up to stay warm, and resting for at least one hour. This sequence can be done as
often as two or three times a day to treat a cold or the flu.
Colonic and chelation therapies are not suitable for home experimentation and
should be administered only by a professional. See the resources section for more
information.
CHAPTER 24 DETOXIFYING THERAPIES 301TRY IT YOURSELF: DETOXIFYING BATHS
A number of substances can be added to the bath to help detoxify the body. The sulfur
component of Epsom salts helps to rid the body of toxins as well as to increase sweating
and increase the blood supply to the skin’s surface. Begin with one-fourth cup of Epsom
salts per bath and gradually increase until you are using 4 cups per bath. Apple-cider vine-
gar changes the pH of the skin, which aids in the detoxification process. Again, it is best to
begin with one-fourth cup and gradually increase to one cup. Baking soda baths, one cup
per bath, are alkalinizing and good for cleansing and drying weeping, open sores.
Ginger root baths increase sweating and help draw toxins to the skin surface. Cut a thumb
size piece of ginger root in small pieces. These pieces should be put in a pot of water and
brought to a boil. Turn off the heat and steep for 30 minutes. Strain the solution and pour
into the bath. Any number of herbs can be brewed as a cup of tea and then added to the
bath, which should only include one herb at a time. The most popular herbal baths are cat-
nip, yarrow, peppermint, boneset, blessed thistle, pleurisy root, chamomile, blue vervain,
and horsetail. Once your detoxifying ingredient is prepared, use the following procedure to
make the most of it. Always make sure that someone else is in the house, since lighthead-
edness and dizziness can result from hot baths.
■ Wash the body thoroughly in a shower before the bath; rinse thoroughly.
■ Have the bath water as hot as tolerable without burning, 102–104°F. Add your
detoxifying formula once the bath is drawn.
■ Begin with a 5-minute soak; gradually build up the time over a number of baths
until you can soak for 30 minutes.
■ Drink 8 ounces of water during the bath.
■ After soaking, take a cleansing shower; scrub with soap and rinse well to remove
the toxins that have been excreted on the skin.
■ Follow this procedure three times a week until your health has improved, and then
one or two times a week to reduce stress and maintain health.