Life After Lockdown – Time For A Detox!

After 15 weeks of lockdown living, many aspects of the coronavirus lockdown were eased in England from yesterday, Saturday 4th July.

During lockdown, the measures required to combat coronavirus changed the way we live dramatically.

For a start, the pace of life slowed down spectacularly as people stopped getting up early and rushing off to work every day. They could no longer visit friends, go to pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, clubs or gyms since these were all closed. So the new ‘normal’ for most people every day involved baking, board games and binge-watching TV!

So it’s hardly surprising that the ensuing 105 days of lockdown living has resulted in most people having visibly put on extra weight. What can’t be seen physically though, are the results of over-indulging in alcohol and take-away meals without the counterbalance of regular exercise to fight off their effects.

We’re talking about a build up of toxins here, folks. So here’s how to do a quick and painless 5 day detox, the gentle aromatherapy way. No heroics required!

Toxins in the modern home

Did you know, in a modern home today you are exposed to cigarette smoke, air fresheners, aerosol sprays, paints and solvents, – all of which can do you more harm than living next door to a chemical plant, according to one US Environmental Protection Agency study. If you now factor in the side effects of 15 weeks of lockdown living you can easily see why a quick detox is in order.

When our body is in generally good health, it transforms, neutralises or eliminates toxins very efficiently. It’s only when we are run-down or take in more than our body can use or eliminate that toxicity normally begins to build up and problems develop. The symptoms caused by a build up of toxins include aches and pains, coughs, fatigue, gastro intestinal conditions, headaches and a breakdown in the immune system.

Important elements of a detox routine

The ideal detox treatment encourages the body to deal with toxins in a natural way, without putting the body under any strain. Fasting has always been the traditional way to detox, but it’s not a pleasant experience for many people, and there are easier alternatives. For example, a cleansing diet can be very helpful in the elimination of toxins and it is much easier to stick to, rather than not eating at all!

Cleansing foods include raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, juices and lots of filtered water. On the other hand, meat, milk products, bread, refined sugar and carbohydrate products cause an increase in mucus production and should be avoided during your cleansing program. Try and stick to the cleansing food as best you can during your 5 day detox since it will improve the results you get. And drink as much water as you can stand!

Increase your metabolic rate

Exercise is another important part of a detox routine since it steps up the body’s metabolic rate significantly. Just 15 minutes of aerobic exercise will help to stimulate the lymph nodes in the body that drain the lymphatic system. Lymph is a fluid that travels around the body to lymph nodes where it is cleansed of toxins, bacteria and other waste products before re-entering the bloodstream.

While exercising, the lymphatic system can drain about 20mls of waste per minute, while in comparison, with the body at rest watching TV or playing board games this figure falls to less than 1or 2mls per minute. We know that gyms remain closed at the moment, but simple exercises and aerobics done at home, or even a brisk walk will increase your metabolic rate and boost your circulatory system significantly. There are plenty of free exercise and aerobic workouts to be found on Youtube – even for beginners, so there’s no excuse to not join in and enjoy its benefits.

Skin brushing

As you probably know, skin is the largest organ of the body – but what you might not know is that it plays a major role in the elimination of toxins. And as simple as it sounds, brushing the skin can be an effective strategy in your battle to eliminate toxins. Skin brushing stimulates the circulation and superficial glands, thereby improving lymph drainage and flushing out those nasty toxins more quickly.

All you need to practice skin-brushing is a natural bristle brush, lymphatic massage brush, or loofah mit. Starting at your toes and working upwards to all the areas around the body, gently brush upwards towards your heart using quick sweeping motions. Don’t worry about the areas that you can’t reach, because just brushing the skin towards the heart with a brush or mitt gets everything moving because it stimulates the lymphatic system.

Aromatherapy detox massage

In addition to these simple methods you should include aromatherapy treatments as part of your detox program, since the gentle yet powerful action of essential oils can stimulate a poor lymphatic drainage which is vital for the efficient elimination of toxins.

Massage delivers the most benefits of an aromatherapy detox routine because it has a direct action on the circulatory and lymphatic system. You can apply a self-massage to your arms, legs and abdomen, or better still get your partner to give you a full body massage.

Select 3 different essential oils from the chart to create a powerful cleansing and detoxifying massage. to make a really effective detoxifying massage treatment, mix 2 drops of juniper berry, 1 drop of sweet fennel, 1 drop of grapefruit, and 1 drop of cypress essential oils into 10mls of a carrier oil or lotion base. Ideally your massage blend should be applied to the back, abdomen and legs.

Aromatherapy detox bath

Essential oils can be used in an aromatherapy bath where the heat of the water draws toxins to the surface of the skin, and as the water begins to cool on the skin the toxins are drawn into the water due to the process of osmosis. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all understood the healing and cleansing properties of bathing, and in Japan they still believe it is a spiritual act, connecting the bather with nature cleansing both the mind and body.

To maximise your results you should choose different essential oils to use in a bath to the ones you include in your massage treatments. By doing this you increase the range of essential oils you are using which helps draw out more toxins. If you don’t fancy making your own blends try our luxury Detox Bath Soak containing organic essential oils and detoxifying marine botanicals.

Aim to have at least 2 detoxifying massage treatments during your 5 day detox, and to achieve the maximum results you should also have a couple of bath treatments with combinations of the listed essential oils on alternate days to your massage treatments. If you include traditional fasting as part of your detox regimen that’s even better, but it’s not absolutely necessary if you include everything else covered in this article.

Copyright © Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd 2020. Written by Sue Charles

Tags: detoxifying, lymphatic system