Detox Therapies for Fighting Chronic Diseases

Article Summary

Detoxing isn’t a myth- if you do it the right way
We can’t let our stress bucket get too full and overflow
Our detox systems may need extra help to work optimally
Toxins can build up and damage mitochondria and affect cellular functioning, leading to chronic diseases.
Foot baths can give your body powerful antioxidants to help balance and re-energize the body’s natural ability to purge toxins and heal itself.
Saunas can help detox the body from heavy metals and pesticides.
Castor oil packs can be an excellent tool for liver detox.
Coffee Enemas are an effective way to stimulate liver function and bile secretion to promote toxin elimination.

Have you ever thought detoxing was just a myth? Have you wondered, “Do detox therapies actually work?”.

The short answer? Yes!

Since many chronic diseases can be prevented, it’d be nice to know the steps you can take now to do so, right? This article will give you some detox therapy options that you can use to help eliminate toxins and keep your body healthy.

The Idea Behind Detoxing

We are exposed to more toxins than ever before. Whether you are aware of it or not, our environment today is saturated with them. They are found in our food, in our products, within our homes, water sources, and even air!

Not to mention the toxic burden we put on our body from all the stress we cause ourselves (busy schedules, financial burdens, kids to take care of, pandemic going on, etc. you get the idea).

As we are exposed to these toxins, our “stress bucket” fills up and starts to overflow. Our body has its own detoxification systems; however, they can’t keep up with the load that is coming at them. This requires the need for some extra help (aka detox therapies).

If toxins build up, they can damage cellular components like your mitochondria. If your mitochondria is damaged, it can lead to numerous potential chronic diseases.

Foot Bath

A quick 30-minute ionic foot bath can aid your body in detoxing. These foot baths can help eliminate heavy metals from your body.

It does this through a process called electrolysis. It passes direct electrical current through the foot bath water to break apart the H2O (water) molecule. This produces a negative hydrogen (H-), which is a powerful antioxidant, pH balancer, and a vital catalyst for ATP production (aka energy).

While soaking your feet, your body absorbs these negatively charged hydrogens, which help balance and re-energize the body’s natural ability to purge toxins and heal itself.

Sauna

Saunas have been used for centuries as a tool for detoxification and healing the body. Deep sweating can help our bodies get rid of toxins that accumulated over time.

A good detox can be useful for your cells and overall health. When you use a sauna, your blood heats up and signals your sweat glands to produce sweat. With a deep sweat, not only does water get released with your sweat, but heavy metals and pesticides can mobilize and be excreted via the skin as well.

Studies have shown that using the sauna regularly can reduce cortisol levels (the body’s primary stress hormone). This is important because when your body is under stress, it goes into fight or flight mode.

During this mode, digestion gets put on the back burner and slows down because it’s not a vital function needed in a life or death situation (even though stress in today’s world is most likely not in a life or death situation, your body still thinks so!).

When your digestion is slowed, it stalls your detoxification process because your body can’t eliminate toxins via your stool.

When you are relaxed (like when you are in a sauna), your body goes into “rest and digest” mode, which encourages digestion and supports detoxification functioning.

Castor Oil Packs

Castor oil packs can be an excellent tool for liver detox. They are placed on the abdominal, underneath the ribcage, where the liver sits. By placing the organic cotton cloth (that holds the oil) on your skin, your sensory receptors on the skin send a message to your organs.

Because the packs are soft to the touch and pleasurable, it puts your body into a relaxed state rather than stressed state.This stimulates the pleasure neurotransmitter, dopamine production.

When your body is in this relaxed state, your digestive system and detox systems are enhanced.

Not only does it relax you, but the diffusion of the oil (which contains ricinoleic acid) into the tissues stimulates lymphatic flow and reduces inflammation via the Peyer’s patches (small masses of lymphatic tissue). By stimulating lymphatic flow, your digestion and elimination processes are enhanced.

Castor oil also stimulates peristalsis through the PGE3 receptors in smooth muscle. Smooth muscle is what the intestines and guts are composed of. So when these muscles are stimulated, it helps move things along to promote toxin elimination.

Coffee Enema

Okay, okay, this one might catch you off guard, but hear it out. Some people swear by coffee enemas.

Here’s how it works.

Coffee enema therapy stimulates the liver and gallbladder to increase bile flow, which aids the liver in its detoxification efforts. It’s believed to do this from the ingredient, Cafestol palmitate, which is found in the coffee.

Cafestol palmitate increases the activity of glutathione S-transferase (which is just a big word for an enzyme that causes dilatation of bile ducts and excretion of bile).

How To Do A Coffee Enema

To begin, it’s important to note that you can’t use any old coffee (go put your Starbucks coffee back on the shelf). There is special enema coffee that is balanced with high amounts of cafestol & palmitic acid, which is needed to open your bile ducts. Get an organic coffee version so you aren't adding more toxins to the body.

Before you do the coffee enema, clear out your colon with a regular enema first. Grind the coffee beans right before you do the enema to get the freshest, most active phytonutrients from the coffee.

The coffee enema solution is delivered the same as a water enema, through the enema tubing into the rectum. You will fill up an enema with coffee and start to let it flow.

Your hemorrhoid veins will then absorb the caffeine. From there, the caffeine travels quickly up to the portal vein. This transfers the caffeine right up to the liver and gallbladder.

When the caffeine reaches your liver, it immediately reacts because it is irritant to the liver. This promotes your liver to open its bile ducts and start dumping bile out quickly.

Since toxins are stored in the liver, this process of draining the bile will dump the toxins out into the stomach to be shuttled out of the body.

Ways to Detox Daily

While these therapies are not meant to be used every day, the following practices are a great way to encourage your body’s own detoxification systems.

Eat organic, whole foods
Consume cruciferous vegetables, berries, garlic, and turmeric.
Manage your stress
Limit Alcohol
Prioritize sleep
Eat foods high in antioxidants
Stay hydrated

Contact Kansas City’s Functional Medicine Doctor

If you are worried about toxin build up in your body, please contact Dr. Jaban Moore. Dr. Jaban Moore, a functional medicine provider in Kansas City, can help. He specializes in addressing challenges related to chronic illnesses and diseases. He creates personalized protocols specific to your unique body and situation. Please reach out if you are ready to get your health back on track. You can give the office a call at (816) 889-9801.