When in Doubt, Cleanse.
Body Detox Is The Way!

Body detox, short for detoxification, is the #1 way to maintain the exquisite bundle of organs, muscles, bones and tissues that most of us take for granted. When we are young our bodies can handle almost anything we stuff into it, just as a fallen child cries for a moment then is up and playing as if she had never fallen. The ability to bounce back wears down over time; for some of us slowly, for others, quite quickly.

As the body ages there is the risk of build-up of the residue from foods we have ingested that have not been digested and their nutrients used to serve the body. Chemical contamination cannot always be expelled and toxins accumulate. Once this begins to happen, the temple of the body has to constantly fight the invader chemicals that it doesn’t recognize. Poor health begins and spirals down into disease. This is why detoxification is critical to undergo on a periodic basis. Every adult needs to cleanse and detox, especially we over-eaters in the West or influenced by the Western lifestyle.

There are two types of cleansing or detoxifying. The first is external; you use means outside of yourself to help the internal systems work better. The second is dietary, which of course is following a regimen of eating and drinking in such a ways to assist the body in detoxification. The aim in both instances is to rid your temple of toxins. These include heavy metal contamination, undigested foods, and internal pollutants.

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1.

Probably the most common form of external cleanse is the ENEMA, which many of us dreaded as children, if we had one at all. Grandparents seemed to be advocates of the technique. As we grew up, the COLONIC irrigation, or colonic for short, became the order of the day, with practitioners springing up everywhere. A colonic goes one better than an enema because it cleans the colon, or lowest intestinal bowel, with a jet stream of water from a tube inserted in the behind. The tube is attached to a machine that, in its newer version, allows you to see the fecal matter exiting past a lighted screen. Usually 4-7 colonics are recommended over a period of months to unstuck the lodged fecal debris. Rather gross but you always feel lighter. At least I always have.

2.

Not invasive at all is the DRY-BRUSHING technique, which is simply using a natural bristle brush or rough towel to vigorously brush the skin of its outer, deadened layer. This is an extremely stimulating way to revive your limbs and energy. It is said one should always brush towards the heart but sometimes you cannot. You can have your mate or a family member brush your back. The skin is the largest organ and this simple method returns big dividends for little outlay. Do it twice a week or so, depending on your sweat-level, skin-sensitivity, workout pattern, manual labor and physique indicators. Morning would be better than evening, since stimulation is a result.

3.

Perhaps the kindest forms of external cleansing are baths, specifically a dry stone bath or SAUNA, and a STEAM BATH. You can also sit in a bath of Epsom salts and let your muscles relax in response to the magnesium in the water. Pools or bodies of water always feel good to the body because it is what the body came from, and reminds the body of the amniotic sac.

What is great about saunas and steam baths, however, is that they allow the pores of the body to open up to the heat or moisture, and to clean as dry heat or water droplets enter and permeate the body. These are like energetic baths because heat and steam are unseen aspects of the air we breathe and world we live in. Very cleansing, and you should take advantage if you belong to a gym or spa and can indulge regularly. You can even do both, though this can wear you out in terms of energy, especially if the sauna is last. See what works for you. You are generally advised to stay no longer than 10 minutes in either one, and this should be adjusted to your preferences and needs.

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4.

As for internal methods, when people think of detoxing they usually think of fasting, especially the JUICE FASTS that encourage exclusive use of lemon and grapefruit juices spiked with cayenne and a dash of honey. These fasts are not exactly what they seem, because the juices are always diluted with water and some fruit is eaten going into the fast and coming out of it, and these days of eating are still part of the fast. There are many varieties of the fast and I prefer not to suggest one over another. You see, I have found them a bit extreme and difficult to navigate personally, preferring instead to follow what I call “systematic under-eating.”

I have my own version of juice fasting, however, and use it whenever I feel particularly stressed or “heavy” from improper eating. I take hot water in the morning with lemon or apple cider vinegar, and I find this works for me for keeping the body cleansed and alkaline. The acid build-up from poorly digested food and over-stressed mental states needs help in order to be corrected.

5.

