Physical Therapy Aides in Detoxifying Your Way Into a New Year
‘Tis the season to detox! After the holiday festivities subside, it may seem like your belt got a little tighter. If this is the case, the down time after the all holiday celebrating is over is the perfect opportunity to cleanse and restart your engines. It is easy to get caught up in quick fix costly detox programs, but that is unnecessary. Keep reading to learn about detoxifying safely for the New Year.
Before starting any diet or detox program, it is important and always recommended to have a discussion with your primary care provider. If you plan to detox the body with food alone, it is important to discuss options with your doctor or a nutritionist who knows your dietary needs and how your body functions.
The human body naturally removes toxins and waste via, four major organs, the kidneys, liver, colon and skin. These organs do not normally need any extra help; however, a good rule of thumb is to add water, fresh fruits, and veggies to your diet. It is important to reintegrate these foods into your diet at the completion of the holiday season, when eating foods such as sausage stuffing and apple pie has reduced, aiding the kidneys and liver in processing and removing waste efficiently. Sometimes the body will react to a change in diet; you might notice an increase in headaches or loose bowels. Symptoms are usually temporary and related to the lack of “toxic” foods your body became accustomed to; this is the body’s natural process of removing excess waste.
Even though the body is naturally designed to remove toxins via the kidneys, liver, colon and skin, the verdict is still out on whether the body is able to rid toxins with exercise. Research is limited regarding exercise being an effective aide with detoxifying the body; however, exercise increases sweat production, and toxins in our body are released through exhalation, urine and sweat, to name a few, leading many to believe exercising can encourage toxins to leave your body at a faster rate. Adding exercise to your daily routine is important, it not only enables our bodies to function the way they were designed, but it also aides in providing a boost in energy and provides us with an overall general feeling of good health.
To rid of the body of toxins via exercise, it is important to know your exercise tolerance and limits prior to beginning. Once you are cleared by a medical professional to exercise, it is important to know you do not have to engage in strenuous activity to reap the detoxifying benefits of exercise, but it is important to get your heart pumping using various activities such as walking or jogging. Walking is the best and most basic form of exercise, and most everyone can do it. If you are looking for an increased challenge, there are higher level activities to engage in such as hot yoga, aerobics, biking or swimming which will increase your heart rate, accelerating your lymphatic system’s flow which results in increased sweat production.
Most people are unsure of how to start an exercise program or where to begin; the physical therapists at Mizuta & Associates are qualified to design an appropriate exercise program geared toward an individual’s needs and concerns. All it takes is an initial evaluation and some encouragement to get started on detoxifying your way into a new year!