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Dr. Melinda Ring
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VIDEO: Dr. Ring - Detoxification, What Should Women Know About This?

Dr. Ring describes what women need to know about detoxification.

Dr. Ring:
I am an integrative medicine physician. I trained in internal medicine at the University of Chicago and after residency, took the integrative medicine fellowship with Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona. Currently I am the Medical Director at the Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Detoxification – it’s been around for, since ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, and there were theories back then about autointoxication and things that were in the bowel cause fever and disease and all sorts of stuff. So this idea is not new even though detox diets seems like a fad right now.

I think it became, it’s become very different in terms of what detoxification used to be and what it is now. It used to be more of a spiritual cleansing and now it’s become a quick weight loss sort of method or a way to make your skin look good or to live a long life – things like that.

And one of the most important things I think women have to know about detox diets is that there’s no evidence that detoxification, that doing a detox diet works, and my ultimate recommendation to women is that they live their life avoiding the toxins on a daily basis.

There is some value in doing a brief detox. I think it can help women start over, help them get back on track – those sorts of thing, but in terms of rating your body of toxins that you have accumulated for decades, a two-day detox or even a week long detox or even a 40-day detox is probably not going to do that.

About Dr. Ring, M.D.:
Melinda Ring, M.D., is an Integrative Medicine physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Dr. Ring believes the patient and physician are partners in the healing process. She uses evidence-based approaches from other cultures to complement Western medicine treatment and stimulates the body's innate healing abilities. Her philosophy embraces treating the whole person, physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions, to achieve optimal health. Dr. Ring received her medical degree from the University of Chicago/Pritzker School of Medicine and has been practicing medicine since 1997.

Visit Dr. Ring at Northwestern Memorial Hospital

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