Three Important, Inexpensive Weekly Routines You Should Do for Your Well-being

        After my first week doing the 21 Day Hormone Reset cleanse, (if you want to know what the Reset is click here for my previous post) I wanted to research three detox aids she recommends to help detox and clean your system along side with diet change. This cleanse hasn't been terrible since I haven't felt hungry on it, and though I feel a little weak, I'm not miserable at all. She really emphasizes getting at least eighty-five grams of protein a day which really helps satiate yourself for long periods of time lending good energy for the day. The hardest part would have to be giving up the caffeine. Since Cedric is still in sleep training mode, I do not get a full nights sleep. Coffee was definitely my little picker upper, but the book describes that once you are more detoxed, your body's natural energy should shine more. So that is what I am hoping, but not quite sure since I am sure she is talking to people who can get a normal nights rest.

        The three detox aids I am doing are dry brushing, tongue scraping, and epsom salt baths. The dry brushing and tongue scraping are daily activities, and the bath is suggested to do four to five times a week. After doing these for the first week, I am hooked on wanting to continue them in my lifestyle practice. Being the researcher I am becoming, I wanted to take the time to read into the benefits of each activity, and was impressed by the results. With both the evidence of feeling good and the online research, I really suggest looking into these yourself! But for now I will take you into some background and benefits I have read.

         Tongue scraping is a practice I do twice a day, right along with brushing my teeth. Once in the morning after breakfast and once at night during my bedtime routine. In the Charaka Samhita, which is a very early Ayurvedic text, it says that cleaning the tongue, "removes foul smell, tastlessness...and by taking out dirt coated on the tongue, teeth and mouth brings relish immediately."

Side note if you aren't familiar with Ayurvedic practice, it is an ancient system of healing that started in ancient India. Breaking down the word Ayurvedic means "science of longevity" or "knowledge of living". Justin and I base many of our practices and diet off of Ayurvedic principles. 

          When you scrap the tongue daily, it removes any build-up of bacteria on the tongue which can lead to bad breath and of course the housing of many bacterias. Normal brushing of teeth and flossing can not remove all the bad toxins on the tongue, especially the back of the tongue. A few of the benefits of tongue scraping include improvement of breath, improvement of your ability to taste, helps avoid toxins from being reabsorbed in your body, improves dental health, and helps you get to know your tongue. 

          With the last benefit, getting to know your tongue is more interesting and important then it sounds. Different parts of your tongue are linked to different organs in your body. So by looking at different parts of your tongue, you can see how the health of your organs are. By scraping your tongue, you are also stimulating the corresponding internal organs by the link of nerve endings which works just like acupressure or acupuncture. I could really do (and probably will) another post on just what the tongue can tell you. However, a quick google search will get you a lot of information.

          

           Another daily routine I now incorporate is dry brushing. Dry brushing actually started in Finland, where they would use a dry brush before going into a spa. Later on it spread all through the European countries, and eventually is starting to pick up here in America. At first people thought it was just good to get rid of excessive dead skin cells, but research has determined it has helped with so much more. A doctor in Finland, Dr. Paavo Airola, started implementing the use of dry brushing in his approach to naturally heal his cancer patients, and recorded great results. Some of the benefits of dry brushing include the stimulation of your lymphatic system, which is the system that eliminates cellular waste that has been collected from your tissues and taken to your blood for elimination. By stimulating the lymphatic system, it helps release all those unwanted toxins which is a huge detoxification aid. Exfoliation is also key to improving the appearance of your skin and clearing clogged pores which lets your skin breath. Dry brushing also increasing circulation, can reduce cellulite, help relieve stress, improve digestion and kidney function, and can be invigorating. It's true, as your dry brushing it just feels great on your body.

         When you dry brush you want to pick a brush made with natural material and long handle to reach all the hard-to-reach spots. You can brush once or twice a day, I usually do it when I change out of my pjs in the morning, or when I am changing into my pjs at night. Our skin is the largest organ of absorption and elimination, so why wouldn't you want to keep it invigorated and cleansed? 

     The last routine is needed four to five times a week: epsom salt bath. This one is my favorite. First off, who doesn't want to soak in a hot, relaxing bath after a long days work, and to get the great benefits from epsom salt while soaking, come on now! Epsom salt is made up of Magnesium sulfate. Did you know magnesium is the second most abundant element in our body's cells? It helps regulate over 325 enzymes and plays a huge part in bodily functions like muscle control and elimination of harmful toxins. When you are magnesium deficient, it can lead to heart disease, strokes, osteoporosis,

joint pains, stress-related illnesses, fatigue and is really disruptive in womanly hormones. It can be a huge cause for PMS, which I am thinking has been playing a major role in disrupting all my periods.

       Fact: eighty percent of Americans are magnesium deficient. Our soil has been decreasing in magnesium which doesn't lend as much to our crops, the typical American diet has less and less magnesium in it, and consuming fats, sugars, and salt help deplete the body faster. 

      Another interesting discovery I found is that calcium and magnesium play a close role together in our body. The bad part is, most of us supplement with calcium but forget all about magnesium. Since they work together, if you are magnesium deficient, your body actually cannot absorb the calcium and you end up being deficient in both! 

        After gaining all this knowledge on magnesium, it really made me want to make sure I was getting in magnisium. So besides the amazing epsom salt baths, I decided to make a magnesium spray to use as well. I found a simple recipe by Wellness Mama blog, here is her recipe. It is really easy to make and helps with getting your magnesium in!
       Other benefits of magnesium include a healthier heart and circulatory system, can reduce the severity of diabetes with increased use with insulin, helps rid the body of heavy metals and toxins from the cells, relieves stress, relieve pain of muscle cramps, helps with nutrient absorption, and easing migraine headaches.
        When making an epsom salt bath, I use two cups of epsom salt, ten to fifteen drops of lavender essential oil, and a spoonful of coconut oil to soften the skin. I then soak for fifteen to twenty minutes to let it all soak in. Really helps you sleep great at the end of the day.

     So that is my new routine. I love each one, and it is also very helpful that it doesn't take up that much more time of your busy day. So even after the twenty-one day hormone reset is over, I will definitely continue on with these.

What do you think? Would you try any of these? Or do you already do any of these?