Detox

By Matthew Sun

What is a Detox:

A detox is a natural state of elimination that the body can enter. Common triggers for this state include:

• A sharp rise in toxins absorbed by the body.
• A change in diet, to include more alkaline forming foods.
• Beginning a fast.
• Consuming certain herbs that stimulate the bodies detoxification mechanisms.

During a detox, the body attempts to remove toxins from the body, through various channels, such as the bowels and skin. If however the bowels are constipated, this can present several problems, such as detoxification reactions, which can make a person feel unwell. This gives rise to the importance of following a good detox program with special herbs, a modified diet, fiber, and clay.

Some other things that may be removed during a detox are parasites, heavy metals, tumors, cancerous cells, or anything the body sees as toxic that it has been holding onto.

Several of the most common methods to detoxify are:

• Juice Fasting
• Colon Cleansing
• Using a detox kit
• Modifying your food to be healthier
• Water fasting (only under supervision)
• The Master Cleanse – Lemonade Diet

Most good detox programs employ a number of the above points. For example the Bio Cleanse involves either going on a juice fast, or just eating fresh raw plant based foods, taking special herbal capsules that stimulate the colon, liver and organs, and also taking a clay and fiber shake. The shake helps to remove the toxins as they are released into the bowels. This is probably one of the best ways to detoxify yourself with minimal discomfort, in the shortest time possible.

Why Detox:

Normally if a person consumes a healthy plant based diet of mostly fruits and vegetables, the body will detoxify itself naturally on a daily basis. Unfortunately most peoples diet consist of mostly unhealthy foods, chemicals, cigarettes, alcohol, coffee and drugs (legal such as prescription, and also illegal such as heroin, cocaine, crack, speed, ecstasy, lsd and marijuana). These substances consume all of their systems energy, and also leave behind toxic residues and cause damage to tissues and organs.

Eventually sickness sets in, and then the cycle gets even deeper, as the modern way of dealing with illness is to remove organs, cut out tumors, and take drugs, which does little to build nutrition and repair damage, but merely masks the symptoms of the underlying problem.

Performing a detox however helps to reverse this process of health degradation by fixing the problem at its’ root. The diet is modified to remove the unhealthy substances by eating more alkaline forming foods and then taking herbs to stimulate and heal the body.

How To Detox:

There are many ways to detox the body, some of them more effective than others. Below is a general list and comments:

• Detox Kits – Within this category there is many choices, but we will just comment on the most ideal type, which is the clay based cleanse. This kind of cleanse consists of 2 or 3 formulas usually. A herbal capsule formula to stimulate the organs and bowels, a clay and fiber based powder that is mixed with water or juice and absorbs toxins and cleanses the colon, and also a probiotic to reestablish friendly bacteria after the cleanse is complete. Some cleanses that fall into this category include the Bio Cleanse Detox and the Blessed Herbs Cleanse.
• The Master Cleanse Lemonade Diet – This kind of detox involves drinking a mixture of water, maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper, and not eating food for a period of time. It’s a little more harsh than the above method, but does allow the body to cleanse, especially if the person uses herbal laxatives, instead of the salt water flush that is recommended. For more information please read the Master Cleanse summary here.
• Juice Fasting – This method involves the complete cessation of solid foods, whilst only drinking juice. Juice fasting is a good method for people who are already fairly healthy, but for the average person is is quite difficult, although still possible.
• Water Fasting – As the name suggests this involves consuming nothing but water. No food, no juice, no fruit. Water fasting is the most difficult of all detox methods and possibly also one of the most effective, if you are ready for it. Unfortunately most people are not ready for this kind of a cleanse and it would leave them quite ill.
• Foot Detox Baths – For most people foot detox baths are not very effective. The bowel is the seat of the problems, and that must be fixed. It is not possible to pull your colon debris out through your feet.
• Detox Foot Patches – Same as the detox foot baths, foot pads are not effective enough.

What To Expect:

If you perform a successful detox, then you could expect the following during the process:

• More bowel movements
• Weight Loss
• More energy
• The elimination of mucoid plaque
• Feelings of lightness
• Possible mild headaches (during cleansing reactions)
• Possible tiredness (during cleansing reactions)
• Flu like symptoms (during cleansing reactions)
• Mild hunger

After the detox you could expect the following:

• Continued weight loss (if you were overweight and continue to eat healthy)
• No constipation
• More energy
• Better digestion
• Less or no bloating
• Less cravings for unhealthy food
• Better skin
• Better sleep
• Less or no migraines and headaches
• More peace
• Less or no sickness (depending on how clean you are, and your continued diet)