Could You Benefit From A Detox?

Detoxification is a wonderful way to clean out environmental pollutants or drug residues that have been trapped in our bodies. Our society today is exposed to so many chemicals, pollutants and drugs that it is difficult for our bodies to eliminate all of the built up toxicity on its own. When toxins saturate our tissues, antioxidants and minerals in our body fluids are reduced and our body's entire chemical equilibrium is thrown off balance. A good cleanse to keep our body's systems in efficient working order can benefit almost everyone.

Here are some signs that your body may have reached its toxic tolerance level and could benefit from a cleanse:

- Frequent, unexplained headaches, back or joint pain, possibly arthritis
- Chronic respiratory problems, sinus problems, or asthma
- Abnormal body odor, bad breath, or coated tongue
- Chronic stress from an unhealthy work environment or home life
- Environmental sensitivities, especially to odors
- Food allergies, poor digestion or constipation with intestinal bloating or gas
- Unusually poor memory, chronic insomnia, depression, irritability, chronic fatigue
- Brittle nails and hair, psoriasis, adult acne, unexplained weight gain over 10 pounds

(Hair analysis or medical lab tests such as stool, urine, blood or liver tests may also provide some information to support the need of a detox.)

A good detox will bring the body back into balance and most people experience more energy in all areas of life. The digestive tract is cleansed of accumulated wastes and fermenting bacteria. Excess mucous and congestion is cleared from the body. The liver, kidneys, and blood are purified. Mental clarity will be enhanced. Dependence on sugar, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and drugs are reduced. Eating habits should be improved, and the stomach will have a chance to shrink back to its normal size. Hormone secretions will be released, that, coupled with essential fatty acids from plant sources, can strengthen the immune system.

Detoxification will cleanse, rebuild, and maintain. The first step is elimination. You will clean out mucous and toxins from the intestinal tract and major organs. Everything will function better when the toxins, obstructions and wastes are removed. A detox works by self-digestion. During the cleanse, the body decomposes and burns only the substances and tissues that are damaged, diseased, or unneeded, like abscesses, tumors, excess fat deposits, and congestive wastes. The second step is rebuilding tissue and restoring energy. With all of the obstacles removed, the body will be activated to do this all by itself at top levels. All that is needed is a diet of simply prepared, fresh vegetarian foods during the rebuilding steps. Supplements for specific needs may also be included. The third step is keeping the body clean and toxin free. This means a modification of lifestyle habits. Rely on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, cooked vegetables, grains and seeds for strength and alkalinity, lightly cooked sea foods, soy foods, eggs and low fat cheeses as sources of protein, and a little dinner wine for circulatory health. It is also good to include supplements, herbs, exercise and relaxation techniques.

A brief 3 to 7 day juice cleanse is a wonderful way to release toxins from the body. Fruit and vegetable juices are alkalizing, so they neutralize uric acid and other inorganic acids, increasing healing effects. Juices also support better metabolic activity and are easy on digestion and easily assimilated into the blood stream. They don't disturb the detoxification process. Water fasting is not recommended because it is harsh on the body and can release toxins and chemicals into the bloodstream too rapidly all at once and cause the body to be "re-poisoned". Sometimes the physical and emotional stress of a water fast even overrides the healing benefits provided.

A wonderful reference on detoxification is "Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self Healing for Everyone" by Linda Page, Ph.D. This book includes specific detox programs for every system of the body including colon and bowel cleansing, kidney cleansing, lung and chest congestion cleansing, liver and organ cleansing, lymphatic cleansing, skin cleansing, blood cleansing, and detox from fats and sugars.