Natural health practitioners believe that the body has all the necessary resources to heal itself. Nature has provided for it generously. Clays are perhaps some the most ancient remedies used by people and animals to accelerate healing in the most natural ways possible. Clays work in gentle, intuitive ways, by re-tuning the body systems and stimulating recovery. This is not to say that medicines should be abandoned in favour of clays. This is merely to say that clays have a well-deserved place in our health and beauty routines. The most important property of clay is to detoxify the body, due to its ability to attract positively-charged toxic ions (clay particles are negatively charged) and take them out of the body. A lot of our illnesses happen due to contamination of the body with toxins – both coming from the outside (environmental pollutants), and produced inside (metabolic toxins, such as free radicals, excessive hormones and other metabolic waste). In a healthy body toxins get eliminated by the body systems timely and efficiently. If the body resources are depleted due to stress, illness or fatigue, the removal of toxins is slowed down leading to their accumulation in fat and bone tissues, the brain, as well as other organs and muscles. Over time it can lead to serious health problems. Clays have a wonderful ability to work with the body, gently helping to remove heavy metals and other toxic waste. Clays, muds and salts are also wonderful natural cosmetic substances. They work on the skin by purifying it, regenerating the skin cells and improving blood circulation which ensures more nutrients reaching the skin. Oxygen gets delivered to skin cells more speedily and the removal of toxins and CO2 is facilitated. All this brings wonderful results – the skin becomes smooth, soft, pink, glowing, wrinkles get much less visible - skin regeneration takes place. Clays have been used by humans and animals since prehistoric times – to treat minor ailments, food poisoning, aches and pains, skin infections, mineral deficiency, in beauty rituals, as well as to make cosmetic products. The purpose of this book is to shed a bit more light on the scientific aspects of clays and clay-like minerals and their health-enhancing properties. I hope that you find it both educational and useful in more ways than one.

"How Clays Work - Science & Applications of Clays & Clay-like Minerals in Health & Beauty" is part of the "Mineral Healing" book series. The first book in the series is "Earth's Humble Healers." In the second book I write in more detail about why clays and clay-like minerals - muds, diatomite, zeolite, work the way the do. I have been researching uses and applications of clays in natural health and beauty for a number of years. Having read quite a few great books about clays for a clay user like you and me, I have not yet come across a non-scientific book which would talk about properties of clays and explain the science behind them. Most of the books I have read are either purely scientific, or consumer oriented, but with very little information of how and why clays work the the way they do. So I decided to write a book for those like myself, who like to dig deep into the subject. Why is it that some clays have such potent detoxifying properties? How does it happen? I was not happy with the explanations I saw. I wanted to learn it in more detail, to prove to myself that the assertion that clays can "ingest" toxins - both organic (e.g.pesticides) and inorganic (heavy and radioactive metals) and take them out of the body environment has a scientific foundation under it. I did my research, and this book is a result of it. I apologise in advance if some (only some) of the information in the book may come across as a bit too "scientific." "How Clays Work" is for those of you who would like to learn more about this wonderful mineral. Apart from cation (ion) exchange, it covers other phenomena - such as absorption, adsorption and intercalation as the properties playing an important part in detoxification processes. There is also a lot of detailed information about muds (which some people confuse with clays), and chapters about zeolite and diatomaceous earth. The section about mud is comprehensive covering types of mud, their origin, composition and how they work with the body. And for those of you who would like to learn about toxins - there is a section in the book about toxins - biological, environmental and metabolic. And of course, heavy metals. The book describes what they are, how they get into the body and how they affect us. It is quite detailed, if you are interested in learning about the subject from one source. You will also find quite a bit of information about various types of clays, their properties, and how they can be applied in health and beauty. This book is aimed at natural health and beauty practitioners working with clays, product developers, health shop owners. Wouldn't it be good to learn why clays work the way they do and explain it to your customers? But more than anything, this book is written for every one of you who is interested in learning about clays and why they play such an important role in detoxification and health maintenance. I hope that you enjoy reading the book. Please do leave feedback after you've read it. And of course - get in touch with me if you have any questions. All the best!

