Detox Your Pancreas
The pancreas is an essential gland shaped like a leaf, located in the duodenum (in the small intestine). It is essential for your digestion and for producing enzymes that carry out essential functions in the body. If it becomes infected or inflamed, it will be difficult to digest food well. It is worth knowing how to take care of it and also how to adopt a detox (depurative diet) once in a while.
The pancreas is a large gland that’s part of the digestive system. It’s about 15cm (six inches) long, and is located high in the abdomen, behind the stomach, where the ribs meet at the bottom of the breastbone. The pancreas produces:
- digestive enzymes, which break down food so it can be absorbed into the body.
- hormones, including insulin, which helps keep your blood sugar levels stable.
It is important and you need to know how to take care of it! Here are some suggestions for a detox diet to help your pancreas.
Depurative diet for the pancreas
How does that pancreas get inflamed or infected? Your diet is a big factor. This can lead to hormonal imbalances in the pancreas and diseases like diabetes, for example. You should detox the pancreas to keep it healthy and functioning correctly.
1. Eradicate toxins with medicinal plants
Start your pancreas cleanse by eliminating alcohol, tobacco, and all junk food from your diet. Of course, quitting smoking is always difficult, but the effort is worth it. You will gain years of your life back. Also reduce your consumption of flour, sugar and convenience foods. All of that will make you feel better. Then turn to the medicinal plants to help you achieve a deep cleanse. Here are our top three pancreas-cleansing plants:
- Ginger tea: reduces inflammation, cleanses your body, is a sedative and a good antioxidant.
- Green tea: start drinking a cup of green tea every day during breakfast or in the afternoon – you will get a great dosage of fantastic antioxidants to cleanse the pancreas.
- Liquorice infusion: this is a very digestive-boosting root that boosts the production of bile to digest food. It is great for the pancreas.
2. Water and healthy juices
If you can, try and adopt a depurative diet for at least 10 days a month. Start your day with a glass of lemon juice and warm water, a kiwi, and a cup of oatmeal. You will need to drink two litres of water a day to flush all the toxins out. Also, eat loads of fruit and vegetables. Increase your intake of leafy green vegetables which are rich in vitamin B – try spinach and kale. Also eat fruit rich in antioxidants and vitamins like papaya, oranges, and strawberries. Pineapple and papaya juice are fantastic for the health of your pancreas, as is kiwi.
3. The benefits of a hot shower or bath
It may surprise you that something as cheap and simple (and pleasant) as a taking a hot shower or bath every day stimulates your digestion and improves the health of your pancreas. It stimulates and activates its functioning. Have a relaxing hot bath before going to bed. It will relax you so that you can fall asleep better and will reactivate the functionality of the pancreas. Then have an invigorating hot shower in the morning as well!
4. Takes care of your emotions and reduces stress
It may seem like a cliché but your emotions really can affect your health. Think yourself well! Keep in mind that going through periods of anxiety or stress will make your levels of the cortisol hormone increase, which is very bad for the body. Negative emotions and worries change your basic functions and affect your digestion which increases the risk of your intestines and colon getting inflamed. Irritable bowel syndrome is directly affected by stress. Anxiety can also affect your pancreas which then releases enzymes into your stomach. You should keep all of these factors in mind. Try to relax, seek time for yourself, walk, eat well. Take care of your pancreas and it will take care of you!
