Detox From The Holiday Season
Posted on 12 December 2008
With the Holidays coming there are bound to be times you need to detox your body, not only because of the partying that will happen but the fact that we are subjected to a vast amount of bugs and viruses are likely to cause cold’s and flu’s unless we take care of ourselves and detox our bodies. So on top of maintaining your immunity here are some tips you can do to keep your body detoxing and flushing out all the bad stuff……
Sweat it out
Sweating is the main way your body rids it self of toxins, it has been an age old tradition and it makes a lot of sense….
The sweat lodge has been used by the indigenous population of the Americas all the way from the Eskimos south to the Mayans. Sweat lodges were used for everything from cure for illness and aching muscles to ridding oneself of evil spirits.
So we have 2 main options for sweating the first is obviously sports, the trouble comes in winter when its cold outside and hard to work a sweat. I find that runs/sprints that would have had me dripping wet in the summer do not have nearly the same effect in the cold temperatures; sure i’ll sweat but nothing like the amounts needed to detox…So my reccomendations for breaking a winter detox sweat are as follows;
- Try some Hot Bikram Yoga this is yoga done in a heated room (near sauna temperatures) and it really works up a sweat plus it helps mobility and balance/co-ordination. There is no need to do it more than once a week but its definitely something worth squeezing into your training schedule especially suring the winter months…..
- If your lucky enough to have access to a sauna make use of it, they are not only great for detoxing but allow you to get 10 minutes to unwind releasing all the tension from your muscles.
Making the body sweat using dry saunas helps rid the body of toxic metals that exist in our environment assisting the kidneys in detoxifying the entire body. The sauna is also better to use if weight loss is desired due to the fact that it is harder on the body and burns additional calories. This is thanks to the heat raising your metabolism for a few hours after the sauna as it is heated up and trying to cool down….
- Or last resort is just to do some cardio in the gym. I normally don’t reccomend treadmill time but if you do it right it can make for a great workout and get you sweating. Try 15 minutes of intervals on 3 different machines. I like to Start with the Rowing machine, do a few sets of sprints on a treadmill and then head back to the rower for one last push. This makes a great cardio workout and will guarentee some sweat if you go 1 minute on/1 minute off.
Give some of these a try, in my opinion its important to sweat every now and then even if it is only once a week for 10-15 minutes……
Herbal Detox
After looking into various ways of detoxing I have gotten in the habit of drinking Nettle Tea. Nettle tea has been shown to detoxify the blood and even work as a slight diuretic helping you flush out toxins.
Nettle is said to be extremely beneficial for the kidneys, being useful in expelling gravel from the bladder and dissolving kidney stones. It is a powerful blood purifier that drives out toxins and metabolic wastes by stimulating the kidneys to excrete more water. Nettle tea is said to clean out the entire intestinal tract while activating the body’s natural defense mechanisms.
I have grown to love the stuff and start most morning with a cup mixed with the juice of half a lemon. Nettle tea is something everyone should keep in their pantry especially if you live any kind of hedonistic lifestyle, It makes for the best hangover cure……….
Artichoke Extract – This stuff is great and can be picked up as a herbal tincture. Its not expensive but it has a great effect on the liver as a potent detoxifier.
Artichoke helps with healthy liver function. During detoxification of the liver, the toxic substance is often initially converted to an even more toxic form. Without adequate protection, every time the liver neutralizes a toxin, it is damaged in this process. Artichoke extract has been shown to provide these valuable preventitative health benefits and protection.
The key to ridding yourself of these toxins is to keep a healthy liver this article has some great tips to keep your liver in top shape.
Other Random Detox Tips
Here are a bunch of other random detox tips that have helped me and I am sure can help you detox over the coming weeks.
- As Always try and get plenty of sleep, its so important and one of the most neglected things in society today.
- If there are 2 Supplements you should take year round they are Fish Oil and ZMA these aren’t exactly detox specifics but they will help you feel better all year round.
- Keep your gut healthy! picking up a bottle of high quality Pro-Biotics once or twice a year and taking a course is a great way to clean out the system.
