Foot detox bath is a soothing and relaxing therapy used to cleanse your body (through your feet) off toxins that may have accumulated over time. This Buzzle article looks into the concept of ionic foot detox, its benefits, and the speculation surrounding it.
Take 1 cup of Epsom salt, 1 cup of sea salt, 2 cups of baking soda, and several drops of lavender essential oil. Mix it well. Take ¼ cup of this mixture, and fill it with hot water (the temperature you think can withstand) in a foot tub. Soak your feet for 20 minutes. Relax and enjoy.
You must have often noticed elders (or even youngsters) soaking their feet in saltwater. This is an age-old therapy used to get rid of dirt, grime, and bacteria in your feet. Your feet can ideally be considered as the most important part of the body (they carry the whole weight of your body, after all!), yet, they are the most neglected part. Soaking your feet in saltwater has several benefits. It helps clean the dirt on your soles and thoroughly cleanses your feet. Salt is supposed to have healing properties for certain wounds as well. You may have experienced this while standing in the cool waters of the beach. For this reason, what began as simply soaking one's feet in warm water to relax the body, has now turned into a method used to detoxify the body. The method is known as foot detox bath.
When any of these problems occur, it is a sign that something is wrong and needs correction. The body does eliminate or neutralize toxins via the kidneys, liver, perspiration, and exhalation but for most people, toxins accumulate faster than the body can eliminate them. This is when treatments like the foot detox bath prove beneficial, as it will allow for a greater level of waste products to be excreted, which in turn helps the body to regulate nutrients and oxygen to the tissues.
This therapy helps the body cleanse by drawing out toxins and heavy metals from the many pores located at the soles of your feet.
In this therapy, the feet are placed in a foot tub filled with warm spring water and sea salt.
A coil is placed in the tub too, which iodizes the saltwater, because of which the toxins and impurities are released in sweat from the soles of our feet.
Once the machine is set to the correct settings, you can sit back and relax for 30 minutes, i.e., till the machine completes its cycle.
Basically, a process called 'electrolysis' takes place, when a low current is passed through electrodes.
Positively charged ions, thus, released help charge and re-energize the cells in the body. The waste from the body is released through the pores on our feet.
It is suggested that adults use the machine every other day for 14 sessions, after which it is advisable to take a break for a week.
The toxins that are eliminated can be seen, as the water may change color (dark mud-brown, or in some cases, black) and consistency. This therapy is effective as there are more sweat glands in our feet compared to anywhere else on our body.
Once the session is complete, you can continue with your normal activities. It is advisable to drink plenty of water for the rest of the day. You can also take a mineral supplement as the detoxification will pull out some of the minerals that are naturally bound with the heavy metals and toxins that are eliminated during the bath.
The foot detox bath can be done for about 45 minutes at a stretch. Remember not to repeat the procedure on the same day in order to achieve the desired results.
The water turns murky at the end of the procedure. Adherents claim that the discoloration is caused by the release of toxins from the body. However, others speculate that the color change occurs not because of toxins being released, but because of the salt reacting with the ionic cartridge, which would take place even without soaking your feet.
It is very important to remember that people who are pregnant or nursing, have undergone organ transplants, or have a pacemaker should not use this detox method.
There is no better way than coming home to a relaxing and soothing foot detox bath after a long, hard day at work. Besides detoxifying your feet, you can combine it with meditation and/or different breathing techniques to improve your body's supply of oxygen, thus, improving your overall well-being.