Far Infrared Clay detox wraps are part of a treatment range developed by Galina St George. They combine healing powers of clays and far-infrared heat, to promote detoxification of the body. The use of Far Infrared promotes sweating and expulsion of toxins from the body, while clay pulls toxins out of the body thanks to a phenomenon called cation exchange. This makes detoxification a much faster process. Healing claysClays have been used to treat various health problems since prehistoric times.  If we look at animals rolling in muds and clays, and try to understand why they do it, we will learn to understand why humans have been drawn to clay, and what they would have used it for. Clays have been traditionally used to heal wounds, infections, eruptions, get rid of parasites, to neutralise toxins in cases of food poisoning, diarrhoea, as a natural pain relief substance, and even to decontaminate drinking water. Clays are used by natural health practitioners to promote detoxification and general healing. They are highly sorbent, which helps to absorb harmful substances and toxins - especially green illite clay. Another very important property of clays is cation exchange - the ability of clay to replace available ions found in their structure for cations of external matter. This process works like a magnet and allows for cations heavy metals to be drawn into the clay structure. This is the basic idea of how a detoxification process works. Far Infrared Heat The numerous healing properties of the Far-Infrared blanket are based on a simple spectrum of rays invisible to us – far-infrared rays. 80% of the total energy produced by the sun consists of Far Infrared rays. Unlike near-infrared rays which only heat up the surface, far-infrared rays penetrate deep into the tissues stimulating a whole range of activities. The great news is that the body produces far-infrared energy naturally. When the body is healthy it produces sufficient amounts of this energy which helps the body cells and organs to function to their full capacity. However, when the production of this energy is low, our bodies begin to suffer from energy deficiency, and we succumb to all sorts of ailments. Boosting the body systems with infrared light from outside is like giving water to a thirsty man. It gives energy to all the body cells, thus stimulating their activity, and this, in turn, kick-starts healing processes from the inside and general recovery. We can feel the far-infrared energy as a slow-acting deep heat. It gets deep into the body boosting the energy of every cell, widening blood capillaries, stimulating circulation and boosting all the body systems. Following are some of the effects of the FIR Clay Detox Wrap: - Detoxification from heavy metals - Detoxification from organic toxins - Cellular rejuvenation - Skin cleansing and rejuvenation - Reduced fatigue - Reduction in muscle tension - Improved joint mobility - Raised energy levels - Improved immunity - Reduction in water retention - Reduction in aches and pains. This treatment can be done both by therapists on paying clients and by anyone on themselves. If you are a therapist and would like to qualify to treat your clients, get in touch with us at purenaturecures.com.

This book is the second one in the Mineral Healing series. The first book - How Clays Work - contains detailed information about clays, their structure and functions. It also explains how clays work and why they are nature's most powerful ancient healers. In this book, I write about a wider range of minerals including salts, muds, clay, zeolite and diatomacesous earth. It provides a better understanding of how minerals work and how they have helped people and animals over millennia. History & Current Uses of Minerals Minerals are the source of life on Earth. We need them in order to live. Every fluid and solid matter in our body contains minerals. Every single cell needs minerals in order to live and reproduce. Minerals take a primary position to any nutrient available to us since every cell in our body needs them in order to stay alive. Life on Earth simply would not exist without them. The idea of using salts, muds, clays as the main source of minerals in order to improve health and enhance beauty is not new. Clays - animals have been and are still using them to cleanse the gut and skin of toxins and parasites, neutralise food poisons and cure themselves of disease. Clay has an interesting history - Roman soldiers used clay to heal wounds and disinfect water. - They also ate it to suppress hunger. - Russian and French soldiers used to be issued clay rations to help treat diarrhoea, heal wounds and disinfect water during the two World Wars. - In the second half of the 20th century, green clay was used by the French doctors in Africa to treat flesh-eating Buruli ulcers, and their successes were recorded. - Fairly recent scientific research led to a conclusion that green clay had shown astounding results in the treatment of the MRSA bacteria where regular antibiotics were failing. - If you want to learn more about clays, check out my book “How Clays Work – Science & Applications of Clays & Clay-Like Minerals in Health & Beauty”. In it, I talk in detail about scientific aspects of various clay types, their therapeautic and beauty applications, benefits and much more. Zeolite – a clay-like mineral - is used in a number of countries to make medication for treating diarrhoea. It is also used in areas of nuclear catastrophes to help bury the reactors and prevent leakage of radiation. Zeolite was given to people to take with water, as well as in biscuits, to help absorb and take radioactive metals out of the body. Diatomaceous Earth (or diatomite) is a mineral which was formed billions of years ago from exoskeletons of tiny organisms – diatoms. The best diatomite comes from the freshwater sources. It is widely used in agriculture for its anti-parasite and insecticide properties. Besides, its popularity is spreading, and many people buy it to use on themselves and their pets, as well as in gardens and homes. There are lots of salts in nature. The salts are mostly used in beauty and healing are magnesium and sodium-based. Magnesium takes part in over 350 reactions in the body and is the crucial element needed for energy production. Magnesium deficiency leads to a number of grave problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, brittle bones, bad teeth and much more. Some of the conditions that can be addressed by using magnesium supplementation are: - Rheumatoid arthritis - Muscle aches, pains - Back pain - Poor circulation - Bruising - Sprains, strains - General fatigue & debility - Stress, anxiety - Insomnia, irritability - Liver toxicity. If you are looking for new natural ways to deal with health problems, this book will show you how.

