Detoxification becoming the new fitness fad

Frequent, unexplained headaches, bad breath, allergy to food, poor digestion or chronic constipation with intestinal bloating, high blood pressure or blood sugar... Are these bothering you of late? Maybe then it’s time that you undergo a detoxification programme.

Owing to hectic lifestyle, poor eating habits and lack of exercise, many Bangaloreans in their 30s and 40s are opting for detox programme to cleanse their body and ensure a healthy life.

Shathayu Ayurveda, which has nine centres in the city, gets roughly about 350 to 400 people every month, opting for detox therapy. Dr Mrythyunjaya Swamy, managing director, Shathayu Ayurveda, said: “Every day, toxins get accumulated in the body. However, only the fat-soluble toxins reside in the body. These toxins cause hormonal change in the body, leading to several diseases, if not eliminated in time. Thus, individuals should undergo one detoxification programme once in every three to four years.” There are various myths related to detoxification. Fasting, drinking plenty of water, taking wheat grass shots, nothing can detoxify body completely. According to ayurveda, detoxification is a seven-day programme. “We give ghee to drink for the initial three days of the programme. This helps the fat-soluble toxins to transfer to ghee. The next three days are for massage and steam bath to escalate the process. On the seventh day, we induce loose motion, followed by diet modification,” said Dr Swamy. Detoxification increases metabolism and helps in maintaining harmony in the body. According to Dr Irfana Akhter, Icam Wellcare Clinic, there are five types of detoxification, of which the most popular one is colon hydrotherapy.

“Colon hydrotherapy safely and effectively cleanses out the whole colon from putrefied and decaying waste matter and restores balance and health to colon. Since your colon directly feeds your blood, by restoring normal colon health, your blood is also detoxified and cleansed,” he said.

This way of detoxification helps in constipation, weight loss, improves skin health, stimulates the immune system, removes toxic waste, stimulates appetite, eliminates headaches and boosts energy, he added. The clinic gets about 120 to 130 people for detoxification every month.

Liver and lungs
The liver can be cleansed by using powerful natural herbs. Exercise With Oxygen Therapy (EWOT) is a simple yet powerful therapy to detox your lungs. High doses of oxygen are infused into one’s lungs as you undergo a specific exercise routine flooding your blood with oxygen. Supplements are used to stimulate blood flow to the skin, leading to expulsion of toxins from the skin cells. Ozone hydrotherapy helps the kidneys detox by flushing away these toxins normally, excreted by them directly from your system.