In our previous post, we discussed holding onto material things and how having some clear, intentional streams for possessions to leave us can relieve this burden. This holds true in our bodies where, having a clear exit for waste and things past the point of usability helps everything run more smoothly.
This is the most fundamental point for all detox programs; clear out what is not serving you anymore. How are the wastes eliminated from the body? Are the paths out clear and open? Just for review, the pathways out of the body include: stool, urine, sweat and breath (also mucous/coughing, etc.). And the organs that perform these functions are the colon, kidneys, skin, lungs and liver. Many times people start a detox thinking that they should do a bile flush or liver cleanse, but if the bowels are not eliminating well, it will backfire. What I mean is that the organ of choice will purge what it can, towards the colon, only to be reabsorbed by the colon wall (whose job is absorb all moisture), and you are back where you started, or sometimes even worse off.
Step one of any detox should be looking at the bowels. No need to go overboard, but regular, timely, bowel movements need to be ensured so that this cycle of reabsorption of waste can be avoided. It is even trickier when trying to balance hormones, when they are deactivated and sent to the bowel for elimination only to be reabsorbed and reactivated.
If the organs of elimination are not happy and functioning well, then any body will have problems. Just like the streams of material goods exiting the house have to working to avoid clutter, the streams out of our bodies have to be working to avoid heaviness, sluggishness, low energy, poor sleep, cravings, etc. This is an area where the vague but chronic complaints can be addressed in a very health promoting ways. Getting those organs of elimination working can spruce up the whole system and then we can more to more specific steps of tonifying and supporting areas that need it.
Please reach out for a naturopathic consult if this message of detoxification resonates with you.