Detoxing

Detox cures: Can the body be detoxified?

It is considered controversial whether the body can be completely de-poisoned during a detox treatment and whether this is actually necessary from time to time. There is no scientific proof of this. In our body, many organs such as the kidneys, liver, intestines and also the skin are permanently responsible for regular detoxification. They make sure that harmful influences in our metabolism and blood circulation are reduced regularly. These work constantly, so that an accumulation of bodily waste products is usually not possible. Nevertheless, detox days as times of abstinence can support the functions of the classical detoxification organs. The term can also be used in a broader sense - in the sense that everyday life or the environment is also " cleared up" in the course of a detox treatment and new structures are created.

Whether for the body or for cleaning up everyday life: Detoxing as an umbrella term can affect very different aspects of life. Classically, many people understand a detoxing cure as the detoxification of the body. A small detoxing action of the body can be carried out during a detox day at home. Some health-conscious people even establish a Detox Day in their regular weekly routine. Soups, smoothies or teas with certain nutrients are then on the menu, which boost the metabolism. The aim is to provide the body with the optimum conditions on this day to break down harmful substances. For this reason, calorie- and fat-containing foods should also be avoided and fresh food should be eaten instead. At the same time, a lot of exercise in the fresh air is recommended on this day. Leave your car at home, avoid the public transport system and plan enough time for an extensive walk: that is the motto on Detoxing Day.

Get to know detoxing holistically

If you want to clean up your body more comprehensively, you should only do so with professional guidance. Many wellness hotels offer special programmes for this purpose, in which the participants purify and detoxify their bodies under individual medical supervision, relax mind and soul and thus find new well-being.

How does detoxing in a wellness hotel work?

The classic form of detox are fasting cures, like the F.X.Mayr cure. Long before detoxing became popular with Hollywood celebrities, the body was cleansed and detoxified for medical purposes. While the F.X.Mayr fasting cure classically lasts three weeks and consists in its core of the fasting person chewing a dry bread roll in the morning until it is completely dissolved and then swallowing it down with a spoonful of milk, modern Mayr medicine treats the fasting person individually and can also be carried out in one-week treatments. One week of F. X. Mayr cures can be experienced at the Parkhotel at Lake Soier in the classic or luxury version. And also in the Bad Clevers Gesundheitsresort & Spa there is the possibility to fast for one week following the Mayr programme.

Other detoxifying cures are the Buchinger fasting cure and the Jentschura detoxification cure, both of which are also offered by individual wellness hotels. The fasting meals during fasting according to Dr. Buchinger in the Bad Clevers Gesundheitsresort & Spa are, like the Modern Mayr Cure, based on an individual doctor's prescription. In principle, however, it can be said that the fasting patients consume mild herbal tea, vegetable broth, fruit and vegetable juices and plenty of fresh spring water.

With all detox arrangements, be it according to F.X. Mayr, Dr. Buchinger or Jentschura, the detoxifying effect of the fasting diet is supported by applications such as packs, lymphatic drainage and massages as well as gentle exercise such as yoga, walking, water gymnastics or Qi Gong. During the spring detox at Schüle's Health Resort & Spa, there is also a cooking school with a chef who explains to the participants how to prepare healthy dishes carefully. 

And during the fruit fasting hiking week at the Wellness Hotel Sommer, the "natural gourmet treatment" is combined with daily two to five-hour hikes. Further detox arrangements are the Grand Med Detox at the Grand Hotel Binz and the Alpen- or Sweet-Detox at the Hubertus Alpin Lodge & Spa. A Far Eastern way of giving the body new energy can be experienced at the Vital- & Wellnesshotel Zum Kurfürsten with a 7-day-TCM-cure, where the guests give their bodies new strength through nutrition, exercise and treatments according to traditional Chinese medicine.

Digital Detox - do we need a digital detox?

In addition to the classic detoxing of the body, which mainly works through nutrition, Digital Detox is also very popular. It is about abandoning digital devices and the use of the internet. Unnoticed, the use of these devices takes up a large part of our everyday life today. Even in brief moments when one could enjoy the sweet pleasures of doin' nothing, one's gaze automatically rushes back to the smartphone. Effectiveness and time optimisation determine everyday life.

Digital Detox is the temporary abandonment of these digital devices and the possibilities they bring with them. Some wellness hoteliers respond exactly to people's need to be unavailable for a while. For example, wellness guests at the Hubertus Alpin Lodge & Spa can exchange their smartphones for a piece of mountain cheese for the duration of their stay. Why not let go of the digital world for once and enjoy the complete analogy of reality?

How do I know if my body needs a detoxification cure?

Detoxing is a natural way to activate the self-healing powers and to free the body from harmful substances absorbed by the environment. A detoxing cure can therefore also make sense for medical conditions that would otherwise require treatment in other areas. A detoxing cure can have positive effects on the following clinical pictures:

• Detoxing with acne
• Detoxing for irritable bowel syndrome
• Detoxing with neurodermatitis
• Detoxing for impure skin
• Detoxing for stomach problems
• Detoxing with arthrosis

Why is salt harmful to the detoxing effect?

Salt is considered a natural storage of fluid in the body. If someone takes in salt during detoxification, this slows down the body's flushing effect, which is ideally accelerated by drinking as much water as possible. Salt should therefore be avoided as far as possible during a detox treatment.  

Sporty detoxification

Movements encourage the elimination of substances that are harmful to the body during detoxification. Especially gentle sports like yoga stimulate the metabolism. You can get to know yoga, for example, on a wellness break, where the focus is on your own well-being. Regular yoga sessions in everyday life also ensure that the body's metabolism remains permanently activated.

Why is detoxing useful?

In general, it can be said that regular detoxing periods are always useful. After all, in these the body has the chance to break down harmful substances in the body and recover from the daily demands. Reasons for a detox cure can be the following:

• Detoxing for beautiful skin
• Detoxing for a healthy soul
• Detoxification for the body free from harmful substances
• Detoxing for stomach and intestines

Detoxing tips for every day

Detoxing tip 1: Drink water

The positive effects that arise when we drink enough water are well known. After all, the body of every human being consists of more than half of liquid. In fact, drinking water also stimulates the removal of toxins from our body. Therefore it is important to drink enough during detoxification. It is also popular to produce your own so-called detoxing water. For this purpose, lemon, ginger or pomegranate are added to the classic water. The beneficial properties of the additives improve the detoxification process and ensure that the water tastes even better.

Detoxing tip 2: Change of diet

When detoxing, it makes sense to avoid acidic foods. In general, it is often recommended to eat about 80 percent alkaline products and 20 percent acidic ones. In today's society, the diet of many people includes more acidic products. An over-acidification of the body is therefore understood to be an imbalance in the acid-base household of the body. One aim of detoxification can be to rebalance this. A permanent acidosis of the body can lead to complaints. Acidic foods are for example:

• Meat
• Fish
• Animal products such as milk or cheese
• Bread
• Cereal products
• Sweet drinks
• Alcohol

Basic foods that counteract hyperacidity have trace elements such as magnesium, sodium and potassium. The body incorporates these into the metabolism. Among the basic foods are:

• Fruit & Smoothies
• Vegetables and salads
• Herbs
• Mushrooms & sprouts
• Herbal teas

Detox Tip 3: Smoothies

The combination of certain basic foods in a smoothie can boost detoxification and thus the elimination of toxins. Good ingredients for detoxifying smoothies include vitamin-rich ingredients such as lemons and oranges, bitter salads such as chicory, and clean water to bind toxins.