Writing on the subject of Reflexology yesterday reminded me of a commerical I recently saw for a product called "Kinoki Detox Foot Pads".  This product (and other brands of detoxifying foot pads) rely heavily on the theories set forth by the Art of Reflexology as well and the principles of Accupuncture.  You simply place these pads on your feet before you go to bed, leave them on all night and they supposedly draw out toxins from all over the body.  Do they work?  I honestly don't know.  I've been doing some reading up on the topic there are pleanty of people in both camps: some feel this product (and others like it) are nothing but a scam and others that swear by them.  Either way, I personally DO feel that toxins build up in our bodies (yes, our bodies were designed to flush them out on their own, but I feel we are just exposed to way too much in our modern environment for our systems to do it alone anymore) and that periodically detoxifying is a really good idea.

There are numerous ways to accomplish this feat other than foot pads (pun intended)!  Fasting, colon cleanses, special detoxifying diets and saunas all help to do the trick.  The few times that I've personally done it, I've used a product sold by Puritans Pride called "Ultimate Cleanse". This product works really well, in my opinion, but it's kind of a pain to use, in my opinion.  The product consists of two bottles of tablets: a detoxifying herbal supplement and a fiber supplement.  You start out by taking one of each tablet in the morning and after a few days add in a dose in the evening.  You gradually increase the dosage everyday until your system is clear (this is determined by the number of bowel movements you are having per day as well as the consistancy of your stool) and then you gradually wean yourself back off the supplements.  The whole process takes a minimum of two weeks, and for most people it's more like a month or two.  It can get a little expensive and it's a lot to keep up with, but there's nothing unpleasant or difficult about it.

At any rate, I'm planning on giving the foot pads a try to see what my own opinion of them is.  If they work as they claim to (and I personally believe in the theories behind them), I will be kicking myself for not discovering them sooner!  If not, it will be back to ultimate cleanse or some other detox system.  I will definitely report back to you after I've tried them with my opinion.  If any of you have used a product like this, please feel free to comment with your opinion, I'd love to hear what you think!