Spring Detox and Cleansing

If you are living in an environment that experiences the change of seasons, you have likely noticed how the beginning of each one shifts our perception and focus. For example, springtime signifies a time of rebirth and breaking through what is keeping us stuck and stagnant. This aligns with ancient traditions that associate these months with renewal.

In Chinese medicine, spring is linked to the wood element. This is connected to the liver, our organ of detoxification. As a result, many integrative doctors teach the value of cleansing as a physical way to rejuvenate our bodies and minds during this time frame.

Among the liver’s over 500 functions, it is most well-known for metabolizing and neutralizing what is harmful from our environment and ridding our body of cellular wastes. The other organs of elimination (the kidneys, lungs, skin, and intestines) further assist with the clearing out of toxins and debris.

As a naturopathic and functional medicine doctor, I understand that it is paramount to our health to provide the body with holistic support for enhanced elimination, while avoiding additional accumulation of deleterious substances. This is because our world is full of ubiquitous detrimental chemicals in our environment and they cannot be completely avoided.

Still, there are caveats to consider on how we approach “purifying the body.” Unfortunately, many holistic practitioners are not aware of these unintentional, dangerous consequences. These include fueling eating disorders and promoting body shaming.

I know that it is possible to naturally enhance the removal of toxins without giving into diet culture messages. This is through applying personalized, intentional approaches to nutrition. Using integrative and holistic tools further aids the body, mind, spirit, and heart to function at their best. In this way, we can satisfy our bodies with foods and practices that feel good while they optimize our biology, psychology, ethnic practices, and pleasure.

One of the modalities that I use the most with my clients is essential oils. Besides relieving the emotional upheaval of destructive diet culture messaging, they also have physiological qualities that support detoxification. These aromatic allies are a gentle and powerful way to protect our body from harm and defend against the biochemical imbalances caused by excess exposures.

In this video blog, I dive deeper into how essential oils support our ability to detoxify. Specifically, we will explore:

  • The four ways that essential oils naturally aid elimination and shield the body from noxious chemicals
  • The many biochemical properties of essential oils that help to re-balance the body, prevent further harm, and boost wellness when exposed to toxins

As always, all the links to the studies and references will be within the accompanying article and in the resource section.

So, let’s get started.

 

Four Ways that Essential Oils Support Cleansing and Detoxifying

There are four characteristics of essential oils that facilitate cleansing and detoxifying. These include:

  1. Their biochemical properties: essential oils are naturally anti-inflammatory and act as antioxidants. These aspects help to safeguard us from the cellular stress that can occur during the detoxification processes.
  2. Acting as cleaning substitutes: essential oils can be used to replace deleterious chemicals in cleaning products while enhancing, not hurting, our health.
  3. Directly influencing detoxification enzymes: essential oils can impact our natural ability to rid our body of unwanted compounds through their chemical composition.
  4. Their aromatic and psychological properties: calming the brain and body while removing noxious substances has beneficial physiological and cognitive consequences.

Now that we understand the four ways essential oils contribute to a more productive removal of harmful substances, let’s focus on their biochemical properties that aid purifying the body. I will cover the others in upcoming video blogs.

 

The Biochemical Properties of Essential Oils That Support and Defend Us Against Toxins

Essential oils influence our physiology to help correct the brain and body imbalances that occur from the exposure to dangerous chemicals.

This is based on how essential oils:

  • Modulate the immune system and inflammation.
  • Support several enzymes that help the body detoxify.
  • Act as antioxidants protecting cellular and mitochondrial health.
  • Are neuroprotective, preserving cognitive function.
  • Are antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal, aiding in mitigating stealth infections that can accumulate from toxin-related immune compromise.
  • Impact neurotransmitters.
  • Aid digestion, assimilation, elimination, and a healthy microbiome.
  • Modulate stress, cortisol, hormones, and resulting blood sugar issues.
  • Support vagal tone, enhancing parasympathetic activity and optimizing autonomic physiological functioning.
  • Enhance our emotional health through their biochemical properties, psychoaromatherapy, influencing neuroplasticity, and shifting brain electrical activity.

 

Summing Up the Ways Essential Oils Help to Cleanse and Detoxify Us in a Toxic World

Essential oils can aid our body in enhancing our ability to cleanse and detoxify through (1) their biochemical properties, (2) serving as safe cleaning substitutes and wellness enhancers, (3) supporting detoxification and elimination pathways, and (4) assisting with emotional balance and purging negative emotions.

Due to their many mechanisms of action, essential oils address the underlying imbalances that these harmful, ubiquitous compounds can create. This can help to alleviate the unwanted symptoms and chronic diseases that can result from chemical exposures.

Since there are so many effects of essential oils, perhaps the title of this post should have been “The Countless Ways that Essential Oils Gently, Yet Powerfully and Holistically Aid Detoxification and Cleansing.”

What do you think?

After reading the blog or watching the video, I’d love to hear from you on how you use essential oils to support your health in this toxic world.

Thank you so much for taking the time to learn how to nurture your mind, body, heart, and soul.

Sending you many blessings.

 

Interested in Learning More About Essential Oils?

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Resources

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Disclaimer: This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)

This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.

Thanks Pixabay and Canva.