With all the rushing about in preparation for Christmas wouldn’t it be wonderful to lie down and have a wonderful, relaxing and therapeutic body massage?  You might regard this as a luxury but the word therapeutic means something that is good for you and good for your health. The history of massage goes back thousands of years and there a numerous references to massage as a therapeutic healing art in ancient Indian and Chinese books dating from about 3000 BC

Massage done by a good and caring therapist is certainly very good for you and a great treatment to help natural detox or to incorporate into a detox program. Even if you are not detoxing just now a massage is very relaxing for both the body and mind. Massage treats the whole person.

Massage has gained phenomenal acceptance in the medical circles and is incorporated into treatment programs for cancer and cardiac patients and to relieve prolonged stress.

Dislodge trapped toxins

From a detox point of view It can help dislodge toxins that are trapped in tight muscles to enable them to be eliminated naturally. A good massage relaxes tense and knotted muscles and stimulates the blood and lymph circulation.

The Lymphatic System is one of the five main elimination channels in your body along with skin, lungs, kidneys & bowels. The lymph system takes the toxic waste from your cells and carries nutrients to them so they can function efficiently. The toxins are eventually carried to the liver and kidneys to be processed for detox or excreted directly into the bowel.

The theory of Eastern massage differs form Western massage in that Eastern massage such as Shiatsu or Thai massage centers on balancing the energies in the body.

Here are some of the main types of massage:

Swedish Massage

This is the first type of massage often taught to students before they progress to other forms of massage and forms the foundation of other types of massage.  It consists of a a series of set strokes that can be stimulating or relaxing.

Vodder Manual Lymph Drainage

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a form of massage that stimulates the lymphatic system with gentle massaging strokes. The light rhythmical massage encourages the lymphatic system to eliminate metabolic waste products, excess fluid and bacteria. The technique was invented by Dr Vodder in the early 1930s.

Deep Tissue Massage

Some massage therapists offer a deep tissue massage incorporating specific lymphatic drainage strokes to stimulate and aid the drainage of toxins. They often use a specific blend of aromatherapy oils like citrus limon, rosemarinus officinalis, daucus carota and helichrysium augustifolium for their detoxifying effects on the body.

Deep Tissue Massage with Sauna

Some environmental detox centers use a regime of deep tissue massage and regular or far-infrared sauna therapy to mobilize and sweat out the toxins.

Ayurvedic Detox Massage

An Ayurvedic Detox Massage usually uses sesame oil with herbs chosen to suit your particular body and mind type (dosha) followed by a steam bath to sweat out the toxins.

It has been scientifically shown that this natural purification treatment combined with a detox diet can successfully reduce detectable blood toxins such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB’s) and pesticides from the body, without damaging side effects.

Thai Massage

Thai massage combines massage with a series  of guided stretches and yoga positions to loosen tight muscles and release energy blockages in the body.

Traditional Chinese Massage

Chinese massage focuses on pushing, pressing, and kneading different areas of the body to help any illness. It works on the soft tissues to improve muscle tone. of both superficial and deep muscles.

Holistic or Intuitive Massage

This type of massage takes into account the whole person – mentally emotionally and physically. This is not to say that the other massages don’t. It very much depends on the therapist. In intuitive massage the therapist relies on her experience and intuition to use the right strokes and pressure
to achieve the best results.

Colon Massage

Some massage therapists tend to be very light on the abdominal area as it can be a very sensitive area but a deep colon massage can help with the detox process. This treatment is becoming a popular and effective alternative to Colonic Irrigation / Hydrotherapy.

Make sure your massage therapist treats your colon area and feel the difference. Many people hold a lot of tension in this area without realizing it. Tension in this area can make the massage seem uncomfortable to start with but a good therapist will tune in to your body and adjust the pressure to suit you until you relax . Taking deep breaths will help relax you more.

A note about oils

A good massage therapist will only use pure massage oils but is worth checking before you make a booking or take your own. You don’t want to be adding any chemicals to your skin.

