Saunas, hot epsom salt baths, other ways to detox.....

[T-Bird]

Hey y'all,

Wanted to pick your brains on helping the detox process.

So aside from eating raw, how can we facilitate detox without feeling like cr@p?

And also - how much is too much?

I took 3 epsom salt baths this weekend, each about an hour long.

I take a super hot sauna after my workouts, just for about 15-20 minutes, but I sweat up a storm on the highest setting. Considering hitting the sauna again after work, would twice in the same day be too much?

I've been in a funk and being tempted by Visions of General Tso's Tofu, wondering if more "heat therapy" would be helpful, or can you overboard on it?

Other ways to help flush out the detox/getting over the humps/bumbs in the road?

Am I wrong to think that something could help this pass quicker, does it just need to be lived through?

Thanks for any thoughts or info!

T

[solarliving]

Good question.

I like to do self-massage. Massage definately helps the cleansing process. Also Deep breathing, water, dry skin brushing, and stretching.

[spicyfull]

I agree with them All and you will find that Stress is relieved, which can be very toxic.

[Colorawdo girl]

OOOOOOOOOOO I would love to hear more on this too. Thanks

[pixie_333]

accupuncture can help. also if you know a healer that is good taking toxins out of aura etc. my healer does and does long distance healings on me since we're far apart. she would always complain too on the amount of alcohol i drank because it took her extra time to clear it from my feild.

my alert system went off on your taking 1 hour long epsom salt baths. it can deplete your energy. i'd suggest no longer than 20 mins..30 mins tops.

[Veronica01]

cold water tempering (being submerged in cold water for a minute)- will help blood vessles (and decrease vericose veins) contract and then expand when you warm up. This will jump start circulation and will help in detox

ingesting massive amounts of greens - chlorophyll is very similar to heme (blood) and cleanses like a blood transfusion - minimum 1 bunch to 2 bunches a day will make a huge difference

sun exposure will help bring toxins to the surface and detox through your skin

I can't see detox continuously plauging people, unless you're eating high fat gourmet foods regularly. I've gone simple and only do gourmet maybe once a week, but do fruit, salads with no oil and green smoothies and ive never had any detox symptoms that were uncomfortable, just occaissionally being tired in the morning.

[T-Bird]

The cold water thing sounds interesting, read up on it here:

http://www.giveittomeraw.com/forum/topic/show?id=1407416%3ATopic%3A113180&page=2#comments

I read up about the Finnish sauna and cold dips a while ago, so have been ending my post sauna shower with a blast of cold. Above article gave some particulars. Been able to take more, longer, colder, so will continue on that and try to get up to the 2 minute mark.

Still want my baths hot tho'!

I currently eat about 6-8 cups of dark greens a day, it is about 70% of my diet I think, volume-wise anyway, no calories there really.

I've order chlorella to add to the arsenal, as well as loads more wheat grass supplies.

Will remember to do more deep breathing and stretching. Investigate the dry brushing.

Started feeling much better yesterday. It was really hard to do my usual exercise routine, but felt much better after I did, then sunk down again for an hour or two - then back up again for the rest of the night. Today I'm out of the cloud pretty much.

[T-Bird]

my alert system went off on your taking 1 hour long epsom salt baths. it can deplete your energy. i'd suggest no longer than 20 mins..30 mins tops.

Wondered about this, usually do it before bed, the first 20 minutes are hard to stay soaking, then I just "capitulate" and don't want to leave, lol!

Could you be more specific about the depleted energy? - for example, would going to bed for the night right after (which I usually do) be fine, or you think it would have a deeper, negative effect?

Thx!

[Eva]

I do Bikram yoga almost every day. Couple that with 100%ish raw (less spices and whathaveyou when I can't get them raw) -- And...

sheesh...

It's a formula for WHAM - BAM - KAPOW to the toxins and GREAT for energy.

I also oil pull in the morning when I'm getting dressed and checking email.

Exercise, sunlight, lots of water, meditation, green smoothies, dry skin brushing, hot/cold showers, regular massages if possible... they all do wonders for keeping the body in an alkaline state and allow toxins to be released.

