It's been a few years since I have updated this blog. Life has been busy, so sooo blessed & taken some wildly challenging turns that I never expected. In 2020, not only did the world shut down and life as we all knew it forever changed...but I was also diagnosed with thyroid cancer that same year.
I ended up waiting until 2021 to decide to have a lobectomy. I prayed and waited....and cried and waited...and had scan after scan, biopsy after biopsy.... just hoping the tumors would disappear... but they didn't. So after about 6 months of trying to figure out what to do, I finally felt peace with going in for surgery. In June they removed just the half of my thyroid that had tumors, with hopes that I could save half of a healthy thyroid... but once the biopsy came back it showed that the cancer had spread throughout my entire thyroid... so they waited a couple months for me to heal up from the first surgery and then in August I went in again for a total thyroidectomy. Thankfully, they were able to get it all and I didn't need to do chemo or radiation.
They did recommend radioactive iodine therapy, but by this point I was well into researching more natural ways to heal my body so I declined. A friend of mine told me about Gerson Therapy, which consists of a specialized diet (mostly juicing) to detoxify the body and rebuild the immune system for a minimum of 2 years. I wasn't quite sure I could commit to anything that intense, or expensive - It's $15,000 for the program. Plus, I didn't think I really needed it, being that my prognosis was very good. Thyroid cancer SUCKS, but thankfully it is one of the easiest to cure! So I decided to try my own modified version of Gerson Therapy and utilize other health tips I had received from my very knowledgeable naturopathic doctor, a functional medicine doctor and several other friends who had shared their personal testimonies with me of overcoming cancer 100% naturally, without having to go through the terrible effects of chemo or radiation. So I began to dig into allll the books, articles, blogs, health journals and podcasts I could get my hands on. I learned all about the benefits of juicing, dry brushing, rebounding, grounding, breath work, fasting, prayer/meditation, contrast therapy (ice baths and sauna), infrared light therapy, coffee enemas, essential oils, detox baths, parasite cleansing, reducing EMF's, vitamins, supplements & herbs, using food as medicine.... and the list goes on and on. I have given myself and my family the gift of a functional medicine education these past 3 years! Hopefully we all live healthier lives because of it. And I am thrilled to say that I am now CANCER FREE! ;)
We all know that it's good to eat healthy and exercise... but the average American doesn't eat nearly enough healthy food and puts so much processed garbage in their body every day that it's making them sick. Sugar feeds cancer and it's hiding in so many foods! We don't even realize we are ingesting as much sugar as we are. In 2023, we are exposed to more toxicity that we ever have been before. The hormones in our foods, the endocrine disruptors in our plastic water bottles, the parabens, phthalates & sulfates that are in our hair care, skin care and beauty products, the chemicals that are in our cleaning products, the fluoride in our toothpaste and water, the polluted air we breathe.... and the list goes on and on...so we all should be helping our bodies to detox. God created our bodies to have a built-in detoxification system, but I don't believe that He intended for us to eat the way we do (Hello Starbucks & fast food!)... so sometimes we need to give our detoxification pathways a little help.
Plus, there are some AMAZING BENEFITS TO DETOXING!
Weight loss
Increased energy
Joint pain relief
Improved sleep
Mental Clarity
Reduced inflammation
Improved digestion
Boosted immunity
Reduced cravings
Stabilized mood
Clearer skin
I am planning to write separate posts on:
Binders... which are the best and why it's important to use them while detoxing...I learned this lesson the hard way.
Coffee Enemas...Yes, this involves putting coffee up your bum - gross I know...but it works great to detox the liver! Don't try it until you know exactly how to do it or you could seriously hurt yourself.
Parasite Cleanses...I am about to start one in a couple weeks with my family & a group of friends. So I will share my journey with that.
Juicing...the health differences between smoothies and juice, what juicers are the best for extracting nutrients, and some of my favorite juice recipes.
Fasting... the health benefits of going without food for a period of time. It's amazing what happens at a cellular level when we fast.
But for the remainder of this post, I am going to focus on some very simple & fairly inexpensive things you can do STARTING TOMORROW to help your body detoxify.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links.
