Here's a tricky question that almost no one gets right the first time they hear it: Q: What is the body's largest organ?
A: The skin. It weighs roughly six pounds, and if taken off your body and laid flat it would cover more than 20 square feet. More importantly, skin is instrumental in stabilizing the body's internal environment. And just as the interior of the body benefits from detox, so does the skin. In a previous Members Alert, HSI Panelist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., C.N.S., shared information about special cleansing baths developed by Dr. Hazel Parcells, who Dr. Gittleman calls a pioneer of inner and outer cleansing. According to Dr. Parcells, radiation (from cosmic rays and naturally occurring radioactive materials in our environment) is a hidden killer that assaults our immune systems, via the skin, on a daily basis. For skin detox, Dr. Parcells recommends this salt and soda soak, which is highly alkaline and helps neutralize the effects of radiation: Place 2 pounds of salt with 2 pounds of baking soda in a hot bath and soak for 20 minutes, until the water cools. That's all there is to it. In addition to the typical radiation we're exposed to daily, each airline flight increases our exposure to gamma-ray radiation, which may put some frequent fliers at greater risk of cancer. Dr. Parcells suggests that a salt and soda soak following every flight, as well as every dental or medical x-ray, will go a long way toward providing your skin the detoxification it needs in order to help keep the rest of your body healthy. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute | 