Also -- I find that staying away from large amounts of chocolate, onions and garlic is good. I go through an immediate detox when I have them. I know because I go to Bikram and I'm not quite "on my game" and my armpits smell gross. Easy solution. Stick to raw but without a lot of those. You may find that is not the case for you at all. I really only noticed because my underarms NEVER smell any more, even when I get crazy sweaty... so I am really aware of any changes to that or drops in energy.

[T-Bird]

Also -- I find that staying away from large amounts of chocolate, onions and garlic is good. I go through an immediate detox when I have them. I know because I go to Bikram and I'm not quite "on my game" and my armpits smell gross. Easy solution. Stick to raw but without a lot of those. You may find that is not the case for you at all. I really only noticed because my underarms NEVER smell any more, even when I get crazy sweaty... so I am really aware of any changes to that or drops in energy.

Onions come right out of my pits, smelling the same way the did going in, I too avoid them!

also Garlic. raw garlic is so potent, that just a little and my head get fuzzy/buzzed, so I use a little as possible.

Yoga would be awesome!

Eva - can you tell me a little about how Birkram is different from the other traditional yoga schools?

Thanks!

[pixie_333]

Wondered about this, usually do it before bed, the first 20 minutes are hard to stay soaking, then I just "capitulate" and don't want to leave, lol!

Could you be more specific about the depleted energy? - for example, would going to bed for the night right after (which I usually do) be fine, or you think it would have a deeper, negative effect?

Thx!

taking one before bed is fine. just be careful with temps. if you feel dizzy etc then get out and try adding cooler water. if that fails then i wouldn't temp it again if you can't tolerate luke warm or cold. sea salt you have to be most concerned about but same with epsom. people with low blood pressure have to be careful. i forget what other conditions.

epsom salt and sea salt work on energy/auras. after so long it'll deplete once it's done all it can do. it isn't as though you're in the ocean or where there's an abundance of the substance.. you're only working with a small amount.

so follow your intuition... but for me and as a recommendation.. i wouldn't go past 20-30 mins. and sooner if i started to feel strange. but sometimes certain baths i do make me feel strange in the beginning and leave after the healing properties did some work.

[Eva]

Onions come right out of my pits, smelling the same way the did going in, I too avoid them!

also Garlic. raw garlic is so potent, that just a little and my head get fuzzy/buzzed, so I use a little as possible.

Yoga would be awesome!

Eva - can you tell me a little about how Birkram is different from the other traditional yoga schools?

Thanks!

Everything is different about Bikram, it feels like! It's an exact set of 26 postures that have a breathing exercise at the beginning and end of class. There is no Eastern religion mixed in, no chanting. Just the postures and the breath. The room is set right at 105 degrees and 40% humidity for the 90 minutes. THIS is what makes it so detoxifying. You're stretching your body, using your muscles, and all the extra heat and sweat helps everything to get moving.

When I first started practicing Bikram, I was already committed to raw food and STILL went through several days of headaches and detox. BUT seriously... it's like a drug for me almost. I come out of that studio feeling like every bad thing I've ever eaten, felt, or thought has been removed from my very being. In its place is renewed confidence, strength, and... feeling like I want to shake my hips and dance.

It is very healing. And -- this is important for me -- I don't feel stiff at the end of class. Sometimes other yoga classes are in a cold room. Not smart! I can't loosen and stretch my body if it is cold.

[T-Bird]

When I first started practicing Bikram, I was already committed to raw food and STILL went through several days of headaches and detox. BUT seriously... it's like a drug for me almost. I come out of that studio feeling like every bad thing I've ever eaten, felt, or thought has been removed from my very being. In its place is renewed confidence, strength, and... feeling like I want to shake my hips and dance.


Sounds lovely, although I'll miss the eastern religious angle and the chanting. But really want to try this!

There isn't a place close by - one place that sounds very interesting is about 10 miles away across town - in a city like chicago - that's a long road of many lights, traffic jams and pot holes!

so I don't know about that....maybe someone will open something close soon!

Will observe the Epsom salt bath reactions more closely, thanks for the info!

[*RayRay*]

Colonics may also be helpful to flush out the toxins that your body is digging up, but may not necessarily be eliminating....


