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Detoxification is an important factor in health, especially during a change in season. Here are some helfpul directions about dry skin brushing - a very useful technique for increasing the skin's ability to eliminate toxins:

Dry Skin Brushing

-Up to 1/3 of all body impurities are excreted through the skin.  It is the largest eliminative organ, next to the kidney, liver, lungs and colon.

-Breathing through the pores, the body absorbs oxygen and excretes carbon dioxide, wastes and toxins.

-Certain nutrients are also absorbed through the skin, including vitamin D.

-Once the pores become clogged with dead skin cells and impurities, the functioning of the skin becomes impaired, contributing to degenerative diseases. 

-Daily application of moisturizers, deodorants, and synthetic clothing further disallow the skin to perform its innate detoxifying functions.

Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing:

-Stimulates blood flow in all underlying tissues and organs.

-Removes dead layers of skin and other impurities.

-Promotes hormone and oil-producing glands.

-Helps keep pores open, eliminating toxins from the body.

-Maintains a youthful, smooth, strong skin appearance, preventing premature aging.

-Rejuvenates the nervous system by stimulating nerve-endings in the skin.

-Helps to prevent colds, in combination with hot/cold showers.

-Contributes to healthier muscle tone and can break down cellulite with continued use.

Directions For Dry Skin Brushing

Note: devote at least 5-10 minutes morning and night

1. Starting with the soles of your feet up your legs, work towards your heart.  Continue with hands and arms, back, abdomen, chest and neck.

2. Start with gentle, circular movements, using as much pressure as you can comfortably stand.  Work up to a pressure that creates a warm, rosy glow to the skin.

3. After brushing, have a shower to wash away any dead skin cells and toxic particles.

Some Tips on Dry Skin Brushing

-Choose a brush made from natural vegetable fibre bristles for best results.

-Wash your dry skin brush with a natural soap every 2 weeks to keep impurities from clogging it up. 

-Dry the brush in a warm place or in the sun. 

-For hygienic reasons, for each member of the household, use one brush each.

-Never brush skin that is irritated, damaged or infected.

-Use a Loofah or special facial brush for your face, as the face can be too sensitive for brushing.

-Don’t forget about brushing your scalp.  This will increase blood flow to hair follicles, stimulating growth and keeping the scalp clean of dandruff, excess oils, etc.

Ulcers, Heart Burn and the H.pylori Connection

There was recently a story in the media about a young MD with stomach cancer that passed away.  This doctor was a healthy young woman. The only risk factor she had which may have lead to the development of the cancer was a prior H.pylori bacterial infection of her stomach.  Prior to her death she advocated for more stringent testing for H.pylori for patients with conditions linked to the bacteria like ulcers and heart burn since the bacteria may be treated early simply by taking antibiotics. 

In naturopathic medicine one of our principles of treatment is to treat the cause and not the symptom.  With an H.pylori infection this leads me to take into consideration what may have contributed to getting this infection in the first place and what leads to this bacteria attacking the stomach and small intestine.  Studies have shown that approximately 50% of people over the age of 50 have H.pylori.  However, not all of these people have ulcers or heart burn and certainly not all of them get stomach cancer. 

There are two things that make certain people more susceptible to developing the conditions associated with H.pylori.  The first is gastric output.  Essentially, if your stomach is not secreting enough acid it won’t kill any foreign bacteria in your stomach.  Once the H.pylori takes up residence in the stomach it further increases the pH of the stomach, making it more alkaline and therefore making it more favorable for the H.pylori to colonization there.  What is interesting to note is that people with heart burn or ulcers taking medications to stop the secretion of stomach acid or taking antacids are ultimately helping the H.pylori to survive by eliminating or decreasing the acid in the stomach.  While these medications may be necessary in the short term, in the long term it is important to re-establish the proper pH in the stomach.

The other factor that influences H.pylori infection is a diet low in fruits and vegetables.  It has been found that decreased amounts of antioxidants in gastric juice is associated with H.pylori infection and can contribute to ulcer formation. 

There are many natural therapies which can decrease your risk of contracting H.pylori as well the risk of it causing illness.  These treatments will also ultimately aid in optimizing the digestive process so that you are getting all the beneficial nutrients from your food.  For those with a history of gastric or duodenal ulcers or heartburn, it is important to determine why those conditions have come up and to treat the cause in order to preserve the health of the gastrointestinal tract in the long run.