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Every
practitioner of alternative medicine will tell a
prospective patient
that before health can be rebuilt, the body must be
cleansed. |
I liken the state of a body needing
detoxification to a city where the sanitation units have gone on
strike: as the garbage bags pile up curbside, the entire city
slows down and if the situation were to continue to crisis
levels, disease and filth would bring illness and epidemics. The
crews in our body that do this work, our detoxification systems,
are designed to find and eliminate toxins in our body: but when
they are severely overworked they too, go on strike, and
inefficient channeling of nutrients, overload of toxins, and
various disease states, are the inevitable consequence.
In contrast, the purified body is like a country
road, running free and unobstructed, with fresh air and
sustaining views... among my clients, I have seen many instances
of persistent poor health overcome by cleansing and supporting
these supremely important functions of the body.
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The chief causes of
toxic overload are
faulty elimination, and poorly chosen input;
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in other words, a bad diet and constipation.
If food is not digested properly in the intestines then the work of
the colon is made even harder: originally, when our diet consisted
mainly of raw and unprocessed foods, much of the enzyme power and
fiber we need was provided by the actual food we ate.
Now, however, the body can be exhausted just
by the demand to manufacture enzymes to digest the
denatured, devitalized foods that make up much of our daily
diet.
When partly digested food lacking in fiber is
dumped in the colon it ferments and decays there, causing
constipation and inflammation, and toxins are re-absorbed into
the bloodstream to recirculate in the body .
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Add to these
problems other sources of toxins
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such as
- stress
- antibiotics and other drugs,
- lack of exercise
- pesticides
- cigarette smoke
- smog, lead
- problem substances (to include
pharmaceutical drug residues) in
the water
and the road to disease is soon paved with a slew of
toxins: many of these bind to enzymes at the
cellular level and inactivate them, so that the cell no longer
functions optimally. Holistic health professionals consider this
to be the underlying cause of most diseases.
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Some of the signs
our body sends to tell us that we need to detoxify are:
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- muscle pains (usually my warning signal),
- fatigue, lack of energy and headaches,
- constipation and indigestion.
In fact. it was a recent painful bout
with stiffness & inflammation in my neck that led me to ponder
anew the mysteries of the body, and how wise it is to take
the time now and then to clean it out and set one's house in
order.
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Some effects
people claim to have experienced from detoxification
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- joint pain relieved
- eyesight improved
- elimination improved
- digestive problems alleviated
- more energy
- better sleep
- clearer skin
- better concentration
Interesting research suggests that fasting just one day a
month positively affects cardiovascular health, possibly
through reduced exposure to glucose. Researchers theorize that this one day
without food gives the organs time to rest and work more
efficiently.
Many experts are convinced that such chronic
conditions as arthritis, sinus, psoriasis, and acne, together
with lowered immune function and the more serious conditions
that follow that, are all connected to high toxin levels in the
body, & they will not proceed with diagnosis and treatment until
the patient has been thoroughly detoxified since only then can
the underlying cause of the symptoms be determined.
Read my article on Cellular Health to
learn how toxins interfere with RNA DNA expression at the heart
of our cells
One of the most serious causes of toxicity is
mercury overload, from dental fillings. There is a
great deal of literature on this subject, and many websites devoted
to the problem (see RESOURCES)
at right, so I just mention it here. It is a difficult problem
to address because of the danger of detoxing before the fillings are
removed, which can actually withdraw MORE mercury from the fillings
and deposit it in cells. Do not underestimate the power of
Homeopathy to address this problem - I have one link in
RESOURCES
that may help you.
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No discussion of
cleansing would be complete without
a mention of parasites.
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No one wants to consider the possibility that they
are infested, but the sad fact remains that parasitic infections are
common. One estimate suggests that as many as 50, 000, 000
American children have this problem. Some of the possible
symptoms are:
Bloating, diarrhea,
flatulence, constipation, cramps, and maldigestion/malabsorption.
Less frequent enteric symptoms include bleeding, irritable
bowel, leaky gut, and excess mucus secretion.
Extra-intestinal symptoms include allergies, fatigue,
nausea, nervous-sensory disorders (ex., brain fog, memory
loss, poor coordination), skin rashes and disorders, pain,
and muscle problems.
Less frequent extra-intestinal disorders include fever,
headache, immune deficiencies, insomnia, and weight changes.
Some of these symptoms are probably related to parasite
toxic metabolic byproducts particularly in immune
compromised patients.