I find that staying away from large amounts of chocolate, onions and garlic is good. I go through an immediate detox when I have them.

are these foods considered 'healthy'? Is this detox response due to the foods themselves, or due to the cleansing quality of the foods...? I have been craving tons of onions lately (I've been eating at least one per day!)....and yes, I get the onion armpits...but I just try to scrub them really well...lol... wondering if these are aiding my detoxing of existing toxins, or if I am detoxing 'from the onions themselves'....am I being clear...? hehe...i dunno...thanks, and sorry if I'm hijacking the thread...but what you said made me wonder....!

[Eva]

Sounds lovely, although I'll miss the eastern religious angle and the chanting. But really want to try this!

There isn't a place close by - one place that sounds very interesting is about 10 miles away across town - in a city like chicago - that's a long road of many lights, traffic jams and pot holes!

so I don't know about that....maybe someone will open something close soon!

Will observe the Epsom salt bath reactions more closely, thanks for the info!
Just got back from Bikram and feel like a million bucks! I hear you. When I was living in Hungary, I would have to take two trains and a bus to get to yoga, so it was a 4-hour commitment every time I went! I went as much as I could, but sheesh! I am blessed to have a studio a 10-15 minute commute now, and it has been stellar. :)



are these foods considered 'healthy'? Is this detox response due to the foods themselves, or due to the cleansing quality of the foods...? I have been craving tons of onions lately (I've been eating at least one per day!)....and yes, I get the onion armpits...but I just try to scrub them really well...lol... wondering if these are aiding my detoxing of existing toxins, or if I am detoxing 'from the onions themselves'....am I being clear...? hehe...i dunno...thanks, and sorry if I'm hijacking the thread...but what you said made me wonder....!

It depends on who you ask, but there are a lot of sources out there that would say they are NOT healthy. My body tells me they're just fine in very small quantities, but they're no good if I have a lot. The cleansing reaction (for me) seems to be cleansing the onions and whathaveyou not other toxins! I feel like my body just has a limit and starts detoxing them when I've gone over the limit because I know myself and my body pretty well (we live together), and NOTHING seems to happen when I just have a little. So I still enjoy garlic/onions in my guac and have an occasional chocolate (RAW!) ice cream or whatever.

------------

I brought up the onions/garlic/chocolate just because detox is almost silly if you are constantly re-toxing your system! I shared in the spirit of helping answer the original poster's situation. Sorry if it seems far off! :)

[*RayRay*]

did some online research, and couldn't find anything bad about onions.....in fact found lots of good....(phytochemicals, anti-cancer properties, sulphur (good for skin), helps against heart disease, help with digestion, reduces inflammation)...hmmm....I'm wondering if i'm craving them so much because I am working on healing a skin problem...!?

[Eva]

I'm only sharing this because you were looking for a resource online: http://ahigherspirit.com/wordpress/?p=6 I found that on a quick search. I looked into this before because of the smell and the way I was feeling coupled with the effect on my ability to focus. I've found they are not so good for me.

It's easy to find the health benefits online of wine, commercial chocolate, coffee, milk, etc... but that doesn't make them healthy. That just means that someone has posted information saying it is.

For me, my biggest indicator is my body. I know my body better than the various industries and bloggers do. And you know yours better than I obviously know your body! I encourage you to just be aware and to remove it or add more to see how it affects you. Perhaps it reacts well in your body. I just don't know. There is so much we can't know for sure in this world.

I hope that helps some. :)

[*RayRay*]

It's easy to find the health benefits online of wine, commercial chocolate, coffee, milk, etc... but that doesn't make them healthy. That just means that someone has posted information saying it is.

I know, this is very true!

thanks for the link!!

[juliew]

Rebounding (mini trampoline)!! Stimulates lymph flow!

[DwightLight]

Onions are tricky, I mean think back to the first person that must have discovered onions as edible... what were they thinking. Oh I just broke this open and it's making me cry... let's eat it and see what it does to my body. I mean the onion itself is screaming out don't eat me. I steer clear for the most part, not to mention according to ayurveda they contribute to rajas. Garlic, which is closely related to Onion too contributes to rajas, which brings too much activity and dynamism to body and mind, however Dr. Gabriel Cousens in Conscious Eating says that dehydrating or sun drying garlic vastly reduces the negative effects of garlic so that you can enjoy the health benefits, moderation is certainly the key.

