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WEIGHT LOSS ADVICE
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Lynn Baer, M.A.,C.N
Weight Loss & Nutritionist
Detox Diets & Weight Loss
Wondering if a detox diet is right for your weight loss program?
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Foot Pads
A detox foot pad, known also as sap sheets or foot patches, is regarded to be a remedy to alleviate fatigue, skin rashes, joint pain, headaches and a number of other health problems. You apply a foot patch on the bottom of each foot before going to sleep at night, and remove them in the morning. There are many people who have reported that they experienced better sleep and awaken feeling reinvigorated the next morning.
According to foot pad exponents, toxins, once they are taken in into your system, they are imbedded in our tissues and cells. Detox foot pads stimulate the foot to heat up and then soak up the perspiration from the bottom of the foot. The foot pads clean out waste and toxic materials that are removed from the body in the form of sweat.
Foot pads are used to:
- Give the whole body a mild detox
- Increase vitality and energy
- Treat headaches
- Relieve the pain and discomfort of arthritis
- Strengthen the immune system
- Cleanse the lymphatic system
- Improve circulation
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve sleep
- Enhance mental focus and concentration
Foot Pads: Why the Foot?
Detox foot pads are based on the healing technique of Foot Reflexology, which derives from Oriental Medicine. Foot Reflexology operates on the notion that the foot is a complete map of the body. In other words, the feet contain the pattern of the whole body, including all of our organs.
In the practice of Oriental Medicine, the feet are called the "second heart" because they assist in the circulation of blood and lymph fluid from the lower body to the upper body. Blood circulates through the whole body and makes its way to the feet. Blood carries much of the toxic material in our body. The foot pad is applied to the sole of the foot across the mid-section that corresponds to the body's internal organs. The ingredients in the foot pad pull toxins out from the blood as it passes through the foot.
Foot Pads: Do They Work?
The most popular foot pad is the Kinoki foot pad. There is no medical research to prove the effectiveness of the food pad. Many users swear by it. Many others have used foot pads but experienced little or no relief of symptoms. Among naturopaths and alternative health care practitioners, the opinion on foot pads is divided. The standard allopathic medical community does not support the use of foot pads.
Bottom line: if you are interested in body detoxification, there are many other methods that are more effective and less expensive. The best way to detoxify the body is through the main channels of detoxification: liver, kidneys and colon. This involves a combination of dietary changes (such as fasting on vegetable juices and broths for several days) and colon cleansing, in which herbs and fiber is used to amplify the natural elimination system via the colon.
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Detox Foot Pads
You've heard all the hype. Do they really work? Everything you need to know before getting started.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
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We asked our readers to share their favorite affordable ways to pamper yourself. Here' what some of you had to say:
Dressing up and going to a fancy cafe or restaurant with a friend. We're there for the ambiance, and only order small items from the menu.
~ Deborah K.
I pamper myself by taking a little time each day to sit and reflect, congratulating myself and acknowledging my achievements. I need to do this, as the self-esteem takes a battering from time to time. And I can pamper myself this way anytime I feel the need.
~ Claire M.
I believe in the value of a good massage, whether weekly, biweekly or once a month. Yes, it can be an extravagance for some, but even if only once a month, you are taking care of your whole self -- body, mind and spirit. I would be lost without it.
~ Rachel in Vermont
What are some of your favorite affordable self indulgences? Let us know!
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