Flushed away

Photo / Babiche Martens

Detox has become a bit of a buzzword over the past decade and as with all "trends" in the health industry, many brands have jumped on the bandwagon - some good, some not so good and some downright dangerous. While many argue we don't need to detox ("isn't that what our liver is for?"), others agree that a little help every now and then can go a long way in terms of energy, weight management and overall well-being.

Our bodies are subject to many more toxins and stressors today than they were originally designed to cope with. Pesticides, herbicides and hormones in foods, pollutants in the air from car and factory fumes, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, nicotine and of course, stress, all of which can lead to a pretty lethargic, not to mention lardy liver.

This over-exertion of the liver can manifest itself in a number of health complaints, including digestive problems like IBS and constipation, an increase in body fat, cellulite, headaches, increased appetite, fluid retention, skin breakouts and congestion, sore and red stinging eyes and waking up consistently between 2 and 4am.

Luckily, our bodies are pretty on to it when it comes to internal cleansing. We have our urinary system, lungs, liver, lymphatic system and skin all of which work around the clock to expel any circulating nasties. The urinary system needs lots of water to do its job, the lungs need good quality pollutant-free air to feed the blood a consistent supply of oxygen.

The liver's purpose is to change a substance from one that would poison the system into one that can be safely expelled.

If the liver is overloaded with toxic substances such as alcohol, sugar and caffeine it will do as much as it can, prioritising the most toxic and sending the rest off to the fat cells which can safely store them in the meantime. If we continue to pile in the toxins, the size of our fat cells will continue to increase, and you know what that means! The lymphatic system relies on movement and massage to stimulate it and get the lymph fluid moving, and the skin, which excretes toxins through perspiration, needs to be able to perspire, which can be a problem if it's caked in pore-clogging synthetic beauty lotions and potions.

A few small tweaks that will make a huge improvement in the efficiency of your detoxification system, include drinking more mineral or filtered water (aim to drink at least 0.033 litres per kg of body weight each day), quitting smoking, cutting down the amount of alcohol, sugar, caffeine, processed foods and trans fats in the diet, increasing the amount of movement each day and swapping synthetic beauty products for more natural, preferably organic brands.

If you want to give your body a break, there are a number of therapies and treatments that can help...

Deep Tissue Flush Massage

The massage is firm but comfortable and gets deep into the tissues to get things moving. It stimulates circulation, which helps to flush out toxins from the cells, allowing fresh blood supply and nutrients to enter, improving the health and vitality of each individual cell.

Deep Tissue Flush Massage, $80 for 60 minutes.
Tracey White, 252 Parnell Road, Parnell.
www.traceywhite.co.nz
Ph: 021 1383961

Colon Hydrotherapy

A gentle stream of warm, filtered water is fed into the rectum via a disposable nozzle that is attached to a machine. The water softens, breaks up and then removes impacted and dehydrated faecal, mucoid and parasitic waste, which has in some cases accumulated for many years. It is perfectly comfortable and very private - you are covered by a cotton blanket at all times and other than a brief tummy massage to get things moving, the therapists leave you alone in the private room for the 40 minute duration. The Colon Care Centre works with open system machines, which are the most effective type and after a session or three (the recommended amount), you will literally feel internally cleansed. Brighter eyes, more energy with a much flatter, gas-free tummy. They also have a Far Infra-red sauna at the centre, which is an excellent way to rid your body of toxins and can burn up to 1000 calories in half an hour, simply by sitting and sweating it out in the deep penetrating infra-red heat.

Colonic Hydrotherapy, $95 for initial session ($90 there after).
Far Infra-red Sauna, $20 for $35 minutes.
The Colon Care Centre, 639 New North Road, Morningside.
www.coloncarecentre.co.nz,
Ph: (09) 815 6499

Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage

A relaxing 50-minute treatment, where the therapist uses gentle rhythmic massage-like strokes to stimulate fluid movement in the tissues and activate lymph circulation, thus encouraging toxins to exit the cells and leave the body.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage, $85.
Interactive Healing Therapies, 3/439 Parnell Road, Parnell.
www.lymphenergy.co.nz
Ph: (09) 368 9496

Dietary detox

For four to 10 days, cut out alcohol, caffeine, sugar, dairy, wheat, red meat and all processed foods from your diet. Eat only fresh, preferably organic, produce including fruits, vegetables, brown rice, oats, nuts, seeds, legumes (beans), fish and lean chicken. Drink plenty of water and herbal tea. Many people find detoxification difficult because the side effects can be uncomfortable. These side effects are caused when the cells release the toxins into the bloodstream for expulsion. It is a necessary but uncomfortable part of the detoxification process and can result in headaches, insomnia, cravings, lethargy and irritability. Foods that can help to lessen the symptoms, include broccoli, watercress, lemon, lime, edamame/soya beans and tofu, turmeric, ginger, beetroot, carrot and garlic, so be sure to include these as well as lots of mineral water to flush out waste. Stick with it, because by day four or five, you will have more energy, feel more alert, have clearer skin, sleep better and feel healthier, lighter and fitter with fewer cravings.

Organic food stores:

Wise Cicada, 23 Crowhurst Street, Newmarket.
Huckleberry Farms, cnr Greenlane Rd West and Manukau Rd, Epsom.
Huckleberry Farms, 150 Apirana Ave, Glenn Innes.
Harvest Whole Foods, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn.
Ceres Organics, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie.
Naturally Organic, 215/9 Rosedale Road, Albany.

FormoStar Infra-red Body Wrap

Six high-density silicone bandages are wrapped around the torso, legs, and arms then for 50 minutes infra-red heat is applied. It increases blood circulation, which facilitates natural purification of the body as bi-products of the metabolic process are carried off at a faster rate. Not only this, up to 1200 calories can be burnt off in each 50-minute session, as the lipolytic (fat burning) enzymes are stimulated during the treatment.

FormoStar Infra-red Body Wrap, $50 for 50 minutes.
Herne Bay Well Being, 106 Jervois Road, Ponsonby.
www.hernebaywellbeing.co.nz
Ph: (09) 360 2191
(Also available at Interactive Healing Therapies, details above.)