoxification method that every single human should be routinely embracing: water.
Start the day with 16 oz. of room temperature water with a juice of half a lemon (a whole lemon if you can stand the taste). 16 ounces touches every single organ and lets the body know, hey we’re awake, and metabolism can begin!
If you’re a coffee drinker, do this before you have your coffee because the lemon water builds an alkaline base for the acidic coffee.
Special tip: espresso is better for you than regular coffee because it has less caffeine is brewed on the spot. Espresso can actually be alkaline forming if you drink it within the first 15 minutes of being brewed.
Back to lemon water…
During the first four hours of sleep, the body pulls acid from the joints and stores it in a holding tank behind the heart.
Drinking lemon juice will help wash excess acid from the stomach through the large intestine so when you have a bowel movement, you will eliminate much more acid than you would have without the lemon.
Warm lemon water is even better because it flushes the lymphatic system as well.
Plus, when you have something warm when you wake up, it helps the body raise your core temperature that has dropped while you were sleeping, giving your thyroid a bit of love.
Drinking coffee in the morning without breakfast raises cortisol levels so no matter what you eat after the coffee will not be as effective because insulin won’t be able to get you’re your cells because they’re taking a cortisol bath. It’s important to have coffee with breakfast (if you’re a coffee drinker) rather than drinking coffee alone.
Wondering how much water you should drink a day? Contrary popular belief, there’s not a set number of glasses you should drink per day; the amount should be based on body weight, season, and activity level. An ideal target for water consumption is 1 liter of mineralized (not just purified) water per 50 pounds of body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should consume at least 3 liters (or 100oz) of water per day.
Now on to our favorite ways to cleanse at home on a daily or weekly basis.
Dry Skin Brush
Dry brushing improves circulation. A few times a week, brush dry skin with upwards strokes towards the heart. Brushing towards the heart helps circulate the lymphatic system and flush it, which ends up moving behind the heart so it can exit through the digestive system.
Detox Baths
Taking a warm bath with bentonite clay (1/2 cup is enough), 1 cup raw apple cider vinegar, and ½ cup sea salt will draw toxins out of the skin, giving your organs and your skin a deep, yet cleanse.
Tongue Scraper
There are only so many ways to detox: through our skin, bowels, or lungs (deep breathing). While people might brush their tongue, if the liver or the digestive system is congested (especially if you have Candida), you’ll have a white coating on your tongue that you’ll want to remove daily, especially while on a planned cleanse. Brushing your tongue just moves the bacteria around, while scraping your tongue with a tongue scraper removes it.
Randy is used to interviewing tons of dentists so he knows a lot about oral health. I love how Randy suggests gargling with hydrogen peroxide to remove periodontal bacteria, which is the “western” version of oil pulling. Ridding the mouth of bacteria prevents the bacteria from reaching the heart. This is especially important if you’ve ever had a root canal.
My version of this is oil pulling.
This ancient cleansing and restorative method from the east is completely safe and extremely effective if you can commit to it for 21 days. Put about a tablespoon and a half of sesame oil in your mouth and pull the oil through your teeth for 10 minutes (don’t gargle with it, pull it through the teeth so that the oil can attach to bacteria). This removes bacteria and the removal will be evident when the sesame oil becomes white and thick. This is very important for anyone with gum disease, sleep disorders, or any manner of digestive complaints (because they are likely related to bad bacteria in some way). Do this once a day for three weeks to a month.
Colonics and Enemas
While colonics are not “At-home” or “DIY”, I do recommend them. A colonic is an irrigation of the colon. When you have a bowel movement, you are only eliminating the sigmoid colon or the end of your colon. A colonic can help cleanse much more of the colon, including the transverse colon, the ascending colon, and all the tiny folds that might have accumulated old waste.
Because colonics can help remove accumulated toxic waste that had been preventing nutrient absorption, people usually notice a big lift in their energy and mental clarity and sense of calm after a colonic. Detoxification should begin in the colon well before ever attempting a more intense cleanse like a liver or heavy metal cleanse because you need to create an open channel for waste products to flow into so they can be released from the body.
What about enemas?
Enemas are at-home way to detoxify your body. You can do regular enemas or you can do coffee enemas if you are looking to provide support for your liver. The Gerson Foundation helps people heal from Cancer naturally and coffee enemas are an essential part of their program. If you’d like to explore this idea more, this Natural News article gives you the details on how to administer a coffee enema at home.
An enema bucket is cheap, and scary as it may sound, it’s actually pretty easy and non-intimidating.
Outside of colonics and enemas, the position you are in when you eliminate is really important to regular cleansing on a daily basis. I will let the Squatty Potty explain the rest of that story…
I love these!
There have been studies showing you can burn anywhere from 800-1200 calories in 30 minutes by sitting in an infrared sauna. They are also used to help heal injuries. The concept behind them is that you’re heating your body from the inside and then your body has to cool itself, which increases metabolism.
NASA uses them for faster wound healing.
A dermatology study showed you can increase skin health and vibrancy by using an infrared sauna only twice a week. Many local spas and wellness centers have infrared saunas for hire for around $20/session.
A recent study of the perspiration of someone after 30 minutes in an infrared sauna found over 80 known toxins, while the perspiration from only exercise had 50% less. Infrared saunas release toxins from fat cells, which is difficult to do during a 30-minute exercise session.
If you are purchasing a sauna for health benefits, the single most important element to consider is heater emissivity which determines how efficient infrared heat is conducted and emitted. Sunlighten‘s Solocarbon heating technology is the only independently tested and proven 95-99% effective at delivering the highest concentration of infrared. This is the active ingredient needed to achieve the known health benefits of infrared therapy.
You can learn more about Sunlighten HERE
Here are three of our favorite (delicious!) recipes for detoxifying daily:
Cleansing Cilantro & Oregano Pesto
If you liked this blog, you’ll love:
The Chronic Exhaustion & Yeast Overgrowth Connection
The At-Home Remedy that Heals Your Whole Body
Avoiding 3 Toxic Daily Chemicals and How to Rid the Body of Them
How to Naturally Eliminate Heavy Metals
