Toxin cleanse involves use of cleanse diet for detox of various body organs such as liver cleanse, colon cleanse, and all detoxification treatment strategies.
In today’s world of increasingly longer workdays, fast food, and after work cocktails, our ‘pill to cure everything’ society has become quite toxic. Stress, pollution, medication, poor diet, and lack of exercise have many of us feeling sluggish, mentally fuzzy, and physically susceptible to both disease and illness. Even the most healthy, balanced person is subject to emotional stress, air and water pollutants, and food additives – all of which build up in bodily tissues, affect cellular metabolism and respiration, and tax the body’s blood purification and elimination organs.
Enter detoxification – the systematic cleansing of the blood and organs, which flushes the body of its stored toxins. Benefits include: clearer thinking, increased immunity, more energy, improved sleep, and better skin tone – not to mention healthier organ function and improved overall health. And the experience is far from purely physical; most participants experience a sort of spiritual and emotional cleansing as well. A release of negative emotional or behavioral patterns can also occur. Detoxification has even helped people free themselves of nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol dependencies.
Because detoxification requires three essential components – resting the body, removing toxic sources, and eliminating stored poisons – the spa is a nurturing environment for detox therapies. Indeed, most day and destination spas offer something on the menu that, on some level, promotes detoxification. For those new to the process, a half-day or full day at the spa may be a good warm up to a more thorough detoxification program. Be sure to look for some combination of the following treatments:
• Seaweed/Mineral Clay wraps or masks – the natural nutrients in both seaweed and mineral-rich clays stimulate circulation and help draw out cellular impurities, replacing them with important vitamins and minerals such as potassium and iodine.
• Lymphatic drainage massage – boosts immunity and helps move cellular debris and waste products toward elimination.
• Hydrotherapy treatments – hydro tubs jets penetrate deeply into muscle tissues, releasing tension and promoting circulation, while the warm temperature stimulates elimination through perspiration. Herbal steam baths and mineral soaks are also good features to any detox program.
• Aromatherapy – certain essential oils are particularly detoxifying. Look for treatments with lemon, lemongrass, juniper, parsley, fennel, or celery seed.
• Authentic Ayurvedic treatments – most traditional, dosha-specific Ayurvedic treatments are designed to promote detoxification. Swedana, Abhyanga, Oshadhi, Pizichili, and Pinda Swedana are excellent choices.
• Sweat Lodges/Temescal rituals – in their use of steam heat, herbs, chanting, and perspiration, these traditional Native American purification ceremonies offer a profound method of detoxification.
Those suffering from chronic conditions such as allergies, asthma, or migraines, as well as those who are just looking for a jumpstart to healthier living, may be in need of a more thorough detoxification. To that end, several destination spas and retreat centers offer 2 – 21 day detox programs. These programs tend to incorporate some of the above spa treatments with fasting or juice fasting, yoga and meditation, consultation with an Ayurvedic, medical or naturopathic practitioner, colonic cleansing, herbal and nutritional supplements, nutrition and wellness classes, and specialty treatments such as sound therapy and ear candling.
If you are new to these treatments, the concept of surviving off of liquids for more than a day or subjecting oneself to colon cleansing may seem awfully intimidating. But there are medically sound reasons for staying the course. Juice fasting gives the body a break from processing prepared and solid foods, and it allows over-taxed organs to rest while the body still receives the essential nutrients and energy it needs to perform everyday functions. Typical juice fasts include vegetable and wheatgrass juices as well as potassium broth, teas, and water with lemon. Each promotes hydration and provides nutrients while stimulating the liver and other cleansing organs.
Colon hydrotherapy and Basti – the Ayurvedic practice of cleansing the colon with herbal oil – are pain-free, relaxing, and highly beneficial to detoxification. These colon therapies not only cleanse and tone, but also eliminate toxic build up and debris, and increase the body’s ability to both absorb nutrients and purge waste. If you’re still sheepish, the boon of a massage, gentle yoga class, or hot mineral soak can certainly make the experience more tempting.
If you go, it is important to prepare physically and mentally beforehand. Most programs will provide guidelines, but in general, participants are usually asked to introduce a whole foods vegetarian diet and eliminate saturated fat, refined flour and sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine for up to the week preceding their visit. Journaling, meditation, yoga, and breath work can be essential in helping you transition from your everyday life to your ‘detox’ life, as breaking the habits of eating, drinking alcohol and/or smoking can also be psychologically and emotionally challenging.
Although it varies by spa, guests are usually seen first by the staff health practitioner, who devises an individual plan for detoxification, which includes recommendations for supplements and suggestions for body treatments to be done in conjunction with the fast and colonic therapy. Yoga and meditation can help ease the non-physical challenges of detox and help to integrate the whole body, while nutrition and lifestyle classes can help you bring more health and greater balance into your daily life. And remember that this is a time for rest and reflection as well as self-care, so take walks, indulge in naps, and bring a good book.
Beginners usually start with a three-day fast, though it is recommended that you consult your health care practitioner and the spa before booking your retreat. Once you’ve completed your first session, your regimen can be extended up to three weeks, at a frequency of one to four times per year, depending on your health and individual goals.
Do-it-yourself Detox
From Osa Mallo, Spa Director, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Miami
Ginger Tea Brew:
Peel a one-inch piece of fresh ginger. Place ginger in freshly boiled water and steep for five minutes. Sip to boost metabolism, reduce water retention, and support your immune system.
Detox Soak and Scrub:
Fill tub with warm water. Add fresh orange and lemon slices, plus three drops of peppermint essential oil.
For scrub: combine 1/2 cup avocado oil with 1/2 cup Kosher salt and 2 drops of Sweet Orange essential oil.
For post-soak self-massage: add two drops of eucalyptus essential oil to 1/2 cup avocado oil.
Soak in bath for 20 minutes. Using the scrub, gently exfoliate legs with an upward circular motion to stimulate circulation and remove dry skin. Rinse with warm water, rubbing the fruit slices over your skin to refresh your legs and remove excess salt. Towel dry and sit comfortably for the massage. Pour a small amount of massage oil in your hands and massage, using long strokes, from the soles of the feet to the top of the thighs, repeating five times. This will encourage blood flow and relieve tired muscles.
