Do you feel sluggish, foggy-headed?  By detoxifying your body you could feel more vitality, mental clarity, and even a stronger immune system.  Many cultures around the world have practiced detoxification of the body.  This involves resting, cleaning, and nourishing the body from the inside out. It requires removing and eliminating toxins, and then feeding the body healthy nutrients. By this process, the body has the ability to maintain optimum health, which helps protect it from illness and disease.

How does detoxifying work?  It is basically cleaning the blood and removing impurities from the blood in the liver, the kidneys, intestines, skin, lungs, and the lymph system. When these areas of the body are not in tip-top shape, every cell in the body is affected in an adverse way. Good first steps are to eliminate, alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats.  All of these act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to your best health.  Another good thing is to remove as much stress as possible.  Stress triggers hormones, which in large amounts can slow down detoxification in the liver, so it is important to detox your stressful life as well as your body.

Many detoxification programs exist, and it is best to find one that fits your individual needs.  Some recommend juice fasts, while others use cleansing supplement packages, and some even have a routine of drinking only water one day a week.  Take care in finding what will be the best for you.

After a detoxifting program you can help cleanse the body daily by doing some basic things:
1. Eat plenty of fiber.
2. Take vitamin C which helps the liver eliminate toxins.
3. Drink at least 2 quarts of water daily.
4. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate better through your system.
5. Emphasize positive emotions to transform stress.
6. Exercise.
7. Shower with quite hot water for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow this with cold water for 30 seconds. Repeat this three times, and then get into bed for 30 minutes.

Some researchers says that it is good to detox the body once a year. Consult your health care provider or practitioner if you have any questions about whether detoxing is right for you.  It certainly is not recommended for children, nursing mothers, and patients with degenerative disesase.