Baths ( Natural Cleansing Support Series 2)

I never made time for myself as a busy mom before I was a wellness coach to take a soak in the tub. I whole heartedly believe today that I deserve a rebuke for that way of thinking. Moms everywhere need to soak in a bath at least once a week. I say lock the door, grab a magazine, and just enjoy it. This is a such a gentle and non-invasive way to take care of yourself.

Bathing can actually be a therapy to cleanse the body. Before beginning any detox regimen make sure your body can handle it by eating properly with plenty of vegetables and fruits along with a "healthy for you" daily water in-take. 

Baths are an extra luxury because it's an inexpensive day at the spa in your own bathroom. This is an opportunity to support emotional and physical wellness. This is NOT an option. Our bodies are covered in pores and were designed to release all foreign undesirable visitors in the body. Our lymphatic system, underneath our skin, is one of our bodies' hugest defenses against disease. According to Ayurvedic Healing Expert, John Douillard, it is easily clogged to due digestive distress with the villi in the digestive tract being irritated by inflammatory foods as well as stress. Much of the lymphatic system surrounds the intestines. 

Baths encourage good movement of the lymph as by helping to rid the body of non-beneficial bacterial disturbance as well as releasing negative stress so the white blood cells can get where they need to go to fight for us. It's a great way to encourage the body to keep going strong.

Simplicity

I'm a single homeschool mom and business owner, so I don't have a whole lot of time, and every penny counts.  Almost everyone has real Epsom salts laying around the house. If not, they are extremely inexpensive. I bought the brand below at Costco. In my area it came with two 6LB bags for $8.99.Epsom salts are rich in magnesium sulphate, which removes impurities from the body as well as relaxes the internal systems. Since the magnesium does relax the body, consider taking them in the evening before bed. I use them in all of my detox baths. Use 3-4 cups.

I also always use high quality essential oils.  Lavender is a wonderful choice to support emotional wellness. There are many others from which to choose. Use 6-8 drops of each oil. You can blend oils.

 ***IMPORTANT TIP*** Make sure when using essential oils, that you first mix them with the Epsom salts before putting them into the tub. This will result in much more pleasant experience. Certain essential oils have a very heated effect on the skin when not diluted, in this case by the Epsom salts. Mixing them will prevent the oils from all rising to the top and sitting on the skin in an overwhelming fashion. This way the oils will be evenly disbursed which will make the experience heavenly.

Good Options

Another helpful addition is bentonite clay.

I really like Redmond Clay because it is food grade. (Yes, it can be ingested for a detox too. That's a whole other article.) The bentonite helps keep heavy metals out of the body. This is a great option if you aren't using filtered water to bathe in. You can use 1/4 of a cup mixed as well as possible into the water.

Utilizing Himalayan or pink salt, like the one by Redmond, will purify the body as well as add minerals that are needed. Use 1/4 of a cup.

Use What You Have

Do not despair if you don't have these items. If nothing else, use Epsom salts if the other items are too difficult for you to ascertain right now. Do be sure to use water as warm/hot as you can possibly stand it. If using essential oils with the Epsom salts, then mix them in the water just before or as you are getting in the tub. Extreme heat can damage the effectiveness of the oils. In order for the bath to be effective, bath for 20-30 minutes. You will probably sweat, and that is a good thing. That means impurities are being released. After your bath rehydrate yourself with a filtered glass of water with a sprinkle of Himalayan or Celtic salt. I hope you will make detox baths a regular part of your regimen to live healthy now!

Helping you to be a good steward of your health!~Marie A. Ligorria, HHC

References:

http://lifespa.com/the-miracle-of-lymph/

 http://draxe.com/detox-bath-recipes/

Oil Pulling (Natural Cleansing Support Series 1)

January is the start of the New Year. It's a great time to start fresh and commit to healthier habits. Many of you may be wanting a way to recharge your system and rid it of accumulated garbage throughout the year. This article is part one in a series on detox. Here I will present safe practices that can be used throughout the year by most people. I would urge anyone who wants to emply these methods to already be on a daily, healthy eating regimen. That is the first step to physical wellness. If not, start there, and come back to this series.

Oil pulling is a several thousand year old Ayurvedic form of natural, safe detox for the body. This method is able to pull impurities through the mouth. Depending on how long you perform the method will determine your results. 

There are many reasons to detox in this way. People suffering from anything such as acne to dental problems have experienced positive results. This is a long time used safe practice. It is gentle and noninvasive.

So what you do is in the morning, first thing before eating and brushing your teeth, you take 1 tbsp of a good oil, and you swish in your mouth for 20 minutes. Then spit it into a trash can so the oil doesn't accumulate in your pipes. 

Brush your teeth immediately after and rinse well to remove any released impurities. Rinsing with a therapeutic grade essential oil blend like Young Living Clove Oil or Young Living Thieves Vitality Oil, water, and Himalayan salt would be a great to support your wellness after you oil pull. To create the oral rinse  use 8 ounces of water and 1-2 drops of clove oil plus a pinch of Himalayan salt. The salt helps the oil emulsify into the water. I do not recommend regular table salt because that contains synthetic chemicals and bleach. Another great option for rinsing is the Young Living Thieves Mouthwash.

As for length of time, it really varies. If you have a deeper condition then oil pull longer. The minimum time would be 2 weeks. The maximum time is up to you. I would personally recommend a month of oil pulling.

Traditionally unrefined untoasted sesame oil was used. As of late a popular choice is organic unrefined coconut oil due to its already natural detoxing and antibacterial properties. That is the oil of my choice. If you use coconut oil and it is solid, don't worry. It will easily liquify in your mouth. If this grosses you out, you can melt it by put a tablespoon into a glass jar. Then put it into a small pot with some water. Bring the water to a boil on the stove. Once the oil is melted you can take it out. Test it on your clean finger to make sure it's not too hot for your mouth. Never use a microwave to liquify the oil. The microwave will damage the properties of the oil. To learn more about oil pulling from Dr. Joseph Mercola, Osteopath and expert on natural health, read here.

Do you oil pull? How long have you done so or how often? Share with me below!

Be healthy and blessed! Helping you to be a good steward of your health!~Marie A. Ligorria