What organ? The one with the largest surface area - your skin!

Aren't we lucky as human beings to have skin? And to have it feel so good

when it's stroked and petted and rubbed and caressed? Spirit knew what it

was doing when it covered the human body with skin and gave us the pleasures

of touch.

Of course, we also think of skin as the stuff that keeps our organs from

falling out of our bodies, but in reality skin is an organ.

It has many functions in helping maintain a healthy body. It protects our

flesh from infections and eliminates toxins. Skin is the largest of our four

major elimination organs; the others are the digestive tract, kidneys and

lungs.

Your skin expels substances that are not good for you through your pores and

skin cells. Shedding 30,000 to 40,000 dead cells every minute, your skin is

not only constantly renewing itself, it's excreting toxins and other wastes

through sweat, almost two pounds a day if you're like most people! Skin

takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. It also absorbs sunlight

fueling the electromagnetic energy that runs your body.

What would happen if your skin couldn't breathe? You'd die. Remember

the film Goldfinger? The bad guy murdered by painting a living body with

gold, which cut off the body's ability to breathe. (Don't try this at

home.)

In truth, your skin is a most valuable gift - one that clearly mirrors your

inner state. Treat it well and with gratitude. You can make a huge

difference in your health, your looks and your consciousness by tending to

your skin and other elimination organs, making sure they're functioning

well. These are your built-in cleaning systems.

Along with regular physical activity, eating and thinking right, getting

sensible sun, and drinking plenty of pure water, one of the best ways to have

your body grow younger is to detoxify it. Although this happens

automatically on a daily basis, it is vital that you have a regular program

of good skin and digestive tract hygiene to keep your elimination organs from

malfunctioning.

For the skin, I recommend a daily program of dry brushing which helps you

shed dead skin cells and also stimulates circulation and your lymph system.

For instructions on how to properly and safely dry brush your skin, watch my

youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3NgdZoSC5o

For the digestive tract, I suggest a good cleanse. Here's a source I highly

recommend for learning about good digestive tract hygiene: Curing the Cause

& Preventing Disease by Dr. Steven Ross.

Too often we take our skin for granted or only focus on it as a cosmetic

feature. In reality, your skin is not only a major part of your appearance,

it's also a significant organ supporting your health and well-being. Like

every other part of your body, your skin will flourish with a little TLC.

Take a tip from me - if you want to grow younger, take care of your skin -

from your scalp to your toes, and enjoy it while you do!

Joy and Blessings,

Ellen Wood, Your Grow Young Guide