Some parasites are sufficiently invasive to become
blood-borne, and can cause cause serious liver or brain
damage. |
If you have been abroad, have pets, work with the
soil, have been bitten by insects, have ever drunk from a stream,
and have any of the above problems, you would be wise to have
your stool tested to see what might be there!
The kit below iss ent to the Parasitology lab, where their
diagnostic fee is $100.00
. This includes the
testing of fecal, blood, tissues and skin specimens to diagnose and
taxonomically identify human and animal-borne parasitic organisms
and agents of medical and public health importance.
Having addressed the WHY of cleansing our
bodies, let's go into the HOW. Let's look at the organs of
the body most involved in this process, one by one, starting with
the liver. I'm sure we are all familiar with the old bon mot "is
life worth living? It depends on the liver!", but perhaps not all of
us realize the essential truth contained therein. To a very large
extent, the health and well-being of an individual is dependent on
the proper functioning of this important detoxifying organ.
Without the good offices of your liver, 3
extremely vital functions would fail to be performed:
- the blood supply would not be filtered,
which is your body's method of removing bacteria, allergens,
and other undesirables from circulation,
- bile would not be secreted, which
means the absorption of fats and certain vitamins would be
inhibited, and
- metabolic functions, such as
controlling hormone secretion, extracting toxins and fats,
proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins & minerals, together with
the regulation of blood sugars through the thyroid hormones
and the production of GTF chromium would not take place
efficiently.
What causes less than optimal liver function? High
on the list are oral contraceptives, Hormone Replacement Therapy,
and exposure to many drugs and chemicals. All drugs are foreign to
the liver, and put a great strain on it. Next are alcohol use, and
faulty diet .
Some of the symptoms of a "sluggish liver"
are:
- fatigue,
- general malaise,
- digestive problems,
- blood sugar regulation disorders (such
as hypoglycemia),
- high cholesterol,
- psoriasis,
- allergies ,
- chemical sensitivities
- hormone imbalances
- constipation.
Extreme examples of liver problems would be
jaundice, hepatitis and cirrhosis.
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Many experts
recommend a 3 day juice fast
every month to detoxify the liver |
using carrot and beet juices, aloe vera in
small amounts and distilled water with a little lemon juice. (
Obviously many people would be wise to consult a health expert
before doing anything radical.)
An extension of this approach is to come
gently off the fast on a diet of vegetables, fruits and grains
to provide high fiber, while at the same time following a course
of nutrients for organ support, such as Choline and Inositol
from lecithin, the amino acid Methionine, herbs such as
Milk Thistle, Artichoke and Dandelion, and the
antioxidant Alpha Lipoic Acid, which has been known to
normalize liver enzymes in a matter of days.
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The art of
Ayurveda, Indian medicine in existence for thousands
of years, places great emphasis on liver function.
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Picrorrhiza Kurroa is one of the herbs
they recommend to support the liver not only in everyday
situations, but in cases where severe viral infections attack: a
1996 study by Vaidya (Better Nutrition June 1999 p. 29) found
protection against viral hepatitis, and other studies have
demonstrated its helpfulness in protecting against alcohol.
Phylanthus has been researched for its effects on hepatitis,
and in 1988 Thyagaran et al. (ibid) reported that 22 of 37 cases
of Hepatitis B lost their "carrier" status after using the herb
for a month. In the placebo control group only 1 person out of
23 had equivalent results.
Outstanding results in people suffering from
jaundice have been obtained using a herb called Tinospora
Cordifolia: In 1993, Rege et al. (ibid) used the herb in
malignant obstructive jaundice: half of the group received
conventional treatment - drugs and drainage - the other half
were treated with drainage plus T. Cordifolia. After conclusion
of treatment, 50% of the drug-treated group were found to have
blood poisoning while none of the herb treated group developed
this problem. After surgery, only 40% of the drug-treated group
survived, whereas an amazing 92.4% 0f those treated with the
herb lived.
It is important to take into account that a poor diet,
which is effectively a daily insult to the health of the liver,
can cause it a great deal of damage: regular consumption of food
fried in often rancid oil, high intake of alcohol, foods low in
protein and high in carbohydrates and fats, frequently with
chemical preservatives, colorings and flavorings not only do not
support the liver, but actually add to its workload.
Overeating is also a common cause of
liver malfunction, causing it to overwork and become fatigued,
no longer able to efficiently filter toxins out of the
bloodstream. I frequently recommend adding a good green food to
your regimen when you are detoxing, since these are not only
excellent for the detoxification process, but also contain
enzymes and compensate for the lack of vegetables in so many
people's diets.
