Attach a pad to your feet overnight for a health reason you probably don't know

Attach a pad to your feet overnight for a health reason you probably don't know

 you've had a tough time shaking your New Year's Eve hangover, a popular articlesuggests perhaps you haven't been paying enough attention to your feet.  

Eastern medicine places significant emphasis on foot health, and that's because many Eastern cultures believe that the body releases toxins through the feet.  Foot reflexologists say toxins travel south through the body, accumulating in our feet and toes.  This can lead to degenerative diseases like rheumatism and arthritis, they say

One way to remove toxins from the body is via the use of detoxifying foot pads. Originally developed in Japan, they're commonly referred to as kinoki foot pads. According to the blog MyiLifestyle, "The foot pads are worn on feet because they help circulate blood and lymph into the torso. Our inactive lifestyle causes circulation to bog down around the ankles, lower legs and feet.  The positive results of using foot detox pads are less fatigue, joint pain, and fewer headaches."  The article advocates boiling together a combination of onion, garlic and water, and then soaking two self-stick gauze pads in the resulting mixture.  The pads are then worn overnight on the soles of the feet, usually underneath a pair of socks.

  

As the body detoxifies, "the patches will absorb your toxins after using all night," claimsanother kinoki pad aficionado on YouTube.  "You can see that from the changing of the color after using it.  The more dirty you see the foot pad, the more toxins it has absorbed."  And you can also use these pads on other parts of your body to similar effect.

So does detoxifying the body through the feet actually work?  If you believe the many YouTubers who rave about the benefits of foot detoxification — such as increased energy levels, reduced aches, stress relief, and improved metabolism — it seems like it's at least worth a try.