Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Detoxification is Key to a Healthy Body: Part 1

I’ve always heard of juicing, working out, Bikram Yoga, eating healthy as ways to detox your body. All of those are good but there are other ways to help rid your body of toxins and to increase energy. These ways are becoming big on the health and wellness scene and for good reason. I was introduced to these methods as I’m recovering from Lyme Disease and a couple of coinfections which is a bacterial infection caused by a tic bite and other biting insects. I went to several doctors before I found the one that wanted to not only treat my symptoms but my entire body. I tell people before you make an appointment to do anything below to get medical clearance from your doctor or a health professional. A lot of times if you go to a medical spa they have a questionnaire to fill out to see if you would be able to receive these services. Also a lot of the medical spas and wellness centers offer great deals on www.groupon.com

Colon hydrotherapy:

People are naturally scared or shy away from this because of the nature of how you have to get the colon hydrotherapy or another word for it is colonics. The benefits however are amazing as it helps your body get rid of parasites, assists with leaky gut, constipation, rids your body of waste that has been sitting for weeks or even months. Other benefits include the healing of diarrhea, gas, bloating, hemorrhoids, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), colitis, skin conditions such as psoriasis, shingles, assists with the healing of certain chronic illnesses, eczema and inability to lose weight.

Colon hydrotherapy cleanses the colon, hydrates your body, reshapes the colon and exercises the colon muscles so it can perform better. A lot of people who fast for example will get a colonic during that period to help expel any waste. Also people who have chronic illnesses and are on a lot of medications will get one periodically to help get the dead bacteria out as it can cause toxins and bio films (which is the slime from dead bacteria).

Colon Hydrotherapy Bed
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


So you’re probably asking, “How does it work?”:

It’s quite simple.

·         You find a reputable health and wellness center or a doctor’s office that has a medical spa. A lot of integrative doctors now offer colon hydrotherapy. Also make sure there is a certified colon hydro therapist there and that the clinic or center is certified to even do colon hydro therapies.

·         Ask for the pre and post instructions as to what to eat and drink.

·         Go to the store and buy those grocery items if you don’t have them. If you are like me you might be worn out the first time you get one done.

·         Once you go to your appointment you will be lead to a private room. If it’s like the one at my doctors office in Washington, DC then it is dimly lit and quiet.

·         The equipment is shaped like a raised bed as you can see from the image above and the person will walk you through everything.

·         Once undressed from the bottom down you get on the reclined bed and place a sheet over you and slowly insert the piece (disposable speculum) that will expel water into your colon into your rectum. (Be cautious, it does not go all the way into your rectum). The colon hydro therapist will tell you how much to insert which is a little more than the tip of the speculum.

·         The colon hydro therapist will then enter the room when you are ready and turn the water on.

·         He/she will either leave and check on your periodically and also to add more water to the system or some stay with you and actually massage the area where your colon is (it’s up to your discretion). Some even offer Castor oil packs to place on your colon (helps with movement).

·         Most colon hydrotherapy sessions last for 30 minutes. It might seem long but the benefits are amazing. You will physically feel lighter after a session.

·         After your session you want to hydrate yourself with something like coconut water because it has electrolytes. Keep hydrating with it or something else that has natural sugar and electrolytes. Also as I stated before be gentle with your eating and drink decaffeinated herbal teas.

When you make your appointment they will tell you what to do pre and post getting a colonic such as drinking a lot water (but not two hours prior to appointment) you don’t want your bladder to be full and afterwards you want to hydrate your body again, not to eat processed foods (before or after), some don’t want you to eat raw foods afterwards like salads or nuts. Eating gentle foods like lentil soup, sweet potatoes or drink herbal teas afterwards for a few days. Your colon has just been cleaned out and you want to be kind to it after getting a colonic.