Eva - When you speak of eastern religion/philosophy being mixed in with yoga, rather, it's bikram that has removed these aspects from the yogic science. Now I'm not saying that bikram isn't a great practice, exercise and detox, because it is, however yoga in it's traditional form is a life science that does have an aspect of spirituality to it. Yoga is related to the english word "yolk" which means to join, in yoga you're seeking to join body, mind and spirit, through practicing the yogic techniques. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are two classical yoga texts that my teacher highly recommends.

[Eva]

Dwight Light -- Funny re: onions!!!

I'm truly sorry for the confusion regarding semantics. I meant no disrespect. I enjoy yoga for what it does to my body, how it helps me to focus, and the meditation I can enjoy in a class without someone else's religion involved. When I go to classes where I am supposed to chant things and they don't tell me what I'm chanting, I can't meditate and enjoy myself. I wouldn't be true to me. This is the place I'm coming from. There are many people who have been to a yoga class and not been to another one BECAUSE of the chanting and religioun mixed in.

And I speak differently than probably a lot of yoga practitioners, assuming some people in the Western world who do not already practice yoga think of it as only the asanas. :) [I have my own private yoga practice outside of Bikram. Info here: http://holyyoga.net/instructor/evarawposa ]

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To the original poster -- so sorry for letting this get so off track!

Here are some other detox ideas for you -- a colon cleanse with bentonite clay, a day of juicing, or an extended green smoothie "feast."

[T-Bird]

To the original poster -- so sorry for letting this get so off track!


Not at all, enjoying the conversations!

To any who are interested:


After my workout today, I did my usual sauna - the highest setting - for about 13 min, then took a 2-3 minute cold shower, back in the sauna for about 8, cold shower for 2-3, sauna for about 5, and then final cold shower.

WOW! It was so refreshing!

I wanted to go on and on but I had to get back to work!

I felt like I could have gone on easily for an hour more. I was loving it!

Can't wait till next time.

Afterwards - I felt totally exhausted and yet invigorated at the same time....I did really ramp up my treadmill run, so maybe that was the exhausting part?

Will experiment with this cold water thing more.....

I highly recommend it! when I looked in the mirror right after drying off - my skin looked fabulous! So it definitely liked it.

I had heard of this before reading up on saunas, and wanted more info, but couldn't get much since I didn't know what it was called.

So Thanks Veronica!

[DwightLight]

Eva - no harm, and no offense taken... it's really rather interesting to discover even people who do practice yoga sometimes don't realize there's more to it than simply the asana. I mean the yoga butt isn't the goal, it's a side effect...

Original Poster - I like detoxing with day or weekend long watermelon fasts... yum

[bsqmurphy]

1. drink LOTS of water
2. eat/drink LOTS of greens
3. colon hydrotherapy (by a certified colon hydrotherapist)
4. epsom salts bathsdry skin brushing
5. sweating
6. rebounding

I think all of these things helps ease the detox process. I personally get the greatest benefit from the top three used together.

I hope this helps,
Bri.

[Springtime]

After my workout today, I did my usual sauna - the highest setting - for about 13 min, then took a 2-3 minute cold shower, back in the sauna for about 8, cold shower for 2-3, sauna for about 5, and then final cold shower.

WOW! It was so refreshing!

I wanted to go on and on but I had to get back to work!

I felt like I could have gone on easily for an hour more. I was loving it!

Can't wait till next time.
!

Don't you just LOVE that first gasp of air when the cold water hits your skin? I don't have a sauna at my dance studio, sometimes i go to a swimming pool just to go to the sauna and sweat it all out.. Oh, and at my fathers cottage in the country he's built a sauna right down by the sea. Beautiful! You go down in the evening and sit for an hour our so, and then you can have a swim in the sea.....

peace

[T-Bird]

Don't you just LOVE that first gasp of air when the cold water hits your skin? I don't have a sauna at my dance studio, sometimes i go to a swimming pool just to go to the sauna and sweat it all out.. Oh, and at my fathers cottage in the country he's built a sauna right down by the sea. Beautiful! You go down in the evening and sit for an hour our so, and then you can have a swim in the sea.....

I was a little alarmed at the gasping induced by the cold water.....I wasn't expecting it and got worried I'd induced some attack, lol! It's weird, wonder what causes it?

I'll be in the sauna again today - can't wait!

One by the sea sounds lovely! Wow - super idea!