Maria Cavallazzi, Author at Mindful Healing Naturopathic Clinic Page 16 of 16

Toxins seem to be everywhere these days. From the air we breathe to the food we consume to the water we drink, it’s virtually impossible to avoid them. While we can't eliminate our exposure to everyday toxins, it's important to take steps to strengthen our body and enhance its ability to detoxify. Detoxification is the process of removing toxic substances from the human body. Thanks to your liver, your body can perform much of your detoxification needs on its own. But with increasing toxin exposure and rising stress levels in our modern world, it never hurts to get a little extra detox support. At the Mindful Healing Clinic, we offer convenient and professional detoxification services in Mississauga, Ontario to give your body the extra boost it needs. Our patients commonly ask for tips for detoxing safely at home. In this article, we’ll discuss some ways you can perform some simple, daily actions to detoxify on your own and enjoy a healthier, cleaner body. Here are five easy steps to make it easier for your body to detox on a daily basis. 1. Drink Enough Water Keeping your hydrated and refreshed does wonders for your body’s natural detoxification process. Drinking plenty of water can help your body in more ways than you can likely imagine. From weight loss to improved mood and concentration, you name it and water likely does it. RELATED: Having Trouble Focusing? Here’s What Might Be Causing It Most notably, staying hydrated is important to many of your body’s vital organs . In addition to the benefits highlighted above, proper water intake can also help improve your skin health and sleep quality. RELATED: Naturopathic Treatments For Skin Conditions Remember what we said about your liver being so important for your body’s natural detoxification process? In fact, it’s your body’s main detox organ. So, keeping it healthy is extremely important. Thankfully, water can help with your liver as well. D-limonene, a substance with antioxidant properties found in the rind of citrus fruits like lemon, supports healthy liver function to naturally improve the detox process. Simply add a drop or two of lemon juice or oil to your glass of water each morning to reap the benefits. Dr. Maria's Tip: Aim to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day. It can be especially helpful to drink plenty of water in the morning. By squeezing a lemon into a hot cup of water, you can replace one of your morning cups of coffee, thereby reducing your caffeine intake. The lemon water alkalizes your pH, which in turn makes your body inhabitable to disease, and stimulates your digestion and liver cleansing function. It can even help to curb your appetite and reduce junk food cravings. 2. Get Sweaty Sweating is another way that your body releases toxins. Therefore, finding ways to bring on a good sweat can be very beneficial for your body’s detoxification. Set aside 30 minutes each day and go on a brisk walk, jog, bike ride, or swim. The type of activity doesn’t matter, so long as it causes you to sweat. In addition to boosting your body’s natural detoxification process, exercising daily can also help with your overall health and keep you feeling your best. However, if you have mobility issues or other conditions which limit your ability to participate in exercise, you can still reap the benefits of threating through other activities like going to a sauna, steam room, or taking a hot bath. Sweating releases toxins from the body, gets your blood moving, and ensures a healthy metabolism. Just make sure to hydrate before and after sweating. Dr. Maria's Tip: Using a sauna to bring on sweating can be particularly helpful to your health as it applies Contrast Hydrotherapy (CH). This is a process that exposes your body to alternating hot and cold temperatures to produce a variety of health benefits. Hot temperatures help to increase the size of your body’s blood vessels. RELATED: Making Sense Of Your Blood Pressure This improves the blood flow and therefore improves the transfer of nutrients and waste, enabling toxins to leave your body through sweat. In turn, your immune system is strengthened. This in turn strengthens your immune system, enhancing your body’s natural defense against colds and flus and other infectious diseases. If you don’t have the time or inclination to go to a sauna, then simply follow a hot shower with 10 seconds of cold water at the end of your bathing session. 3. Drink Herbal Teas Drinking herbal or green tea is another great caffeine alternative that provides detoxification benefits. In fact, research has found that herbal teas and kombucha are helpful in reducing your risk of cancer and improvement of cardiovascular health. While green tea has clear detox properties, other herbal teas can help improve your sleep, boost your energy, cleanse your liver and kidneys, and more. Dr. Maria's Tip: Substitute your regular morning cup of coffee with green or herbal teas. Green tea is rich in antioxidants that help rid your liver and body of toxins. You can also try herbal teas that include dandelion root, milk thistle, burdock or Schizandra. Your green tea or any herbal tea helps will help to detoxify your body, stimulate digestion, and increase your metabolism. 4. Dry Skin Brushing Before You Shower As the largest organ of your body, your skin is vital for healthy detoxification and proper digestion. Your skin is such an important organ that it’s sometimes referred to as a third kidney. So, why not make taking care of it a top priority? One of the ways you can accomplish this is through dry skin brushing. Dry skin brushing improves lymphatic drainage, reduces cellulite, promotes digestion, and supports detoxification. You can purchase a skin brush at any store or simply use a dry towel. Dry skin brush daily in the morning before you go into the shower. This helps to remove dead skin cells and release toxins. Make sure to check with your naturopathic doctor before using a dry skin brush if you have any skin conditions, such as eczema. Dr. Maria's Tip: Try the BSL (Brush, Scrape, and Lather) practice. In addition to dry brushing your skin, you can scrape your tongue to remove toxins, and lather your body with natural soap. This can stimulate the lymph canals, particularly if you use a good soap with natural essential oils. 5. Deep Sleep Ready, steady, snooze. We know that life tends to get busy, but don't let a hectic day come in the way of an adequate dose of ZZZs. There's nothing like a full night of uninterrupted sleep to wake up all charged up to slay the demons the next day. Sleep is essential to a healthy, functioning body. It’s when we reset our brain, repair cells and flush out toxins from our liver and kidneys. Awakening well rested will also encourage you to eat healthier, be more active and have a better mood. Your body cleanses itself while you sleep, with the liver doing a lot of its dirty work in the early morning hours. Dr. Maria's Tip: There's a reason it's called “beauty sleep”. Adequate sleep directly equates to better health and performance, and plays a key role in the ability to learn, solve problems and maintain a healthy mental outlook. So don't skimp on sleep, you deserve the Zzzzzs. Small Act, Big Impact Everything works well when you clean and recharge it regularly. The same goes for your body. Take the time to detoxify yourself on a continual basis with these five steps. By taking small, consistent, daily steps, you keep your body detoxified, feeling good, and staying healthy. How Can A Naturopathic Doctor Help With Detoxification? More people are now realizing the benefits of naturopathy as a serious alternative to treating, managing, and preventing a variety of diseases and health problems. The focus of naturopathic medicine is to always promote wellness rather than merely suppressing the symptoms. To quote Hippocrates, “Nature cures, not the physician.” An experienced naturopath identifies and treats the underlying causes to restore the body’s normal function and promote overall health. Take the first steps to address your detoxification issues and begin the journey to good health by contacting us today. Book Your Appointment With The Mindful Healing Clinic Today At Mindful Healing, one of Mississauga's premier holistic healthcare centres, we're committed to helping you achieve optimal health, on your terms. Book your appointment with The Mindful Healing Clinic today to hear how natural medicine can transform your life.

Maria Cavallazzi

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