Salts, clays and clay-like minerals have been used both by humans and animals to survive in the harshest conditions as long as they appeared on planet Earth. The reason is that they have always been the most freely and easily available substances to both species. Animals eat clay instinctively, in order to counteract the effects of poisonous substances in plants and to get rid of toxins and internal parasites, as well as to replenish themselves in vital minerals. They roll in mud to rid themselves of ticks, fleas and other skin parasites. They go to salt licks to replenish themselves in salts. The use of minerals by humans goes back to prehistoric times. People of all cultures were using clays for healing, to prevent food poisoning, heal wounds, stop infections, ulcers, as a source of minerals, and to stop hunger pains when food was in short supply. More recently, clays have been used to minimise the effects of radiation in places of radioactive emergencies – such as Chernobyl. Soldiers of Russia and France were given clay rations during World Wars as a means to stop poisoning from dirty water, heal wounds and prevent diarrhoea. Clays, muds and salts have been used extensively in health and beauty spas, in order to treat chronic health conditions, as well as improve skin and promote rejuvenation. More and more people are beginning to use minerals at home, especially in healing procedures. While my earlier books "Earth's Humble Healers" and "How Clays Work" provide general information about minerals and their healing properties, this book is a pactical guide full of recipes showing how minerals can be used in everyday life. The recipes aim to address common health problems, deal with pain and anxiety, improve skin condition, rejuvenate, boost metabolism and weight loss and much more. It also shows how salts, muds, clays, zeolite and diatomaceous earth can help pets, larger animals, improve health of plants in the garden, deal with insects in a safe way and do many other very useful things.

The first edition of the Handbook of Clay Science published in 2006 assembled the scattered literature on the varied and diverse aspects that make up the discipline of clay science. The topics covered range from the fundamental structures (including textures) and properties of clays and clay minerals, through their environmental, health and industrial applications, to their analysis and characterization by modern instrumental techniques. Also included are the clay-microbe interaction, layered double hydroxides, zeolites, cement hydrates, and genesis of clay minerals as well as the history and teaching of clay science. The 2e adds new information from the intervening 6 years and adds some important subjects to make this the most comprehensive and wide-ranging coverage of clay science in one source in the English language. - Provides up-to-date, comprehensive information in a single source - Covers applications of clays, as well as the instrumental analytical techniques - Provides a truly multidisciplinary approach to clay science

The peculiar characteristics of clays provide it with very interesting adsorption qualities, especially for polar or ionisable molecules. Some of these characteristics include the silicates' sheet structure that makes a large surface area accessible for adsorption; the usually significant surface charge that can be responsible for strong electrostatic interactions; and clays' swelling properties and presence of exchangeable surface cations that facilitate ion-exchange mechanisms. Added to their wide availability and associated low cost, these characteristics have motivated in recent years an increasing interest in utilising natural, processed or chemically-modified clays for the removal of organic contaminants from aqueous solutions. This book discusses the application of clay materials for the removal of organic compounds from contaminated waters. It also discusses several other topics that include time and temperature related behaviour of clays; mechanical treatment of clay minerals; the workability of natural clays and clays in the ceramics industry; recent advances in hydraulic performance of clay liners; and the genesis, properties and industrial applications of bauxitic lithomargic clay.