- Also Check out my article on 5 Simple Ways to Stop a Cold over at Alex Shalman’s Site for some more tips!
12 comments so far
People who linked here
- Deux Fois dans un Jour (Two Times in One Day) « Theory to Practice
- Weekly digest « cetateanul asortat
Comment by Methuselah - Pay Now Live Later
12 December 2008
On the rare occasions I go out and drink a lot of alcohol, I get really bad night sweats the following night. I often get through 3 or 4 t-shirts. This certainly ties in with the idea that sweating is a good way to rid the body of toxins and it looks like in my case my body is doing the job for me!
Comment by Bonnie | free biorhythm
12 December 2008
Nice article
In winter I usually do my own makeshift hot yoga workout with the aid a portable heater & a Baron Baptiste “Live Yoga” DVD (Soul of Strength is my favourite)
One of the aims of yoga is to generate a purifying heat in the body which cleanses the system (there is a name for this but I forget!).
Nettle tea is very good for supporting the adrenal glands, I’ve heard that adrenal weakness can show itself in the form of dark circles under the eyes, which can happen if you drink too much coffee (overstimulating the adrenals), so drinking nettle tea regularly is a good way to balance that out. Twinings Nettle & Blackberry tea is very nice.
Comment by Chris
12 December 2008
@ Methuselah: Its funny you say that you have bad sleep after too many drinks. I find that I sleep fine when I’m drunk going to bed, but the following day (hungover) my sleep is terrible although I’m exhausted, I get restless and have anxious dreams plus have trouble getting to sleep. I think avoiding poor quality alcohol is key, plus drinking loads of water and having a Berrocca (if your in the UK) before hitting the sack makes hangovers way easier to handle….
@ Bonnie: Great idea I like to do Yoga stretches in the morning to limber up most morning but doing it with a blow heater must be awesome for working up a sweat…..Thanks for the tips on the nettle tea, I’m enjoying a Nettle, Honey, Lemon and Ginger tea as we speak….
Comment by Bonnie | free biorhythm
12 December 2008
I recomend heating up the room with the portable heater first, for 5 mins or so, then keeping it on but not blowing directly on you (just to build up some ambient heat in the room). It is very helpful for yoga practice, may not be so kind to the electricity bill though
Comment by Keith Norris
12 December 2008
I like to take the sauna/steam room sweating detox a step further by combining it with a contrast shower. Two or three rounds of this (10 minutes of steam, a few minutes of cold showering)is fantastic for post-workout recovery. And very relaxing, too.
Comment by Andrew R - Go Healthy Go Fit
12 December 2008
Artichoke extract… I honestly didn’t know about that. Thanks for the pointers!
All the Best,
Andrew R
Comment by TrailGrrl
12 December 2008
What should I look for in a high-quality Cod Liver Oil, Fish Oil, and probiotic supplement? I’ve been on antibiotics for several weeks for a bad sinus infection and my immune system and gut could use a good detox.
Is the oil form better than the gel caps? I don’t even know where to start on the probiotics. I keep reading the bottles at the store but haven’t bought any because I didn’t get around to doing the research.
TrailGrrl
Comment by Chris
13 December 2008
@ Trailgrrl: For a Cod Liver Oil Supplement I would reccomend Carlson’s CLO its the best stuff on the market and is 100% worth the price….And as you have been on anti-biotics I would say you are in dire need of a probiotic, try having some Kefir if you can find it at your local health store or grocery store. As for a brand of probiotic have a look at this stuff…..
Comment by Tom Parker - Free Fitness Tips
13 December 2008
I’ve never tried the herbal detoxes. However, I used to go for an intense session on the treadmill (I know you don’t like it but for improving your running speed and getting you sweating quick I don’t think there’s much competition) which get me sweating loads. I’d then take a quick shower and hit the sauna. It made me feel great. I’ve not done it for a while though because I have misplaced my swimming shorts (and they have to be worn at our gym). They’re in my room somewhere…I just haven’t got round to looking.
Comment by Keith Norris
17 December 2008
I second the Carlson’s CLO advice — but I’d go for the lemon flavored variety — unless you’re just a a full-on masochist