5 Myths Of Detoxifying Your Body

Detoxification has been practiced for centuries in cultures throughout the world. A vital part of Chinese and Auyervedic medicine the concept of detoxifying your body is becoming more mainstream and I am hearing others talk about it more and more. But there are some misconceptions floating around about detoxification so I wanted to write an article on this subject to help clear up a few things.

1. You need to fast in order to detox. 
This could not be further from the truth. Detoxifying is about resting, cleaning and nourishing your body from the inside out. There are detox programs out there that require fasting like "Master Cleanse" a 10-day fasting program where you consume only lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. But these are totally ineffective and one of the worst things you can do for proper detoxification. Fasting causes your body to do the exact opposite of flushing toxins out of your body and instead it holds on to fat tissue in particular, which is where you store most of your toxins. Another factor to consider is when you are properly detoxifying and flushing the toxins out and are not replacing that newly created space in your cells with nutrients your body will likely grab onto another toxin. Your body needs a specific set of nutrients found in whole organic natural foods in order to perform a proper detox.

2. If you eat healthy you do not need to detox. 
We are exposed to more and more chemicals every year. There are over 3,000 chemicals added to our food supply while over 10,000 chemical solvents like emulsifiers and preservatives used to process our food. Even if you eat healthy you are still exposed to toxins in your environment that are impossible to control. Eating healthy is great but if your cells are full of toxins your body cannot absorb the nutrients of all the healthy food you are eating. A cell is a singular space, so if its holding onto a toxin by definition it cannot hold a nutrient, you can't get two things into a single space. To get the most of your healthy food you should aim to detox every 3 months to keep your body absorbing all the good vitamins and minerals so that your body can be healthy and strong.

3. There is no real benefit to detoxing. 
Toxins accumulate in your body over time. If you think about it for even a second the concept of flushing toxins out of your body makes complete sense. We as a society take in an enormous amount of toxins every day then eat food that does nothing to help nourish and cleanse the body and instead puts more toxins in the body. Toxins stay trapped in our bodies contributing to the obesity epidemic, cancer, heart disease, auto immune disorders; I could really go on and on for pages about the damage toxins have on your body. When you are putting so many toxins in your body it would only make sense that a regular detox is necessary and essential to your health. Detoxing allows your body to unlock and eliminate these harmful toxins before they build up in your body.

If you experience; fatigue or are constantly tired, bloating, cravings for are continually snacking, get headaches or migraines, have allergies or skin disorders, are anxious or depressed, or have digestive problems such as diarrhea, constipation, stomach aches, and indigestion then you absolutely would benefit from detoxing. These are all signals your body gives you that it's on toxicity overload and needs attention.

4. Detox is expensive and should be done in a clinic.
Detoxing is very affordable and you do not need to be supervised by a medical professional while cleansing. If you have a health concern as always you should discuss it with your health care professional. You should not detox if you are pregnant or nursing and is not recommended for children.

5. Detox is just for the liver and colon. 
Your liver is the second largest organ in your body performing over 500 tasks! Obviously when you detox you are cleansing your liver and colon but that's not all. You are also cleansing your digestive system, your body tissues, and cells. Cleansing removes toxins and impurities from your whole body restoring and rejuvenating your mind, body, and spirit.

Detoxifying your body is essential to the overall maintenance of your body on the inside for optimal long-term health. After detoxing you'll notice you feel lighter, more energetic, and clear minded. You may notice your eyes are brighter and your complexion is radiant. These are all amazing signs that your body is healing itself from the inside out.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Discover The Secret Of 3 Healthy Foods For Skin

Your skin's health depicts the overall status of your body. If your skin is glowing and has an extra blush on the cheeks, this indicates a good overall health of your body. The skin simply reflects the status of your health. An unhealthy person would be having a yellowish to pale complexion and certain dullness. This shows the condition when a person is not having proper foods in the diet. Your diet should contain foods that are healthy. The key to a good and healthy skin is a good diet plan which would fulfill the deficiencies in the body, leaving the skin glowing and healthy. The three foods that would change your life if you consume them are citrus fruits, almonds and milk.

