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DAILY DETOX: Benefits of Dry Brushing

10/19/2017

TREAT YOURSELF IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES A DAY WITH DRY BRUSHING: A simple & effective way to detoxify your body, boost your immunity & restore your skin's healthy glow!
Our skin is the largest organ in the body and makes up about 16 percent of our body weight, so it deserves a great deal of love and care on a daily basis. Skin is also one of our main organs of detoxification, along with the liver, lungs, kidneys, lymphatic system and intestines. It is responsible for eliminating toxins and cellular waste products through sweating, producing oily secretions and by sloughing off dead skin cells. When dead cells build up over time, the skin thickens and roughens which not only leads to a dry scaly looking body, but also creates a barrier to the removal of toxins.

Dry brushing is a simple and gentle treatment that not only leaves your skin looking toned and feeling silky smooth, it also allows the body to detoxify more efficiently by removing excess dead skin cells that hinder the elimination of toxins. Dry brushing also stimulates circulation and lymphatic drainage which not only further enhances detoxification, but also promotes alertness, provides an energy boost and increases immune function.

A key player in our immune function is the lymphatic system, which is made up of a network of vessels and organs that transport a fluid known as lymph throughout the entire body to eliminate toxins, waste products and other unwanted materials. Lymph is a clear-to-white fluid which contains proteins, salts, glucose, fats, water, and white blood cells, especially lymphocytes, which are responsible for fighting off viral and bacterial infections in the body.

There are various methods used to stimulate the flow of lymph throughout the lymphatic system, commonly referred to as “lymphatic drainage”. Some examples include aerobic exercise such as rebounding, massage therapy, nutrition, lymphatic drainage creams, and certain botanicals. However, daily dry brushing is one of the most effective ways of draining your lymphatic system and it is cheap, quick and easy to do at home, and feels amazing too!

Benefits of Daily Dry Brushing:
- Exfoliation of dead skin cells for softer skin
- Unclogs pores and reduces ingrown hairs
- Reduces cellulite
- Stimulates circulation for increased alertness and energy
- Stimulates and improves digestive function
- Stimulates lymphatic drainage for enhanced detoxification and immune function
- Reduces stress and calms the nervous system

What Is a Dry Brush?
There are various types of dry brushes that can be purchased at any drug store or health and beauty stores. It is best to choose soft brushes with natural bristles, or natural sea sponges since they are more gentle on your body compared to synthetic plastic bristles.

Step-By-Step Guide To Proper Dry Brushing:
Dry brushing is very simple and takes less then 5 minutes a day. There are just a few key points to keep in mind to get the most out of your treatment:

1) Do It In the Morning: Dry brushing is best done in the morning, first thing upon waking and just before bathing so that any dead skin cells can be washed away afterwards.

2) Dry Skin Is Key: Make sure your skin is completely dry. Any moisture prevents some of the dead skin cells from sloughing off.

3) Proper Technique: Use gentle, soft circular motions over the entire body, making sure to avoid any irritated or broken skin. Also avoid the breasts and face as skin is more fragile and sensitive in these areas.

4) Work Your Way Up: Begin at the soles of your feet and moving from the toes to your heels, then up the legs, spending extra time at the back of the knees and inner thighs as these areas with containing many lymph nodes. Then move towards the buttocks and lower back.

5) Work Your Way In: Then move from your buttocks to your fingertips, hands and arms all the way to your armpits. Again spend extra time in the arm pits as this is an area containing many lymph nodes. Reach around and get the upper back, shoulders, neck and collar bone area.

6) End On the Abdomen: Spend more time over the abdomen as the liver and intestines are the major organs of detoxification. Work your way from the outside, in towards the heart and belly button moving in a clockwise direction. Moving in circles toward the lower left side of your abdomen increases blood flow and lymphatic drainage in the intestines, which stimulates digestive function and detoxification.

7) Pamper Yourself: Follow with a gentle towel dry then apply a nourishing plant-based oil such as coconut oil, olive, almond or jojba oil to leave your skin feeling silky smooth and refreshed.

References:
Pizzorno, J.E.. and Murray, M.T. (1999). Textbook of Natural Medicine 2Ed. Churchill Livingstone. Pg. 1163.
Russ, Ananda. Your Lymphatic System: The Unsung Her. http://www.healthmatters4u.yolasite.com.
http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/edema

Disclaimer
Information can be empowering, but we all have unique health profiles and needs. The health-related information contained in this post is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for a visit with a licensed naturopathic doctor. The advice in this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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Eat Your Medicine: Top 10 Medicinal Foods

10/9/2017

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The plant world is the greatest provider of our food, yet when we think of the food we eat versus herbal medicine, we often think of two separate things. Foods make us think of calories, carbohydrates, fats and proteins, whereas herbal medicines make us think of chemical constituents with specific healing actions on specific organ systems. However, many plants that are now being used as herbal medicines were once discovered, cultivated and used as medicinal foods by our ancestors, meaning they were consumed regularly as part of their normal diet.

In herbalism, there are some herbs that are classified strictly as medicines since they can be toxic in large doses and must be used cautiously, but generally, many herbs can be added to one's daily diet to provide the body with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and disease fighting chemicals known as phytonutrients.

Most people are quite familiar with the use of culinary herbs and spices. However, many don’t realize that they are adding extraordinary medicinal value to their meals by using them on a regular basis. Herbs and spices, even when used in small quantities, are extremely rich in phytonutrients, which have profound effects on health and wellbeing.

Keep in mind that your typical culinary herbs and spices are not the only medicinal foods that you can add to your diet. Many fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, have extraordinary medicinal properties and can be classified as medicinal foods, often referred to as “super foods.”

One of my favorite quotes by Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food” always made a lot of sense to me in terms of nutrition and eating healthy to prevent and reverse disease. However, the second part of the quote didn't become as apparent until I started learning about super foods and herbal medicines. All the medicine we need is found in nature, although the important take home message is that these natural medicines are best taken as foods, as part of our daily diet as a whole complex package of nutrients the way nature designed it, rather than synthetic or isolated constituents in supplemental pill forms.

Don’t get me wrong, supplements can be very helpful for providing certain nutrients to the body, and I do use supplements in my practice. However, I always like to incorporate more whole food based medicines into one’s diet through the use of herbal medicines and highly nutrient-dense foods.

Here is a list of my top 10 favorite medicinal foods that I like to add to my daily diet:

1) Medicinal Mushrooms: Immune modulating, adaptogen, antioxidants

2) Garlic: Antimicrobial, anti-cholesterol, detoxifying, immune supporting

3) Ginger: Warming, antimicrobial, digestive tonic, detoxifying

4) Turmeric: Anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, antimicrobial, detoxifying

5) Lemon: Alkalizing, antimicrobial, digestive tonic, detoxifying

6) Cilantro: Alkalizing, chelates heavy metals, detoxifying, mineral rich

7) Hemp Hearts: Complete protein, rich in omega 3 fatty acids, mineral rich

8) Goji Berries: Adaptogen, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, soothing digestive tonic

9) Blueberries: Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, venous tonic, heart protective, anti-platelet

10) Honey: Antimicrobial, wound healing, enzyme rich, anti-inflammatory

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"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

DAILY DETOX: Benefits of Dry Brushing

Eat Your Medicine: Top 10 Medicinal Foods

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"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food."
- Hippocrates