Detox and Skin – Will Detoxing Improve My Skin?
The short answer is yes. Detoxing will improve your skin noticeably if your diet is bad or if you suffer with acne or other skin problems.
So what is detoxification? It’s a process of “getting the garbage out of your body”. These toxins include heavy metals, artificial colors and flavors, pesticides, too many fat soluble vitamins and chemical residues from the pollution in the air we inhale or the junk we eat.
Your skin is one of the body’s elimination channels and approximately 10% of all toxins are shunted out through the skin, mainly through sweating. You lose moisture through the skin every day even though you may not be aware of it. It’s a natural process and of course the skin on your face is included in this process.
These toxins are stored mainly in the fatty tissues of the body and can be harmful to our health if they build up over a “safe” level, or if we have a sensitivity or allergy.
A detox could be exactly what you need if you suffer with acne, or if your skin is blotchy dull or rough. These skin disorders are often symptoms of toxic overload, others can be frequent headaches, tiredness or simply having no energy. Detoxing will not only improve your skin but also the liver which is the other major elimination organ. In fact your whole body will benefit!
There are almost as many detox methods as there are weight-loss diets. Some of them can be quite expensive, but we certainly don’t need to spend a lot of money on detoxing because it’s something we can do for ourselves once we know how. So here’s a really simple & inexpensive method that you can try.
Detox 101!
What we’re trying to do here to rid of toxins out of the body. Therefore it’s vital to make our diet as light and nutritious as possible, but also to have something you can live with for a couple of weeks. It’s a waste of time going on – say – a herbal tea and brown rice diet if you can only do it for a couple of days!
This is a detox you’ll design yourself. But just to give you a few pointers, cut out meat and eat fish and vegetable proteins instead, eliminate alcohol (sorry!), substitute herbal tea for tea and coffee. Also cut out rich sauces and all fatty foods, salt and all foods made with white flour. Yes it does sound painful but put your imagination to work, there are a lot of healthy foods you can substitute instead.
Find interesting ways to serve vegetables, try offering them sprinkled with herbs or baking them in a sauce. Try pumpkin seeds as a snack, they’re lovely sprinkled over cereal. Go to a fruit shop or health food shop or even the fresh produce section of your supermarket, or find some healthy recipes on line.
If you have problems digesting your food, a detox for you may be cutting out all wheat and dairy products for two weeks. Instead try rice or soy milk and bread made out of rye, rice or soy flours.
Always make sure you eat some type of fiber to aid elimination. Psyllium is recommended as it doesn’t cause any food sensitivities. One teaspoon’s enough to start with and if that doesn’t cause any bloating or discomfort, increase it gradually.
Water, water, water! Doesn’t matter what sort. If your local supply is ok, tap water is fine. Herbal teas are good too. Fruit and vegetable juices are fantastic but have them instead of a meal as they’re quite high in kilojoules.
Detoxing too fast can make you feel quite sick so don’t jump into it too quickly especially if your diet is bad. Try to eliminate the junk first before attempting detox. However if you get mild headaches or experience drowsiness, that’s fine. It’s a sign that you body is getting rid of the toxins.
Gentle exercise will help your detox. It promotes sweating and speeds up the elimination of wastes. Don’t run a marathon, just do what you enjoy but do it regularly.
You may find your skin will look worse before it improves, but you’ll soon see a clearer more radiant complexion.
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