Why is cleansing so important or do you really need to cleanse at all?
Let’s take a look at the body. The body is sort of like a car. You take in fuel, burn it and get energy and exhaust. If this exhaust isn’t vented from your car it will begin to run poorly and eventually stop running altogether. Your car also has filters (fuel, oil, etc.) and lines
(break, fuel, transmission etc.). If you went extended periods of time without changing your oil filter your car would not run efficiently and eventually would stop working-just ask my sister. We also get our lines and other parts of the car flushed (cleaned) on a regular basis. For you automotive experts reading this so far I understand this may be an oversimplification, but please grant me some leeway.
Your body also has lines and filters. Your kidneys and liver for example are two very important filters. Your veins, arteries and lymphatic system are like the lines in your car. Like your car, if we do not vent or remove the toxic “exhaust” from our body’s we will begin to run less efficient and perhaps stop working completely. Since we can’t roll into our doctor’s office and ask them to change out our filters and flush our lines we need to use cleansing and detoxification naturally and on a regular basis.
Again, I can’t stress it enough-we are like our cars-if we don’t take our car in for regular maintenance it will not function optimally. What’s worse is if you are still using the best oil, gas etc. you are probably wasting your money because your car won’t be able to utilize it the way it was intended. We need to treat our body just like an automobile. If we don’t, the supplements, diet, exercise and everything else we do will not help us as much as it should.
So, where do you really begin?
I recommend using a “whole body” type of cleanse two times a year. These whole body cleansing systems work on more than just your bowels so don’t get nervous. Yes, these systems are designed to assist your body in removing the waste (toxins) from your bowel, but in a kinder and gentler way than the old days of natural health. I call these systems-mainstream- because if done properly, you won’t be stuck in the bathroom all of the time. I have heard experts say they estimate that the average 45 year old has about 15 pounds of excess waste in there colon. Add that to the fact that most Americans suffer from constipation, having a few extra bowel movements a day isn’t such a bad thing. Using a whole body cleanse will not only work on your colon, but will usually work on cleaning other systems of the body such as; digestive, lymphatic, cardiovascular, urinary and more. Again, if you can keep these systems clean, your will get more “bang for your buck” from your body.
What to Expect
Often times when you begin a cleanse you may actually feel worse than you did before you began your program. When people hear this they often ask then why do I want to do this? You will have to trust me on this. You will feel much better after the completion of your cleanse. Cleansing is sort of like dusting your house. We not only clean the dust from the surface, but stir up dust in the process. If you could imagine your body is like a jar and the top half of the jar has crystal clear water and the bottom half has fine, black silt in it. (Just grant me this one okay?) This image is what your body is probably like now. Lots of toxic stuff in it, but it has all settled somewhere in your body and you don’t know it is even there. (Except for the fact that you have other health challenges that may be caused by these toxins) When we begin a cleanse, it is like shaking the jar of water and silt. You now can’t even see through the jar because the toxins are released from where they were resting. This release of toxins from our many systems can often make you feel tired, achy, and almost flu-like. For most who do cleansing the proper way, these symptoms may last for 3 to 7 days. As the symptoms disappear, you will begin to feel like “a million bucks”. Increases in energy, weight loss, improved overall health are just some of the many changes that can present themselves to you when cleansing regularly. If you don’t cleanse properly, these symptoms can last much longer and be more severe. In order to help reduce the duration and severity of these types of symptoms, I ALWAYS recommend the addition of three critical components; Fiber, Water and Probiotics. I recommend these to be included with all cleanses, not just the “whole/total” body cleanses.
Toxins leave your body in three ways; urine, sweat and stool. Water is a key player in all three of these elimination pathways. The old “eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day” just isn’t going to cut it here. You need to make sure you are doing everything you can to eliminate these toxins as quickly as possible. The more you urinate, sweat and empty your bowels, the sooner you are on your way to feeling GREAT. I recommend a foundation of half your body weight in ounces of water per day. (If you weigh 200 pounds then you need AT LEAST 100 ounces of water per day. During cleansing the need usually increases. Drink purified water-either distilled with added trace minerals or R/O (Reverse Osmosis) water. You are working hard to eliminate toxins so why would you want to use water with more toxins in it.
