The Detoxifying Benefits of Acupuncture

Going through a detox plan can help rid your body of toxins that can make you sick. Once most people go through a detox and feel better, they’re a lot more determined to take care of their body.

When you live a clean lifestyle, you understand the importance of eating as healthy as possible, exercising and staying on track to good health. Acupuncture is something that can work with your detox program as well as help you continue to feel better once you're finished.

Traditional healthcare acupuncture (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are many reasons for this, with one being that acupuncture can help with mental detoxification as well as physical detoxification. You can practice acupuncture with a certified acupuncturist, or even in the comfort of your own home.

Any time you begin a detoxification program, you may experience some symptoms because of the toxins leaving your body. You might feel differently and not as comfortable if you use a detox plan that completely changes the way that you would normally eat.

Your body sometimes gets stuck in a rut with how you eat and live. When you shake that up, it throws your body out of its normal routine, even if that "normal" is plagued with toxins and not all that healthy.

When going through a detox plan, some people will experience some bowel discomfort such as gas and bloating. You might experience some diarrhea or constipation.

Headaches, muscle aches and fatigue can also be associated with a detox plan. This is because your body has become accustomed to the presence of these toxins and has adjusted to the way they impact your health.

As the toxins are cleansed from your body, you will go through a resetting period and you’ll feel various side effects. Acupuncture can help those side effects not be as intrusive - as well as help the detox itself work better.

What this form of alternative treatment does is restore your body’s balance - the balance that the toxins take from you. The body is a wonderfully crafted thing and it can fight off a host of infections, bacteria, viruses and more when it’s in good health!

Basic Acupuncture. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But the minute your body is out of balance, it creates a disconnect between your mind and body. Acupuncture returns this balance - and with it, returns your natural restorative health powers to your body.

Acupuncture works with detoxification and your body’s own immune system to help you feel whole again. And it does so much more than that. Acupuncture can help alleviate some of the symptoms that are caused by toxins. It can relieve allergies caused by environmental toxins, boost the immune system and stop headaches related to toxins.

These are just a few of the benefits waiting for you when you combine acupuncture with your detox lifestyle.

Here are a few resources to help you learn more:

   

4 Simple & Effective Detoxing Methods

Some of you may know that my husband and I are in the process of buying a house. We closed on Monday, and are in the process of moving, so for the next couple of weeks, we will only be posting once a week on this blog until we get settled in. So be sure to check back on Wednesdays for helpful info on how to live a cleaner, greener, and healthier life! And remember to visit our main blog at http://www.newholisticliving.com/blog.html for more healthy living topics and resources for natural living.

And now on to this week's topic - how to cleanse and detox without disrupting your life!

It can feel a bit intimidating to hear about other people's detoxification efforts.  Perhaps you know of people who have paid large sums of money, and spent weeks in detox "camps" where their diets are strictly regulated.  Maybe you know of people who have received enemas, gone on very restrictive diets, have felt terribly ill, or otherwise have had to take large amounts of time out of their lives to detox.

Most of us cannot just stop our lives in order to do a hard-core detox.

If you want to detoxify while still getting on with your life, here are some gentle but effective methods:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Raw Vegetables and Fruits

In this kind of detox, you simply eat only raw fruits and vegetables for two or three days, and drink only water, herbal teas, or diluted fruit juice.  All foods consumed in this detox diet need to be organic.  Much of the principle behind this type of detoxification is to reduce the intake of toxins, as well as flushing them from the system.

2. Meditation

Many proponents of detoxification claim that meditation helps cleanse the mind and body.  Because meditation relaxes the body and brings focus, it makes sense that it would be a healthy means of personal cleansing.  Some practitioners of meditation use visualization and energy channeling to move toxins out of the body.  Meditation can easily be worked into your schedule, either performed every day or just a few times a week.

3. Smoothies

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This can be a very tasty, creative detox!  As long as the ingredients are fresh and organic and based on fruits and vegetables, you can mix all sorts of smoothies for your daily meals. 

Some foods to consider in your smoothies are: kale, broccoli, spinach, apples (unpeeled), berries, citrus fruits, pears, peaches, and so forth.

Another advantage of the smoothie detox is that you can add any supplements you want to take, such as probiotics, organic whey protein, or fiber, to the smoothie ingredients before mixing them in the blender.

4. Overall Lifestyle

Instead of a temporary detox diet, you can simply make some long-term simple lifestyle changes to detoxify your body and keep it that way.

Some ways to do that include:

• Switch to organic, whole, fresh foods rather than conventionally grown, processed, or prepackaged foods.

• Exercise regularly - it keeps things moving in the body, and induces sweating, another form of detox your body naturally employs.

• Use only natural, toxin-free cleaners to clean your home. (Visit our website for some suggestions.)

• Use only natural, toxin-free soaps, shampoos, deodorants, and styling products. (Visit our website for some good options.)

• Eat meat only a couple of times a week, and switch to organic, grass-fed, free-range meats.

• Cut back on dairy products and eat only organic products.

• Eliminate or reduce your refined sugar intake and, when you do need a sweetener, consider raw, unfiltered honey, maple syrup, or the calorie-free herb, stevia.

• Drink plenty of water.

Above, you have been provided with several simple ideas on how to incorporate detoxification into your life, without disrupting your life and health, or undertaking an arduous cleansing regimen. Living a cleaner, healthier lifestyle can result in a life filled with increased health and wellness.  

For more suggestions about how to reduce toxins in your home, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/reducing-your-toxic-load.html and be sure to download your FREE Home Checklist!