NUTRITIVE FASTS are also internal; they give the body a break while getting enough nutrients so that the body thinks it is full and satisfied. Actually, the body knows when it is full. It is the mind that says “you want more food, you shouldn’t leave that on the plate, and don’t be ungrateful to your hosts,” etc. The body gives you the signal it has had enough and most of us ignore it. I have learned to acknowledge this signal and sometimes still keep eating because the food tastes so good, and I like chewing. I have begun to listen to my best thoughts, however, and realize IT IS OKAY TO LEAVE SOME FOOD in the plate, and not feel guilty.

If you fast from food mentally, and eat only when hungry, acknowledging your body’s eating pattern and likes/dislikes, you will begin to form your own nutritive cleanse. The Young Living company has a meal plan package called 5-Day Nutritive Cleanse. It features both food (fruits, vegetables, and seeds if needed), the Ningxia Red drink, and a protein powder called Balance Complete. Gel capsules called Digest and Cleanse are eaten with every meal. I lose pounds and feel great whenever I do this cleansing fast. (And sometimes I throw in the Wolfberry Crisp!) Click to learn more about body detox with the 5-Day Nutritive Cleanse form of liquid and low-food fast.

Holistic educators and naturapaths usually recommend the LIVER CLEANSE and the KIDNEY CLEANSE and these are very good applied during certain times of the year. I have attempted them by beginning with the 5-Day Nutritive Cleanse, on which I was able to lose five pounds. Admittedly, I've only gotten as far as 10 days on the MASTER CLEANSE and have a certain distaste for long-term liquid and juice fasts (according to my body and blood type these aren't indicated for me, but that could be an excuse!). Because of this, I've incorporated warm lemon (or lime) water into my morning regimen, which, with the addition of honey or grade B maple syrup, is central to these cleanses. I get the message that it is a good thing to incorporate ongoing cleansing into your diet in a way that is comfortable to you, and that you can stick with.

I signed up online with Dr. Ian Smith’s 50 Million Pound Challenge to get people across America to lose weight. My belief is not that I should lose weight; but that I should use the weight I have better, and treat myself better. The weight is mental excess that is lodged in the fat cells, and studies have shown that when people shed the need for the excess by doing the spiritual and emotional work needed, they do not have excessive, life-threatening weight issues.

FOOD COMBINING Watching how you eat is as important as what you eat. Be very careful and take your time in approaching your meals. Strive to create a meditative mindset when preparing your food. Eating in a rush, when you have just arrived from traveling and want to gobble anything for relief or are taking a fast-food break while in the middle of working, literally, with both work and food before you and taking in both, are wreaking havoc on your body's ability to repair itself. The idea is to have a more calm, alkaline system on the pH scale, rather than an overacid body that is great for hosting disease.

The four major rules regarding how to eat are:

1) eat protein and starches separately; instead have greens and other vegetables with your meaty or protein-rich main course,

2) eat fruit before your meals, not after, unless you have given the body some time to adjust,

3) drink liquids before and after your meals, with space around eating, unless the meal IS a liquid one, and

4) quench thirst when you think you are hungry; having water may resolve the feeling of hunger and is the best appetizer, giving you time to really think about What To Eat.

The other day I witnessed two women who had been traveling come into a meeting and take rice and meat sauce and a pile of grapes onto their plates for dinner. They then ate the rice and meat sauce completely, eating the grapes right after. This is how the putrid matter in the intestines is fed by putrefaction that starts in the stomach. The food puts a stress on the kidneys and liver and is a set-back for the breakdown of nutrients and automatic peristalsis motion that is supposed to occur in the intestines and colon. The enzymic systems rush to the area to help in digesting the food, and the messaging, carrier, transport and flushing systems are engaged. Thus the body does its other jobs less efficiently, such as cleaning the lymph and fighting other invaders. Constipation/diarhhea, constipating headaches, gas and strained resources and reserves are the result, not to mention bloating and the feeding of fat cells that are overjoyed at being fed. All of this yields a highly acid system with quite lowered immune defenses.

Body detox methods spill into the mental-emotional arena, as you can see, and the above are steps in the direction of cleansing the body-mind-spirit for greater wholeness and well-being. Only a slower, more considered way of eating for your body's healing and enjoyment of the taste and experience of food, while listening to the body for aches and pulses that say, No, I don't like that, will help turn this around and contribute to detoxification.