Above are two reasons why concentrated green
foods, and in particular Chlorella, can be important
additions to your supplement regime. Not only is Chlorella
a nutritional powerhouse, but it is a rich source of enzymes,
and an effective detoxicant. Chlorella offers rich amounts of
chlorophyll, Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF is high in RNA/DNA),
proteins, beta carotene, B vitamins and various minerals. The
phytonutrients in Chlorella support healthy cell growth
and development and promote detoxification, especially heavy
metal excretion
Give this hard-working and essential part of your
body a rest and a tune-up, and you will be rewarded with better
health, more energy and higher disease resistance.
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Now let's
look at some strategies for avoiding problems of
digestion and elimination that can often set the stage for
ill health.
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When someone comes to me and says
they are doing everything they can think of right, and are still not
feeling well, my immediate thought is that for some reason, they are
not absorbing their nutrients properly. It stands to reason that if
this is the case, it doesn't matter how optimal your diet:
there's no fuel getting to the engine! And while we are using the
engine as a metaphor, the most common complain of civilization is
constipation, and we all know what happens to an engine when the
exhaust system is blocked!
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Proper functioning of the colon
begins in the mouth and stomach |
where the digestive enzymes
are secreted: if the food that arrives in your colon has not
already undergone the necessary preliminary digestive stages, it
will be moved through the colon much more slowly and
incompletely, often becoming highly toxic during its stay there,
even putrefying and allowing poisons to escape into the blood
stream. Needless to say , this is also very damaging to the
cells that line the lower intestine. The good news is that those
cells are replaced very quickly, so that by first cleansing and
giving the area a rest, and then supplying it with some of the
nutrients needed to reproduce, the function of the colon can be
greatly improved.
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What follows I suggest
not only for those who already have a problem, but for those
who would like to AVOID a problem.
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We all know that the engine
that runs well for years is the one that has undergone regular
maintenance, and so I recommend
a gentle cleansing fast, combined with the use of herbal
detoxifiers, followed by a week of supportive digestive enzymes
while limiting your diet to mostly raw foods with no animal
products.
Repeat this once or twice a
year.
Instructions for a fast
follow, which is really not as terrible as it sounds: many
people actually experience increased energy after the first day!
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Do not
overlook the role of the skin in detoxing |
The skin is actually our largest organ of
elimination: proper sweating is an age old method of
cleansing,
see my article on the subject here.
I recommend two approaches which can be
done simply at home.
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A Mustard Bath - essential oil of mustard contains
isothiocyanate of allyl, which has the effect of
enlarging the blood vessels in the skin, creating
circulation, opening the pores and allowing the body to get
rid of poisons. Hippocrates himself was familiar with this
usage of Mustard!
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Foot Pads - which incontrovertibly pull toxins our
of the body through the soles of the feet. Wear these
while you sleep, and you will be amazed at the gunk you find
on them in the morning. You can even send the results off to
be analyzed to determine which toxins have been removed.
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Lastly, we need to take care of
the kidneys , which are the hard-working regulators of many
functions in the body,
mostly concerned with maintaining balance |
Every minute, app. one liter
of blood passes through our kidneys, where the Ph, water
content, hormonal secretions, blood pressure, and blood sugar
content are all modified by their actions.
A disturbance in their
function can mean problems as different as osteoporosis and
uremia (a toxic blood stream), and no one who has ever had one
needs me to tell them what a kidney stone is like.
A gentle fast with plenty of
liquids gives these important organs a chance to rest, detoxify
and get back on track, and some herbs that are beneficial for
supporting kidney function are Goldenrod (Solidago), Parsley
and Juniper Berries. These all have a cleansing and
astringent effect on the kidneys.
Consider this article part of a manual for proper body
maintenance! This is, after all, the only body we will be
issued, and taking good care of it on a regular basis is repaid
a hundred-fold in good health.
What can be done? I have written before about
the value of periodic fasting, because I believe that fasting
and detoxification go together hand in hand.
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The right
time to rejuvenate the digestive and cleansing systems -
the kidneys, the liver, the stomach and the colon -
is when you have cut back on your intake of food. |
They will all be glad of an opportunity to
cleanse and rest, and nearly always (particularly if this is a
process you repeat at regular intervals) benefit considerably
from the break, and function at increased efficiency thereafter.
A gentle cleansing fast,
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