Make sure you are well hydrated before your massage and drink a cleansing vegetable juice or green smoothie afterwards to aid in natural detox.  A combination of celery, spinach, parsley, cucumber & apple is good.

In this hectic world many of us have lost the art of relaxation. Strangely enough massage can have both an energizing and relaxing effect on the body. Research has shown that it releases endorphins, the natural chemicals that make you feel good. Many people experience and deep sense of peace and contentment after a therapeutic massage. I believe that some of it is due to
the effects of natural detox.

You might be following a detox diet but unless you do some exercise you will not be getting the best from your efforts.Exercise encourages the toxins to move out of the tissues, into the lymph and blood circulation so they can be taken to the liver to be changed into forms that can more easily be detoxed. Mini trampoline exercises are just the thing.

If you haven’t got the energy to exercise, can’t get to the gym, feel too toxic or sick, feel too embarrassed, too heavy or too old then rebounding on a mini trampoline is the answer. The gentle bouncing motion cleanses every cell in your body.

You are using the forces of gravity, acceleration and deceleration to strengthen every cell in your body. Mini trampoline exercises or rebounding as it is also known is considered to be one of the best forms of exercise to activate the lymphatic system. A study performed by NASA found that rebounding is 68% more efficient and effective than jogging.

What is the lymphatic system?

To put it simply the lymph system is a network of tubes and organs that takes wastes and toxins away from every cell in your body and carries nutrients to them so they can function efficiently.  This hidden power of the lymph system is wideley overlooked and neglected.

It produces the cells of your immune system which circulate around your body in the 6 – 10 liters of lymph fluid. It works as a transport system and filter, removing bacteria, microorganisms and dead cells. So you can see why it’s so important.

The lymph system includes the lymph nodes, the bone marrow, tonsils, appendix, spleen, thymus gland, and areas in the bowel called Peyer’s patches. Unlike the blood circulation system that is pumped around by your heart the lymph system has no pump. The lymph vessels run alongside your veins and arteries and rely on body movement for the flow through the lymph channels.

Your liver is loaded with lymphatic vessels, which transport fats and proteins as well as carting off toxic waste. The lymph fluid can become thickened and clogged up with toxins if you don’t drink enough fluid or exercise to keep it moving. An estimated 90% of modern day illnesses and symptoms of poor health are related to poor lymphatic function.

How do Mini Trampoline exercises work?

With rebounding exercise an upward bounce against the downward pull of gravity closes millions of the one-way valves that regulate the flow of lymph fluid. Moving down again releases pressure in these valves. The increased G-force, experienced when you land and depress the rebounder mat encourages a healthy surge of fluid throughout your whole body.

Benefits of Mini Trampoline Exercises

• They will help you Detox, Cleanse & Nourish . With rebounding exercise you immediately activate the major elimination organs of the LUNGS, KIDNEYS, LIVER and SKIN.
• Rebounding for only 2 minutes can triple the number of your white blood cells of your immune system. They will remain elevated for about an hour. These specialized cells play a major role in the body’s defense against illness and disease. They destroy and eliminate cancer cells and other toxins.

• Rebounding exercise is a great way to help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism. The key for activating your metabolism lies in shunting wastes through your blood and lymph to be eliminated. When you increase your metabolism you will lose weight faster.

• Rebounding exercises ALL of the muscles in your body. With all of the muscles being stimulated and toned, it will further fuel your body’s metabolism.

• Many headaches can be linked to poor lymphatic circulation. There are over 300 lymph nodes in your neck, head and throat area – more than anywhere else in your body. The function of these lymph nodes is mainly to drain toxins from your brain. If blockages in your lymph become stagnant, toxins are not able to drain efficiently.

• Improves balance, co-ordination & flexibility

Advantages of using Mini Trampoline Exercises

• Rebounding gives you energy – it doesn’t wear you out. It can give you a burst of energy to complete your daily tasks. Try it when you are lacking in energy.

