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