It’s high time to declare ‘time out’ on toxic living
When your work-hard, play-hard lifestyle starts to feel as tired as the all-too-familiar tune of Oasis’ Cigarettes & Alcohol, you know that toxic living is taking its toll. It could be your wake up call to stop bombarding your body with chemicals and give it some time off.
With coffee bars to get us through the morning and cocktail bars to lead us into the night, it’s hardly surprising that our systems are loaded with dietary toxins like alcohol and caffeine - our favourite non-prescription drugs that offer medication for every mood.
And if you’re still resolutely smoking despite the ban, you probably don’t need reminding about the 4,000 chemicals that you inhale every time. Among the list of industrial substances are acetone, ammonia, arsenic, butane, formaldehyde, lead and turpentine. It’s a real drag.
Then there are all the environmental toxins found in everything from cleaning products to flame retardants, which are absorbed through our skin. Plus all the pesticide residues, food additives and the chemicals in our water supply that we ingest every day. You could get a headache just thinking about it.
Indeed, signs of toxicity can include headaches, fatigue, aches and pains, mucus and digestive problems. And who doesn’t suffer from these
from time to time?
Hence the stratospheric rise of the Detox, which promises everything from weight loss, a faster metabolism, better digestion and more energy to a stronger immune system, less stress, improved sleep and revitalised skin… it’s the cure-all for every contemporary complaint. Well maybe.
All you have to do is cut out all fats, sugar, refined foods, dairy products, meat, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco in favour of a strict diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and as much water as you can stomach. It’s a bit like old-fashioned fasting, but with much more fibre. Just don’t plan on going anywhere that week.
Of course, you needn’t go as far as some eccentric souls in their pursuit of modern day purification. Reality TV celebrities have even drunk their own urine for the dubious pleasure of the extreme detox viewing public. But if this bottoms up approach makes you feel rather queasy, take comfort that there are many more relaxing ways you can indulge yourself, while cleansing your system at the same time.
Lymphatic drainage massage is an excellent way to encourage the removal of waste and excess fluids from the cells, while boosting the body’s natural immunity. This massage technique combines gentle pressure with soft pumping movements to boost the function of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for the elimination of waste, toxins and bacteria from the body. It can ease fatigue, bloating and aching muscles, leaving you feeling invigorated and energised.
For a treatment that you can do at home, dry body brushing is a highly effective way to stimulate the lymphatic system and the circulation. The skin is the largest organ of the body and is therefore the greatest area from which toxins are eliminated.
Use a natural bristle brush, a dry wash cloth or loofah and make small, circular strokes, moving upwards from your legs in the direction of the heart, then from the top of the neck downwards to the same point. Skin brushing in the morning is invigorating and will help combat cellulite, sloughing away dead skin, leaving it smooth and glowing. Once you’re tingling all over, hop in the shower or bath to complete your treatment, because hydrotherapy is another great way to cleanse and stimulate the lymphatic system.
For total relaxation and skin rejuvenation from head-to-toe, you cannot beat a Paraffin Wax Bath. Very few places still offer this age-old treatment, although at Urban Retreat at Harrods, therapist Mitzi Scheiderer has been practicing this vintage treatment for twenty eight years; Helene Pavlo for nineteen years. Suitable for women of all ages, the Paraffin Wax Bath treatment was historically used in hospitals to treat patients suffering from aches and pains. 15 litres of wax is heated up to a temperature of 38/39 degrees then poured over the body. After being wrapped up warmly in towels and a blanket, you are left to relax for 30 minutes. Pure bliss.
PURIFYING ESSENTIALS
Exposure® Dermatological Detox Mask This powerful formula is recommended for regular skin protection against environmental stress and toxic substances, and to soothe and regenerate sensitive or irritated skin.
Colonic Hydrotherapy
Murad Clarifying Body Wash This is a refreshing yet gentle scrub that can be used daily to exfoliate, deep clean pores and prevent future breakouts.
Rodial Body Sculpture A gel that stimulates tissue drainage to firm, tighten and tone your skin while stimulating pomegranate extract, bio marine active and wheat protein help break down fatty deposits.
Click here to read Detox Part 2: Colonic hydrotherapy
Click here for Detox Part 3: Products to treat your body while you detox