Start with a clean slate

Although many people took the adage "eat, drink and be merry" to heart over the festive period, some may be feeling the consequences of their overindulgence.
The New Year period is an ideal time to give your body a clean slate through a detoxification programme. But the many treatments available make it difficult to distinguish what can help and what may be potentially harmful.
Rotorua medical herbalist Denise Martin, of The Herbal Dispensary, says detoxing aims to improve the condition of the liver and other organs enabling the body to cleanse itself.
"Detox is a broad word, but it's mainly to clear the toxins and congestion that is usually stored in the liver," she says.
"It helps the liver to perform at its optimal ability. If it isn't, it may be affecting our health, immune system and energy levels."
Denise says common symptoms that indicate a detox is needed include nausea, headaches, constipation, bloating, fatigue and feeling grumpy.
"If it's been going on for a long time then it usually begins to show with acne."
Denise doesn't recommend off-the-shelf detox drinks and diets, or invasive procedures such as colonic cleansing. She says the packages aren't tailored to people's individual problems and it is best to let the body heal itself naturally.
"It may not be the liver, there may be an issue with circulation. But I always sit down with them and talk about what they are experiencing to be able to distinguish what the problems are.
"There are definitely herbs and nutrients that help clear it, and a lot of people are always surprised that when you work one part of the organ a lot of different problems will improve."
For people drinking more than usual over the holiday period, Denise suggests taking the herbal remedy milk thistle.
"If people have been drinking a lot or even if they know they are going to be, then milk thistle can help support the many functions in the liver."
New Zealand qualified detoxification practitioner Nahaia Russ says there are many benefits of detoxing.
"There are two phases: to remove the chemicals and toxins from the body and to scavenge and neutralise any harmful toxins that may become adhesive to the cell walls."
Nahaia is also a registered naturopath and medical herbalist, and owns the Natural Health and Detox Healing Spa in Auckland.
She offers clients diagnostic testing, which includes a blood analysis, allergy testing and liver function test, and discuss their health history, symptoms and lifestyle.
"You're looking at up to a year to completely cleanse your body of the toxins," she says.
"A lot of my clients come in showing heavy metal levels in their system, which is usually passed on from the mother, but can also be contributed by various things such as pollution in the air, vaccinations, different chemicals in wood and playgrounds.
"Many people think their body has an ache or pain because of old age but are not relating it to an overload of toxins."
This overload can lower the nutrients in the body which can lead to stress and even depression, Nahaia says.
"Even if people don't have the symptoms it is still good to get tested as a preventative method."
Nahaia recommends Bio-Cleanse foot spa which charges cells in the feet through the ionised water.
"Your body systems get low on energy, and just like a car battery when the charge runs down and your car won't start, you need a jump-start," she says.
"Toxins are eliminated mostly through the bowels over the next two days."
Nahaia says it is better to detox with a professional. "When people buy a detox package they should not be feeling awful.
"That's the difference between treating the person as an individual," she says.
You review their history and poisonous toxin levels to make sure they are affectively cleansing."
What exactly is detoxification?
Detoxification is a method that aims to purge the body of toxins and poisons, to improve overall health, using a wide range of treatments.
Although the body is able to detox itself through the liver, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and the skin, these natural systems within our body may find it difficult to eliminate the vast amount of contaminants that are present in our environment. This build up of toxins can pose risks to our health. We rely on numerous products, such as food preservatives, fertilisers, hair products and pet sprays, which expose us to many chemicals and toxins.
Find a qualified detox practitioner
The detoxification process is extremely safe when carried out by a qualified practitioner.
It is wise to carry out some research and select a practitioner who is either a member of, or accredited by, a professional body. Detox practitioners follow a code of ethics and procedures that ensure a detoxification session is carried out in a suitable and safe environment.
These regulations also require detox practitioners to undergo certifiable training and professional upskilling.
To find a qualified detox practitioner in your area go to: www.thewellnessdirectory.co.nz

Ways to help your body detoxify
After a detoxification programme, you can cleanse your body daily through diet, supplements and lifestyle practices.
1. Eat plenty of fibre, including brown rice and organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.

2. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.
3. Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione - a liver compound that drives away toxins.
4. Drink at least two litres of water a day.
5. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.
6. Transform stress by emphasising positive emotions.
7. Practise hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times and then get into bed for 30 minutes.
8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.
9. Dry-brush your skin or try detoxifying patches or detox foot spas/foot baths to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes are available at natural product stores.

10. Exercise. Try qigong, a martial-arts based exercise system that includes exercises specifically for detoxifying or cleansing, as well as many other exercises with specific health benefits.