When I left Toronto to accept my first job abroad many moons ago, my dad (a.k.a The Detox Guru) gave me a very strange parting gift:
A SKIN BRUSH
He had one of his own and gave me a demo:
"You take the brush and start at your feet and brush up in gentle strokes towards your heart. Ten times along the front of the legs . Ten times on the back. Ten times on each side. Then, brush your stomach in clockwise motion so that you're in sync with your digestive flow. Then the arms. Start at the fingertips and brush up towards your heart. Ten times each side. Then your bum and your back. Ten times. Always towards the heart.
Do this every other day before you shower. Your circulation will improve and you won't have cellulite problems."
WHY DIDN'T I LISTEN?!?!?!?
Instead, this brush travelled with me to Luxembourg, then London and then Hong Kong and stayed in the back of my bathroom closet for SIXTEEN YEARS. Until one fine day, two kids and a whole load of cellulite later, I pulled out the skin brush and now...I'm kind of addicted to the results.
Our skin is our LARGEST ELIMINATION ORGAN. It is responsible for a whopping 10-15% of total body elimination; and it is often called our "third kidney".
The benefits of skin brushing are amazing and include:
- Accelerating toxin elimination
- Stimulating blood flow and circulation
- Reducing cellulite
- Enhancing lymphatic flow
- Exfoliation and removal of dead skin cells
- Anti-aging through cell regeneration
- Stimulating both the sweat and sebaceous glands, thus contributing to the restoration of moist, supple skin.
Brushing your whole body will take around 5 minutes. Always brush the skin when dry, and follow with a hot shower to wash off the dead cells.
OR if you've got time, take a hot EPSOM SALT BATH to replenish magnesium levels and relax your body: Dilute 2 cups of Epsom Salts in a bathtub of hot water. Add a few drops of lavender and soak for 40 minutes.
Don't wait sixteen years like I did to implement this into your detox routine! Done regularly and combined with a nutrient-rich diet, you will definitely see results.
Next time on Thrive, MY LAST DETOX TIP before we move on to how we can use nutrition to support our body through hormonal changes. Please add your friends to my Facebook group "Thrive Nutrition Practice" so that they don't miss out!
Thrive Nutrition Practice launches in one week.