# 24 Detox

While we're on the "back to nature" track: Ok, so this is not my favourite topic, but well... I know it's worked for a lot of people so it's worth writing about.

What do I mean by detox? Well, here's a very basic intro from about.com:

"A growing body of research suggests that many of the chemicals we ingest daily through food, water, and air can become deposited in fat cells in our bodies. A diet that lacks certain nutrients may also impair our natural ability to detoxify chemicals, which further leads to their build-up in the body.
The cumulative load, called the "body burden", is thought to lead to illness and has been linked to hormonal imbalance, impaired immune function, nutritional deficiency, and an inefficient metabolism. Signs are thought to include indigestion, bad breath, fatigue, poor skin, and muscle pain."

So a natural detoxifying diet is meant to cleanse out build-up that may be causing or aggravating muscle and joint pain. Though medical doctors usually question the effects and challenge the scientific basis of this theory, many natural clinics that work with rheumatism and muscle pain place great emphasis on detoxing. 

I have done it several times but not for many years now, so - ouch - have finally decided another round, two weeks on herbal detox supplements, no processed food or sugar but loads of water, fresh fruit and veggies.

It's another one of those things that just feel intuitively right for my body, but which are kind of hard to include in a normally hectic daily life.

Especially when you are on heavy meds, it can be really beneficial to do a mild liver detox once a year, and you may experience much greater effect of your medication afterwards. Proceed with caution, and only if you feel that this seems right to you.

PS: I have to admit that I did the "putting planks on my feet" thing again yesterday and went skiing. Ouch. I think it was worth it. Maybe. Ouch. Or maybe my Norwegian genes are just trying to trick me into enjoying it?