Different types of cleansing

BAILA LAZARUS

As one bandage after another is wrapped around me, I can feel the weight growing. First, it’s like wearing a light layer of clothing, then a heavy pair of tights, then a thick rubber wet suit and soon I start to feel like a mummy.

As part of a new treatment being promoted by Body Beautiful Canada, called the Universal Contour Wrap (UCW), I am swathed neck to feet in stretchy bandages soaked in a warm sea clay and mineral solution. After relaxing on a bed for about 40 minutes, the bandages are removed.

UCW is a type of spa service that is being touted as a means of detoxification, as well as size reduction. Acting like a giant poultice, the dressing is intended to draw toxins out of the body and stimulate the body’s natural waste disposal processes.

The technique is intended not only to remove toxins but, by doing so, to reduce the space these toxins take up in the body, and thus the client loses inches. (Note that losing inches does not necessarily mean losing weight.)

Before and after the wrap, 17 measurements are taken and compared. In my case, the difference ranged from one-eighth of an inch reduction around my knees (not an area of great concern) to three-quarters of an inch around my waist. Overall, I achieved a total of eight and three-eighths inches. Promoters of the product are so confident of the results that they guarantee a total reduction of six inches or your money back.

This is not the same as reducing fat from a particular body area, however. If the toxins build up in the arm, rib cage area or hips, that’s where the size reductions will occur. UCW is available at several higher-end spas around the Lower Mainland.

You are what you eat

Many people hear “detox” or “cleanse” and think that means food reduction or even something close to fasting. According to Dr. Allana Polo, a naturopathic doctor, an effective cleanse is about changing your diet, not starving yourself.

“A lot of people want to do a detox if they’re fatigued, don’t have a lot of energy or get headaches, or have digestive problems,” said Polo, who will first have patients fill out a comprehensive questionnaire. “From there, we do dietary counseling. So I’ll give people a hypoallergenic diet and elimination diet to follow.”

This consists of the removal of common food allergens like dairy, wheat and sugar and processed food. “We have them eating whole, live foods: lots of fruits and vegetables, protein, beans, lentils, legumes and sweet potatoes,” she explained. “Really rich, colorful, live vegetables; lots of nuts and seeds. We add herbs and supplements for the kidneys, livers and bowels to get the organs working a bit better.”

Benefits of this kind of detoxification program can include weight loss, increased energy, healthier-looking skin, better digestion, increased focus and pain management, Polo said. Her program may include nutritional modifications, botanical medicines, lifestyle changes, recipes, cooking tips and use of an infrared sauna.

Polo will be giving a talk on detoxification at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver on Wednesday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m.

Suck the life into you

Looking at a person’s whole lifestyle before trying any kind of treatment is also the approach taken by practitioners of traditional medicine like acupuncture. Juliane Petersen, a registered acupuncturist, also has patients fill out a comprehensive questionnaire. When it comes to cleansing or detoxification, history is really important, she said.

“We treat the person’s body and systems as a whole,” said Petersen. “We look for more clues as to the reasons why a person would attract the toxins into their body.”

Besides acupuncture, Petersen uses a therapy called “cupping,” which involves placing cups containing reduced air pressure on the skin. Normally, a flame is placed in a small glass bowl-shaped cup so the oxygen is used up and a vacuum is created. The cup is then quickly put on the skin. The resulting suction moves the blood and energy in the body. There is no pain or discomfort involved, but there may be some ring-shaped marks left that usually go away within a day or two.

Petersen said that patients should see an impact after about four to eight treatments. Some of the immediate benefits are more energy during the day and a better sleep at night, she explained.

People who would benefit from detoxification through cupping or other types of acupuncture treatments are those who “eat in restaurants a lot, people who travel a lot, people who do not exercise or bring their cardio up at least 30 minutes per day,” said Petersen.

Petersen can be reached at [email protected].

Moving right along

If traditional cupping isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps a relaxing massage will get your attention. Many people don’t know that massage techniques can be specifically tailored to rid the body of toxins.

Certified massage therapist Susan Polano conducts a series of lymphatic-drainage treatments that can “move the toxins to areas of the body where they can be naturally released.”

The lymph system is responsible for moving toxins, including cancer cells, between various parts of the body. If the system is not working properly, toxins get trapped. Lymphatic drainage massage is focused on stimulating the lymph system to keep it functioning. Polano suggests six to 10 treatments, no more than one week apart.

“Very few practitioners in Vancouver actually do this treatment,” said Polano. “This treatment is great for everyone as everyone needs to detoxify from daily living or not enough exercise, eating rich foods and not drinking enough water. It is great for helping push cancer cells out of the body.”

Polano can be reached through Oceana Massage at [email protected].

Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer, painter and photographer. She’s now looking for an opportunity to rid her body of toxins through eating more chocolate.

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