• You don’t get muscle soreness You don’t have to “recover” from rebounding. You will be able to work out as often as you like.

• Your joints and muscles are saved from impact stresses that you may get from other forms of exercise.

• A high bounce is NOT necessary. Your feet never need to leave the mat. Rebounding is perfect for anyone of any body type, age or level of ability.

• You can do them in the comfort of your own home whenever you want and whatever the weather. You can even buy portable ones for use when you are traveling!

• They need not be expensive to buy. Although many expensive ones are advertised a cheap one has lasted me for years. The cheaper versions do not usually include a stabilizer bar. Look in Walmart in the USA or Argos in the UK.

How to rebound

If you have never used one before then start with a very gentle bounce with your bare feet in contact with the mat. If you feel you will be very unsteady then look for one with a stabilizer bar for you to hold.

Start with sessions of just 2 minutes a day and increase the time gradually as your fitness improves. You can do several sessions a day but wait at least 30 minutes in between sessions.

Do some deep breathing while you bounce to oxygenate your body. It can have an aerobic effect on your heart.

Start using Mini trampoline exercises while you detox for a few minutes every day and work  up to 15 minutes a day. That’s all you need. Try it!

You have probably heard many times before that cranberry juice is a good natural remedy for cystitis but you might be wondering how to detox using cranberry juice.

Cranberries are full of many nutrients such as Vitamins C, and K, manganese, several powerful antioxidants and fiber. They also contain a substance called Arbutin which acts as a powerful diuretic that helps draw out toxins.

You can rid the lymphatic system, the bowels and the kidneys of various kinds of harmful toxins with the help of a cranberry juice detox.  In fact Louise Gittleman includes cranberry juice in her recipe for the “miracle juice” that she recommends on her one day detox.  Of course, you can’t detox in just one day.

There are claims being made on the internet that cranberry juice can be used to detox recreational drugs like marijuana before a drug test but there is absolutely no scientific evidence that it can do this.  A good detox diet with supplement support will help you detox drug residues but it will take more than cranberry juice to do it.

Well let’s get on with how to detox using cranberry juice:

You will need to set aside two to three weeks to complete your cranberry juice detox and it involves drinking 100 % pure cranberry juice twice daily. Flavored juice will not do. Look for brands without sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Your diet for the detox should consist of whole grain food items, brown rice, plenty of vegetables, lentils, beans, fruits and nuts and hardly anything else. But don’t panic, you can gradually introduce other healthy foods after the second week.

How to detox using cranberry juice?

You will require:

Astragalus capsules
Dandelion leaf capsules
Apple pectin
Psyllium husk powder
Distilled water
Cranberry Juice (must be pure 100% juice with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners).

Put 2oz of cranberry juice and 8 oz of distilled water in a lidded container. Add a teaspoon of apple pectin and a teaspoon of psyllium fiber to this mix. Now with the lid on shake up the whole mixture so that it turns into a homogenous drink. Drink this detox mixture before breakfast or after waking up, on an empty stomach.  Drink another one 10 minutes before dinner.

And as I mentioned before, nuts, whole grains, fibrous food items etc are the only things that you can consume during this period. You should avoid of all kinds of processed foods, junk foods, dairy products and meat. Instead eat fruits and veggies, preferably organic.

Week 1

While you are on this cranberry juice detox, in the 1st week, you have to consume 2 capsules of dandelion leaves two or three times daily. It will help cleanse your bowels and kidneys as it is a mild diuretic.

To get an extra burst of pectin, you can munch on organic apples day in and day out. Whatever toxins are in your body will be bound by the pectin and they will get flushed out easily. Bulk is added to the stools by drinking the psyllium husk fiber and this will facilitate easy bowel movements.

Week 2

During the second week replace the dandelion capsules with Astragalus capsules to help cleanse the lymphatic system.

Week 3

During the third week you can gradually cut back on the psyllium husk powder and pectin and start to introduce a little free range poultry, meat and low fat organic dairy products.  Now you know how to detox using cranberry juice.