Citrus fruits:

Citrus fruits are abundant in vitamin C and the best source to get it. Our body doesn't produce vitamin C so it has to be taken from other sources. Vitamin C enables you to combat against wrinkles and fine lines that are developed by exposing yourself to the harmful rays of the sun. Ultra violet rays from the sun damages your skin tissues and makes it excessively dry. With this dryness your skin develops wrinkles and fine lines. 

If you want to look young and beautiful, you need to avoid going in the sun often. Whenever you expose yourself to the sun, make sure you take a good amount of vitamin C so that your skin can be protected from the harmful rays of the sun. Make a habit of wearing sun glasses and carrying an umbrella with you.

Almonds:

Almonds are very essential food for skin and eyes. They provide nourishment to the skin making it soft and smooth. Your skin needs moisture to remain hydrated so that it doesn't look dull and dry. If almonds are used on a regular basis then it would certainly give your skin a very healthy and glowing look. Almond oil is very good to use for skin care purposes. It keeps the skin silky and smooth. Take almond oil and massage it on your face for a few minutes then later on wash it off. It would give tremendous results in days.

Milk:

This white fluid is a great source of getting calcium for the skin. Milk is very essential for the nourishment of the skin. You must've experienced white spots in your nails and even your face. They indicate that your body is not getting enough calcium. Sometimes these white spots turn into white patches on your face which means that your skin is deficient in calcium intake. Milk is the best source of getting calcium. One glass of milk a day should be made compulsory. 

Your body needs milk for other purposes as well but it is the best fluid after water for your skin. It enhances the complexion of your skin and makes it look healthy.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

5 Ways Activated Charcoal Will Benefit Your Life

What if you could soak up poisons and improve intestinal health from a small black pill? No, this 'magical' isn't something like the pill on the Matrix. Instead, it's made from insoluble carbonized wood that's oxidized by gases at high temperatures.

For over 10,000 years, healers from Chinese medicine have used it for it's absorption capabilities. Just 2 grams of activated charcoal powder has nearly the same surface area as a football field. Now imagine the powerful impact this has in your stomach.

Photo: Via Makansutra

A detoxifying super giant

The oxidative process that creates activated charcoals creates very fine pores and results in it's ability to absorb 100 times its weight in toxins, bacteria, chemicals, and unwanted medications.

When the charcoal enters your system it attaches to the foreign bodies so that they are passed out of the body by elimination. This prevents you from replicating or absorbing certain material into your bloodstream. Many air and water filters use charcoal for it's absorption capabilities. 

When you bought a Brita you may have seen black in the water during your first flush. Aquasana takes this a step further with it's 3 stage filtration using activated carbon, ion exchange and sub-micron filtration to significantly increase surface area. There's a reason charcoal has been used for 10,000+ years and so many companies use it for toxin absorption. So why are you missing out?

Photo: Via Coalisthenewblack.com

Activated charcoal benefits

By now you know that activated carbon has a pretty hefty way to absorb foreign material. But what does this mean for you? Will your poop turn black, will it absorb your food nutrients, and will it flush out your good gut flora? Not quite. It binds to foreign invaders, toxins that shouldn't be allowed in your body. Think more along the lines of alcohol, crappy food, metals, and bacteria.

Here are the distinct activated carbon benefits:

• Overall detoxification: Chronic exposure to toxins will create cellular damage, allergic reactions, poor immunity, and increased aging. By taking activated charcoal you'll remove this unwanted toxins from your body.


• Relieves digestive issues: Upon digesting foods like beans, the decomposition from bacteria creates unruly gas or diarrhea. You remember the song "bean, beans, the magical fruit... " don't you? Activated charcoal binds to the byproducts created by bacteria and alleviates these digestive issues.