Next we have the Far Infrared Sauna:

A lot of people are buying these for their homes and they even have portable ones that are shaped like a bag on Amazon for as low as $200.00. It’s not like your average sauna. The difference between a sauna and a far infrared sauna is that an infrared sauna heats your body from the core (1.5-2 inches deep) and produces the body’s cellular detoxification. It makes you feel as if you have a fever and then after some time your body will sweat the toxins out. They come in a variety of models, one is pictured below where you can lay across the bench and some (which isn’t shown gives you just enough room to sit up). Some people can only do 20 minutes (which is good to start with and can go as long as 45 minutes).
Infrared Sauna
 







A lot of health and wellness centers have these, integrative doctors, chiropractic practices and now even some gyms have them. Again I would advise that you consult your doctor. Especially if you have neurological problems as your head is inside the wooden ones. If you get the portable one then your head sticks out also if you are claustrophobic then you might not want to use this for detoxification.

What are the other benefits of a Far Infrared Sauna?:

·         Relieves stress

·         Enhances immune system

·         Improves cardiovascular conditioning

·         Assist with weight management and lastly

·         Pain relief

I suffered from neuropathy in my right leg; it would go from weak to severe pain for weeks. A few sessions in the infrared sauna and aqua chi foot baths as well as other home remedies and my leg was back to normal.

Aqua Chi Foot Bath:

This is not your average foot bath when you just soak your feet in water so you feel good or to help take pain away. The benefits are far beyond that. The Aqua Chi Foot Bath combines water with a specialized electric charge. The negative ions created during your session are similar to ones found in hot springs or natural charged water sources. There is a piece of equipment (the module) that goes into the water first and after a few minutes you put your feet in. The equipment is what creates the negative ions (and don’t worry...you won’t get electrocuted). The module is attached to the power pack which is placed away from the water. Most set the timers between 20-30 minutes depending on if it is your first time. Some may give you more time if it is your first time and then less time as you return for more.
The key is the color the water turns. (Yes the water turns colors). Below describes what the different colors mean.

Color or Particle Material or Area of the Body Being Detoxified

Black--Liver

Black Flecks--Heavy Metals

Brown--Liver, Tobacco, Cellular Debris

Dark Green--Gall Bladder

Orange--Joints

Red Flecks--Blood Clot Material

White Cheese-Like Particles Most Likely Yeast

White Foam Mucous from Lymph System

Yellow-Green Kidneys, Bladder, Urinary Tract, Female/Prostate Area

I was frightened at first because mine was a dark brown color with some white and black speckles. It means that I have a lot of cellular debris (between the herbs, supplements that caused the bacteria die off in my case) was coming out. I also dealt with Candida which were the white cheese like specks and the black are heavy metals or toxins. The more you go depending on your health, the water might change colors. Some people are on lifelong medications and may or may not see a huge difference in the water but they feel more energized afterwards. In my case I felt tired after my first couple of sessions and then by the third one I felt the energy throughout my whole body!
Some people choose to buy the aqua chi foot bath for their homes. Google and look for a good brand. Ask around to see what worked best for people or if you don’t want to buy one then you can always find a place that offers this service. Don’t worry about how many people have used the basin because with every session there is a liner placed inside and when you are done the liner is thrown away.
Massages:
There are various massages that assist with the detoxification of your body. A massage will get the toxins to move around and eventually out of your body. The one that I needed the most was a Lymph Drain Massage to help with the assistance of my lymph system draining. Now some people have asked me what is your lymph system and how important is it?

It is very important to your body. The lymphatic system are vessels that move the fluid around your body and assist with keeping harmful things such as toxins away from your cells. You actually have more fluid in your body than blood so when a blockage appears it can cause a lot of problems. For example I could feel the head pressure, tremors in my jaw, stiff neck because the lymph nodes in my face and neck were not draining properly. I felt very heavy headed as if I had a bad head cold. Some people feel pain radiating through their body, stiffness, numbness, etc. Lymph drainage massage helps keep the lymph system happy and healthy. You don’t have to be sick in order to get this massage. Some people who are very healthy get this massage to keep their body performing at its best. You want to make sure the massage therapist knows how to do Lymph Drainage and some are even certified in this area.

Again before you do any of these things, do your research, figure out what is best for your health and if you have a medical condition then talk to your practitioner first or find a holistic/integrative doctor.

I hope I was able to shed some light on various ways you can stay healthy or if you are trying to get better holistically. Stay tuned for part 2 that discusses ways to detox at home. Here’s to a healthier new you!

Serena Wills is not a health practitioner and only sharing what worked for her, you should consult a medical practitioner/integrative doctor before trying these, especially if you have a medical condition.

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