Fiber plays an important roll too. As your body works to eliminate your toxins, it dumps many of them into your colon. Fiber helps to trap these toxins-keeping them from being able to be reabsorbed into the body. It also helps to increase bowel movements and further assist in eliminating toxic material. Without enough fiber, you will probably suffer from diarrhea while cleansing. This extra fiber will absorb the extra water in your stool and help you feel much more comfortable while cleansing. I recommend using a fiber supplement that has both soluble and insoluble fiber components. I prefer the use of Flax fiber because it not only contains these forms of fiber, but also has other health benefits like essential fatty acids and lignans. You may as well get the biggest bang for your buck as possible if you buying a supplement to your diet.
Probiotics might be the last mentioned, but are just as important as Fiber and Water. Probiotics (see the article in this newsletter) are important in cleansing for two basic reasons. One, they help suppress the “bad guys” (parasites, bacteria etc.) found in the lower digestive tract. Certain bad bacterial in the bowel can actually set free the toxins that were bound by your liver and dumped into your bowel. By having enough good bacteria from the probiotic we can suppress the “bad guys” and keep those toxins tied up for removal. The second reason I like to add probiotics is to put back the good bacteria that may be eliminated as you take your cleanse. As we have increased bowel movements, not only are the toxins being eliminated, but some of the good things like our friendly bacteria are being removed too. By restocking these good bacteria you are preparing the body for better digestion and overall improved health.
If you haven’t ever taken/done a cleanse I recommend using one of the following box kits; Whole Body Cleanse (Enzymatic Therapy), Cleanse Smart (Renew Life) Ultimate Cleanse (Nature’s Secret) or Perfect Cleanse (Garden of Life). Of these kits, I have used both Whole Body Cleanse and Cleanse Smart. I prefer the Whole Body Cleanse because of this kit not only helps work on the major systems of the body, is gentle yet thorough, does not use harmful stimulant laxatives and contains fiber for added support. I recommend that if you have never cleansed before you need to cleanse for at least 4 weeks. After that, cleansing for 2 weeks every 6 months with a whole body type of cleanse is usually enough-depending on your lifestyle. I prefer to cleanse in the Spring and Fall. We can call it Spring cleaning and Fall Cleaning. If you feel like you need to cleanse more regularly, then quarterly should be okay or use one of the cleansing kits designed for daily use.
Cleansing (cleaning your filters and lines) doesn’t stop with whole body cleansing. There are so many other types of cleanses available that are targeted for more specific needs. Examples are: Liver, Kidney, Parasite, Heavy Metal, Yeast and more. I recommend these cleanses to be used during your in-between months to assist in a deeper, more thorough cleansing of systems that may need more attention. An example of this is I eat a lot of sushi therefore I like to do parasite cleanses. You may work in a toxic environment and need to do more work with your liver. Whatever your needs may be, there is usually a cleanse to address your situation. Just as with the whole body type of kit, you need to make sure you are still using extra Water, Fiber and Probiotics. This rule is to be followed no matter what type of cleanse you are doing unless you cleanse involves a fast. (Consult your health care provider for the specifics.)
Remember, you are just like a fine automobile. You want to make sure you treat your body like that car. Keep the lines and filters clean and use the best fuel possible. Whether you have a health challenge or not, Cleansing and Detoxification are just as important. Cleansing is part of all of my “prevention” and “treatment” programs. When I used to consult for individuals, I would always have the person start with a Cleanse prior to beginning their other natural health supplement program. Taking this approach will benefit all health challenges including the major Killers of Americans: Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes and Obesity. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure … Cleansing should be part of your prevention program.