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Showing posts with label dry skin brushing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dry skin brushing. Show all posts

Thursday, February 3, 2011

MY REVIEW OF CAROLYN AKENS BODY REJUVENATION DETOX PROGRAM


One of my green goodie juices.

Okay, lovely ones. Here’s my review of Carolyn’s Detox program


After getting over my immediate apprehensive once I committed to going thru this detox, I was excited. I was looking forward to doing something good (and long overdue) for my body. Then I received the detox program, I was bit put off. I honestly was expecting a 1, or at most, 2-pager document that would just give me step-by-step instructions on what to do everyday. Here's the thing: After sitting my impatient-want-what-I-want-now ass down and reading the materials, it dawned on me that I was in “microwave” mode. “Damn”. *hangs head*

Allow me to briefly explain: I was so used to getting things in a condensed format, super fast. And much like the microwave meals & fast food; I've found and observed that condensed and super fast can and do leave you without a bunch of essential things that you need. Aside from the fact that that wham-bam way of doing things can leave you feeling a bit empty once it’s all said and done. It negates the fact that everyone’s body is different. It skirts the issue of considering a person’s personality, emotional state and where they are in life. After reading all the materials, I realized that her detox program respects the individual, unique person. No, we are not assembly line machines so why should any program presented to us be a cookie-cutter, general quickie program. There is absolutely nothing general about you, me or anyone else.


Almost gone spinach, pear, apple & mint smoothie.

Having said that, I loved the fact that I could modify this detox to fit my needs and where I was mentally & emotionally. There’s nothing dogmatic about it. Love that. So much information was provided to ensure that I fully understood what a detox is, what it can do for my body, what to expect during a detox and how I can safely & effectively execute it. There were sample menus for different types of detoxes, listing of detox herbs and different detoxification methods explained in detail. This is not only a program but also an education. On top of which, Carolyn’s support is always there for you. You get weekly calls with her and daily emails. And as an added bonus, you get an awesome Q&A conference call with Karen Langston, internationally recognized nutritionist and recent heroine entrepreneur.

After my “Aha” moment of realization, I fell into the program with fervor. My first week went well, although I had bouts with nausea, headaches and not my usual amount of energy, which I didn’t realize until the following week when I felt soooo much better. This detox was actually a joyful & eye-opening experience for me. Maybe it was because it wasn’t a rigid “you-can-only-do-this-this-and-this-and-it-has-to-be-this-way” type of detox but more of an exploration of the delicious and healthy bounty that the earth provides us with. Okay, I admit it. That description might be a bit – deep. But I really had fun and enjoyed it. I enjoyed juicing collard greens, cabbage & garlic for the first time. I enjoyed trying the delicious quinoa. And I actually really enjoyed the taste of avocados. Haha! It was also fun coming up a light & clean, vegan dishes for dinner. Go figure. I felt as if I discovered a new world of flavors but more importantly, I discovered that I could actually do this. I could actually go more than a week without eating any type of animal products. Yay me!
 

Spiralized zucchini with portabello mushrooms, red & yellow bell peppers, red onions & fresh garlic lightly sauteed in evoo.
Will I do this again? Hell yes! I'm so happy that I started my year off with this detox. As a matter of fact, I am continuing this way of eating. As stated earlier this week, I have not thrown in the towel on meat, fish or eggs but I’m certainly cutting my intake of them way down. And I also look forward to going thru vegan-spells; meaning eating 100% vegan for a month or months at a time.

Would I recommend this detox program? Again, hell yeah! This program is an education & a detox. Not just a program that you do quickly and forget just as quickly, but a lasting effective program that teaches you the importance of a detox, why one may be necessary and that it is in fact doable on all levels.

Oh, and I forgot to mention my bmi (body mass index) has dropped and is back in its healthy range and I lost 10 lbs. Damn, I really had put on a few pounds. I’m so stoked that I’m back in some of my favorite clothes, too.  Happy
A note for Carolyn:
Carolyn, words cannot express my thanks & appreciation for you allowing me to experience your program. I have gained so much from this. Now I feel prepared to take the next steps in my healthy journey. Now I know that I can eat a clean, vegan diet. Where I once apprehensive and unsure as to whether I could prepare some healthy (& edible), clean vegan meals, I now have the confidence and know that I can successfully do so. And now that I feel great & my bmi is back in check, I can get my swerve back on. Just kidding. Well, uh, not really. Haha! Thanks so much. And may only the best continue to come your way.
Much luv & {{Hugs}},
Cheris

*********************************

Carolyn Akens Body Rejuvenation Detox Program
Website: CarolynAkens.com
Carolyn Akens on facebook: http://bit.ly/fbcarolynakens
Carolyn Akens on twitter: www.twitter.com/carolynakens
Email: carolyn@carolynakens.com
phone: (678) 807-9187








Post Title MY REVIEW OF CAROLYN AKENS BODY REJUVENATION DETOX PROGRAM

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

YOU BRUSH YOUR WHAT??!!