• Neutralizer for drugs, chemicals, poisons & alcohol: If you ingest poisons such as alcohol, chlorine, or unwanted drugs, taking a single large dose of activated carbon will help your body flush the poisons faster. Activated charcoal adsorbs most organic chemicals, many inorganic chemicals, drugs, pesticides, mercury, and even lead, before they harm your body.


• Anti-aging: As you age your brain becomes incredibly sensitive to toxins. Activated carbon slows this rate and encourages better cognitive function. It also prevents many cellular changes associated with aging, adrenal gland, and kidney function.


• Heart health: Activated charcoal lowers the amount of total lipids, cholesterol, and triglycerides in your blood, liver, heart, and brain.

Photo: Via Journalofnaturalmedicine.com

When should you take activated charcoal?

Let me clear something up. Taking activated charcoal isn't your excuse to force feed toxins through your mouth. Overdoing alcohol, drinking poor quality water and eating bad food will always result in a worse you.

However, there are times you should take advantage of activated charcoal:

• Take it when you've had one too many drinks
• Take it when you have to eat at a subpar restaurant with poor quality meat and produce
• When you feel yourself getting tired or moody
• Put it on your toothbrush for stained teeth
• Take it when you feel bloated or have stomach pains
• It is helpful for jet lag
• Take it during pregnancy to bind toxins

Activated charcoal benefits are many! Whether you're using it to correct indirect digestion of foreign material, or to help with poor decisions you made, it's a must have remedy in your daily arsenal.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Pomegranate Health Benefits

One of the newest foods to be mentioned as one of the most beneficial to health is pomegranate. As with other bright and vividly colored foods, this fruit has been found to possibly help the body in a number of ways. Pomegranate health benefits can come from the fruit itself, but is more commonly taken into the body as a juice. More than any other type of fruit juice available, pomegranate juice has a high level of antioxidants, which benefits specific areas as well as overall health.

The reason behind the pomegranate's power is the fact that it contains one of the highest amounts of antioxidants in a fruit. Specifically, the antioxidants are said to be able to help with repairing cell damage and strengthening the body. Also, they help fight the free radicals in the body's system that causes it to age. The slowing down of the aging process is a sure sign of the fruit's benefits.

Nutrition of the pomegranate includes some of the most important vitamins a body needs to maintain good health. Crucial amounts of vitamin C, E and A are all present in the juice. Because of these high levels, another health benefit of pomegranate juice is being able to fight the common cold. This happens in a couple of different ways. First, the vitamins are there to assist the body to keep healthy and boost the immune system. Secondly, the properties of the juice are said to actually be able to kill viruses in the mouth before they can even make it into the body. This would make the benefit preventative as well as a type of treatment.

Other serious diseases and conditions can be looked at to benefit from the pomegranate as well. Because of the restorative properties of the fruit, it may help to fight the progress of damaged brain cells from Alzheimer's. Cancer is another degenerative condition that may be slowed and treated by pomegranate, including prostate, skin and breast cancer. Additional health issues that may be treatable with pomegranate health benefits are high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Heart disease is another area where pomegranate benefits may make major improvements in. Plaque in the arteries can be lessened by the continued use of the juice, which would help with blood flow and that results in better heart health. Another factor that assists in this process may be the blood thinning properties that the nutrients in the fruit provide.

Other benefits may include treatment of osteoarthritis, fighting plaque on the teeth promoting better health in the mouth, and the prevention of infection due to viruses by stopping them in the mouth. Dental and mouth health can greatly impact the health of the person overall, so any measures that can help to increase the health of the mouth area will be of benefit to the whole person.

With so many pomegranate health benefits, it is no surprise that more and more people are becoming interested in finding out how their bodies can really benefit from the fruit. Since the demand for the fruit and its juice is rising, anyone can find more information about how the benefits can help them. There are many sources on the Internet as well as in a person's local library about pomegranate health benefits.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com