I will only recommend products that I have personally used!
DRY BRUSHING - Dry brushing your body activates the lymphatic system and encourages cell regeneration and blood circulation. This in turn promotes detoxification, exfoliates your skin, enhances the skin tone, and also leads to weight loss and cellulite reduction.
COLD WATER - Cold water is Immune Boosting & Detoxifying. The lymphatic system is a detox super-highway. Cold water causes the lymphatic vessels to contract, and thus flushes lymphatic fluid into the bloodstream where it is processed and flushed through the liver and kidneys. If you hate the cold, an ice bath may be a bit of a stretch for you, but you can try running the water as cold as possible at the end of your shower each day. You'd be amazed what this will do for you & how AWAKE & invigorated it makes you feel.
DETOX BATHS - Bentonite Clay & Epsom Salts
Taking a bentonite clay detox bath is a great way to remove heavy metals from the body. Bentonite clay is a naturally-forming clay that magnetically pulls toxins, heavy metals, and wastes from the body. Bentonite clay also lowers the body's PH levels, making it a perfect substance to take internally or use externally.
Soaking in an Epsom salt bath can remove harmful toxins and balance the body. There are many varieties, but I love the one with ashwagandha for the added benefits. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years soothes the nervous system, reduces inflammation + improves focus.
REBOUNDING - Rebounding efficiently stimulates and helps lymphatic drainage which has anti-inflammatory effects on your body. When the body is weakened from toxins or stress, many toxins enter the lymph nodes and never get pumped back out. So when you are rebounding you are helping your body by “manually” pump the toxins out with each bouncing movement. Rebounding also helps to bring oxygen to the skin, and improve circulation.
SAUNA - In a sauna, your body is exposed to high heat, causing your internal body temperature to rise and your sweat production to significantly increase. This heightened state of perspiration aids in flushing out toxins, effectively supporting your body's detoxification process.If you can't afford to buy a Sauna for your home or a membership to a gym or spa that has a sauna. This Sauna Blanket is a great and affordable investment in your health.
MASSAGE - Self care is important! Getting a relaxing massage doesn't just alleviate stress...it also helps stimulate your lymphatic system to open your drainage pathways. If you can't afford a massage, ask your spouse to give you one. :)
CASTOR OIL PACKS - Castor Oil Packs increase circulation, support healthy movement of the lymphatic system, calm IBS and other digestive issues, reduce swelling and inflammation, shrinks cysts, growths, and warts. It is highly recommended to choose organic castor oil for castor oil pack to achieve optimal results.
DRINK CLEAN SPRING WATER - When you are detoxing it's super important to drink a lot of water. I have heard a gallon a day, which is 16 eight ounce glasses of water! Or if you can't do that, at least half your body weight in ounces. Warm or room temperature lemon water is great to drink first thing in the morning and at night before you go to bed. But throughout the day its great to drink an alkaline water and Fiji Water is a great option because it has minerals in it like calcium and magnesium, which both play a crucial role in bone health, muscle function, and nerve transmission. These minerals contribute to maintaining strong teeth, promoting cardiovascular well-being, and even aiding in stress reduction.
For the person who is brand new to all this and just starting to learn about the importance of detoxification, I hope this gives you a good place to start. I am not a doctor, so please always check with your health care practitioner before implementing any specific detox protocol.
For the experienced detoxer ;) ... please feel free to share anything I missed or ways that you enjoy detoxing. I am just starting to learn about ionic foot baths. The health space fascinates me & I love learning about it! If you are interested in learning more a great resource is the Ancient Health Podcast! Check it out! And SUBSCRIBE to my email list, so you can get notified of new blog posts. Lots more to come!
#detoxing #detoxification #cancerjourney #thyroidcancer #naturalremedies #functionalmedicine #detox #foodasmedicine #juicing #cleansing #parasitecleanse #drybrushing #rebounding #health #healthandwellness #preventativemedicine #detoxbaths #sauna #contrasttherapy #hotandcoldtherapy #icebaths #Infraredlight #eatclean #exercisemore #gethealthy #fightcancer #sugarfeedscancer #toxicworld