Connections to Health - The Kineys, Lungs and Skin

THE ISHTA HOLISTIC HEALTH CENTRE

CONNECTIONS to HEALTH

This is the nineth part in our detoxification series. You can get the previous parts here. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

The Kidneys, Lungs and Skin

Now for a small back track. So far we have been discussing the 'major' detoxification route. However, there are other exit routes from the blood. They are via the kineys, lungs and skin. Helping these three organs to work more effectively will also improve detoxification.

Kidneys
Your urinary system consists of your kidneys, bladder and urinary tracts. Your urinary system produces and excretes urine from the body. The kidneys are the most important organs in this system. The kidneys act like filters, the kidneys process the blood and help to filter out waste like heavy metals such as mercury, copper, arsenic bound chemicals, drugs, other toxins and extra water. If it were not for their constant filtration of our blood, we would be poisoned by our own waste products.
Your kidneys also provide an important function in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, regulating blood pressure, activating vitamin D and helps in maintaining the acid-base balance. Electrolytes are substances such as salts that dissolve or break apart into ions when mixed with water. Good health depends on maintaining a proper balance of water to electrolytes.
Cleansing the kidneys.
To maintain healthy kidneys they need to be flushed each day with liberal quantities of fluid, preferably water, fruit and vegetable juices. Parsley tea is excellent for strengthening. To make Parsley Tea, pour 1 cup boiling water over 2 tsp dried parsley, leave 5-10 minutes to infuse in a covered container, strain and drink hot at night before sleep.
Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially carrots, provides the kidneys with plenty of vitamins, in particular vitamin A.
The kidneys should be flushed each day with liberal quantities of fluid, either filtered water, or fresh fruit and vegetable juices (preferably organic). Those with kidney problems should avoid ordinary commercial teas and coffee as a beverage. Herbal teas are acceptable.
For those who tend to retain fluid, watermelon is an excellent diuretic. If the melon is organically grown, juice the rind and sip it first thing in the morning and then eat the red fleshy part of the fruit later in the day.

Skin

The skin is an amazingly complex organ and, by weight, the largest of the body. It covers 22square feet. It is often referred to as the third lung, it is involved in processes of exchange between the internal and external environments; respiration, absorption and elimination. In fact the skin is the largest excretory organ of the body and as such it is important to keep it in tip top condition and avoid over applying creams and lotions that can impair its function. The skin excretes many wastes from the body. Naturopathic theory holds that rashes, pimples, eczema, and illnesses like chicken pox or measles are attempts by the skin to clean itself out.
One of the best ways of improving the skin is skin brushing.
The dry skin brushing routine is best carried out before a bath or shower, and for optimal results, must be done each day. Your skin may feel tender at first, but if you continue to brush your skin on a regular basis, you will soon feel the benefits, and your skin will come to yearn the daily brush! The entire surface of the skin should be brushed, with the exception of any broken or cracked skin, etc, and the face, which is generally regarded as too sensitive to be brushed. It is imperative that the brushing be carried out when your body is dry. This is vital to receive the benefits; and the brush must also be kept dry, as any exposure to water will soften its bristles, depriving it of its stimulating effect.

In order to maximise the lymphatic benefits of dry skin brushing, the skin should be brushed according to the locations of the two lymph plexuses. The majority of the lymph in the body drains into the thoracic duct, located near the heart, but the lymph from the right arm drains into the right lymphatic ducts, located above the liver, under the right breast. The skin should therefore be brushed in long, firm strokes up the legs and in towards the heart, except for the upper-right quadrant, which should be brushed down towards the liver (under the right ribcage) and the right breast. Of special note are the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, both of which are reflexive maps of the body, meaning that they are linked, via nerve pathways, to every part of the body, like the tongue and the eyes.
Hydrotherapy.
Hydrotherapy is excellent for the skin as it increases blood flow to the area therefore bringing new blood, nutrients and immune factors to the skin, joints and organs and acts as a pump to increase circulation and help clear away old stagnant debit that irritates tissues.
Contrast showers

Apply 1 minute's hot water to tolerance.
Follow 10 seconds very COLD water to tolerance.
Repeat Steps 1 and 2 up to 3 times.
End the shower with cold water to the lower back.
Saunas can also be extremely beneficial for the skin as they:

Help eliminate toxins from your body through the skin
Reduce the workload of the liver and kidneys
Cleanse the skin
Acts as a pump to increase circulation and help clear away old stagnant debit that irritates tissues
Improvescirculation
Hydrotherapy saunas are another excellent way of improving the functioning of the skin.

Sit in the sauna for 10-20 minutes.
Drink plenty of water prior to, during and after the sauna.
End the sauna with a 30 second cold shower for best effects.
If you have high blood pressure get your doctor's advice before using a sauna.
Lungs
Finally we will look at the lungs.
Life is dependent upon the adequate exchanges of gases in the lungs. The most significant are the removal of carbon dioxide and the flow of oxygen into the blood. The lungs can often bare the brunt of a toxic chemical attack on the system as chemicals are constantly being breathed in. It is important to cleanse and heal the lungs as well as to remove toxic chemicals from the air.
Vitamin C can help to cleanse lungs. It is the most plentiful antioxidant in the lung lining and helps protect against breathing problems. Therefore eat a diet high in vitamin C, this includes eating a broad range of fruit and vegetables; bioflavanoids that are also present in fruit and vegetables prevent the body from making chemicals that inflame the tissues of the lungs. An excellent supplement that is high in antioxidants and bioflavanoids is one that we promote at the centre called Revenol.
If you are having allergic reaction in the lung tissue then fish oil has been shown to reduce allergic reactivity in the lungs. 500 to 1000 mg is a good dose on a daily basis.
If there is excessive accumulation of mucus in the nostrils and/or bronchial system, this inhibits the detoxification functions of the lungs. Mucus-forming food should be avoided if mucus is a problem. These are principally dairy products. Anti-mucus foods such as raw onions and garlic, cayenne pepper, freshly ground black pepper, fresh ginger, and horseradish should be eaten frequently.

A Chinese Medical Concept (Dating back 5000years)

That which the kidney and bladder cannot eliminate, is eliminated via the bowels.
What the latter cannot eliminate passes via the lungs.
When all these combined eliminate insufficient toxins, the skin takes over.
What the skin can no longer eliminate ultimately leads to death.