*skin brushing diagram

Get your minds outta the gutter, Beautifuls. Lol.
I'm referring to dry skin brushing.

Dry skin brushing is a health and beauty technique that involves using a natural fiber brush or loofah pad, to detoxify the skin. This procedure is done when you are dry and naked, right before you get in the shower.

 Some facts on skin:
  • The skin is the largest most important eliminative organ in the body and is responsible for one quarter of the body’s detoxification each day
  • The skin eliminates over one pound of waste acids each day in the average adult, most of it through the sweat glands
  • That the skin is known also as our third kidney
  • That the skin receives one third of all the blood circulated in the body
  • That the skin is the last to receive nutrients in the body, yet the first to show signs of imbalance or deficiency

 Detoxification is performed by a number of organs, glands, and transportation systems, including the skin, gut, kidneys, liver, lungs, lymphatic system, and mucous membranes. The dry brushing technique deals with detoxification of the skin.




Dry brushing is a way to stimulate all the above organs of detoxification because it provides a gentle internal massage.




Dry Brushing was recommended by the Finnish Dr., Paavo Airola for his patients 30 years ago and is still popular in European spas and many cancer treatment centers today. The Russians, Turks and Scandinavians have used this treatment for centuries. Dry brushing is promoted as a preventative for dry skin and a way to exfoliate the skin, thus stimulating skin renewal that is super soft to the touch, but there are many other benefits as well:




Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing:

1. Removes cellulite


2. Cleanses the lymphatic system


3. Removes dead skin layers


4. Strengthens the immune system


5. Stimulates the hormone and oil-producing glands


6. Tightens the skin preventing premature aging


7. Tones the muscles


8. Stimulates circulation


9. Improves the function of the nervous system


10. Helps digestion


11. AND it’s easy, inexpensive and invigorating!



I consistently dry brushed my skin daily for a little over a month. At first, the sensation was a bit rough and I found my skin to react sensitively to it. I also noticed that I felt a little crappy shortly after beginning brushing. I took this as my body was going through detox. After a few days though, I felt great and so did the brush on my skin.


After dry brushing my body, I immediately jumped into the shower to wash off the impurities from my brushing session.



SOME NEED-TO-KNOW POINTERS ON DRY SKIN BRUSHING:


• Always dry brush your dry and naked body before you shower or bathe because you will want to wash off the impurities from the skin as a result from the brushing action.

 
• You can do the brushing head-to-toe or toe-to-head. It really doesn’t matter as long as the entire body is brushed. Long sweeping strokes starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the torso in an upward direction help drain the lymph back to your heart.

 
• Use light pressure in areas where the skin is thin and harder pressure on places like the soles of the feet.

 
• Skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning. A thorough skin brushing takes about 15 minutes, but any time spent brushing prior to bathing will benefit the body. If you are feeling ill, increasing the treatments to twice a day is good. You can also dry brush areas of cellulite five to 10 minutes twice a day to achieve cellulite dissolving but the technique needs to be done consistently for a minimum of five months.

 
• Avoid sensitive areas and anywhere the skin is broken such as areas of skin rash, wounds, cuts, and infections. Also, never brush an area affected by poison oak or poison ivy.

 
• Finish up with your regular shower and ending with three hot and cold cycles. That means turning on the water as hot as you can take it for several seconds, then as cold as you can handle it, then hot, then cold for three cycles. End with either hot or cold. This will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bringing more blood to the outer layers of the skin.

 
• After getting out of the shower, dry off vigorously and massage your skin with pure plant oils such as olive, avocado, apricot, almond, sesame, coconut or cocoa butter. Add a little peanut and Castor oil to the mix if you have arthritis. Edgar Cayce says this works to take out some of the pain, and we’ve found that to be true over the years.

 
• Clean your skin brush using soap and water once a week. After rinsing, dry your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.

 
• Any well designed program will take about 30 days to see and experience the changes. Please be patient and keep up the program! For a thorough lymphatic cleansing, perform skin brushing daily for a minimum of three months.






Note: Stroking away from your heart puts extra pressure on the valves within the veins and lymph vessels and can cause ruptured vessels and varicose veins.

**This information is from Natural Health Techniques.com. You can read more up on dry skin brushing here.



Also, Evelyn, from EvelynParham.com (A great healthy raw & live plant-based living site!), did a great video that you can use as a visual to show you how to dry skin brush properly. You can click the link to it here.



{{Hugs}},





 

Post Title YOU BRUSH YOUR WHAT??!!