DETOXIFYING or cleansing the body of accumulated toxins is far from a new concept. There is significant anthropological evidence throughout history confirming that different cultures have implemented body cleansing practices through the consumption of various herbs and detoxifying foods and fasting, while incorporating massage, meditation, and a variety of other mindful activities.
For instance, Native Americans used sweat lodges and herbal cleansing, while Indians used Ayurveda techniques (panchakarma) dating back 5500 years. As far back as 400 BC Hippocrates, the ancient Greek known as the “father of western medicine,” recommended fasting and various detoxification programs to treat and prevent illness.
Certainly, the concept of acid-alkaline imbalance as the cause of disease is not new either. In 1933 a New York Doctor named William Howard Hay published a ground-breaking book, A New Health Era, in which he maintained that all diseases are caused by auto-intoxication (or “self-poisoning”) due to acid accumulation in the body:
“Now we depart from health in just the proportion to which we have allowed our alkalines to be dissipated by introduction of acid-forming food in too great amount… It may seem strange to say that all disease is the same thing, no matter what its myriad modes of expression, but it is verily so.”
Previous generations understood the need to cleanse regularly even though they were not exposed to the thousands of chemicals that have been introduced to the environment during the last century! Currently, the need to detoxify the body is far more compelling due to the overwhelming quantity and variety of toxins we encounter on a daily basis. Toxicity is derived from and compounded by unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle choices that prevent our bodies natural detoxification systems from working as they were designed to.
Every day the body is bombarded by tens of thousands of toxic chemicals and radiation in all environments – your homes, jobs, the air you breathe, food, and the water you drink and bathe in. Fortunately, nowadays there is much more information available stressing the need for proper cleansing and detoxification and the direct role that toxic acid waste buildup plays in the development of disease.Regardless, most people don’t apply conscious thought and action to these undeniable facts and find one excuse or another to avoid cleansing, or putting it off until some future date that never seems to come.
Sadly, many people worry more about keeping their cars and homes clean and their finances in order, while neglecting their health – the most important asset of all! Even though those other things may be important, if you’re not physically and mentally fit you won’t be able enjoy the amenities life has to offer.
You do not have to roll the dice when it comes to your health. Do not be one of those who wait for diabetes, cancer, or other debilitating diseases to rear their ugly head to begin to implement healthier eating habits and lifestyle choices like exercise and proper cleansing. It is the inevitable buildup of toxins, lack of nutrients, and excess acidity and inflammation that causes the body to break down and age prematurely. You can choose to be proactive and take measures to prevent or reverse disease, or you can choose to be reactive when the doctor gives you a not-so good bill of health. Ultimately, the choice is yours!
CHOOSE HEALTH!
Proper cleansing is the first step in building a solid foundation for a young, healthy, disease free body. Everyone knows the importance of changing the oil and filters of your car on a regular basis. This keeps the engine clean and running at optimal levels, preventing the engine from ceasing, and the car from rapid aging. The body is no different. A proper cleanse is like an oil change for the body. With proper cleansing, nutrient intake, exercise, stress management, and other healthy practices, the blood is purified and toxins and acidic waste are released, allowing the body’s natural detoxification systems to function optimally. Once detoxification pathways are clear, along with healthier lifestyle and food choices, you can better absorb the nutrients from what you eat, and stop the body from aging prematurely!
CLEANSING HAS PROVEN BENEFITS
Allow me to substantiate and validate the power of detoxification for anyone interested in anti-aging and disease prevention. Contrary to what skeptics believe, besides overwhelming anecdotal evidence, there is ample scientific proof supporting the credibility of detoxification.
For instance, a well-known nutritionist, geologist, and licensed Environmental Hazardous Waste Specialist and Toxicologist, Dr. Janet Hull believes that cleansing the body of toxins can restore health and address the root cause of many diseases. In 1991, she was diagnosed with a so-called “incurable” thyroid disease known as Grave’s. She followed a detox program and a safe nutritious diet regimen that cleansed and healed her body. She was able to assist her body in “curing” itself from the disease, which prompted her change in careers. Her personal healing experience, along with hundreds of case files, continue to show that detoxing the body is essential to reinstate health and promote longevity.
Dr. Mark Hyman, a family physician, New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader in the field of Functional Medicine, believes that the environment and the Standard American Diet (SAD) increase the internal toxic load substantially. Toxin accumulation can make you sick and disrupts the body’s natural methods for excreting waste. This is why detoxifying the body is so critical! He explains that with “some guided healthy eating, appropriate supplements, and relevant lifestyle modifications,” the body’s natural ability to process, filter, and remove waste can be reestablished. He continues to dedicate his career in identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic illness, tackling the chronic-disease epidemic.
Walter Crinnion, a Seattle Naturopath and leading authority in environmental detoxification, uses colonics (a method of detoxification that focuses specifically in the colon) and other detoxification methods with his patients. He has instituted before-and-after blood tests that demonstrate decreased levels of toxic substances post-detoxification, like “chlorinated pesticides and a variety of heavy metals”. As far as the benefits received post-detox, Crinnion states “once we reduced the circulating levels of toxins in people’s bodies, we see their energy return and many of their symptoms disappear.” In his experience, people with autoimmune diseases, like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, had some of the best outcomes.
Crinnion confirms that there is countless research linking autoimmune diseases to environmental toxins but questions the prejudice of the present healthcare system and ill-researched naysayers. In defense of natural medicine Crinnion states, “there is no double-blind research to show that aspirin cures a headache, for example, or that coronary artery surgery works. In fact, as little as 30 percent of medical procedures have such studies to support their use, yet we believe in many more than that… That would mean holding detoxing to a standard that we haven’t applied to many other treatments.” Hair mineral analysis and urinalysis are also ways to determine how minerals are working in the body and how the body is able to process toxic waste..
Besides the scientific evidence, cleansing has numerous advantages that show its effectiveness anecdotally. One of the most basic benefits is the positive after-effects experienced by people first hand both physically and mentally. Weight loss, blood pressure and blood sugar regulation, clearer skin, increased energy levels, improvement and elimination of chronic conditions, mental clarity, an overall greater sense of well- being, and rejuvenation are just a few of the wonderful outcomes that take place after detoxing the body.
As you see, taking preventative measures and cleansing the body of toxins and acid waste buildup is primordial, especially in today’s toxic world.
Keep in mind, besides performing a few deep cleanses throughout the year, detoxification should be a part of your daily routine enacted through diet, exercise, proper supplementation, meditation, and incorporating healthy practices like massage, foot reflexology, hydrotherapy and dry skin brushing.
DO YOU NEED TO CLEANSE?
There are numerous signs expressed by the body, authenticating the need for cleansing. As you already know, balanced pH levels are indispensable for overall health and well-being.
The following are signs associated with imbalanced pH levels and inflammation and a cleanse should be performed if you experience any of these symptoms:
- low energy and fatigue
- weight gain
- digestive issues
- irritability and mood disturbances
- skin conditions, thinning hair and bleeding gums
- poor immune function
- joint pain and inflammation
- yeast, fungal and parasite overgrowth
- kidney stones
- blood sugar imbalances
- blood vessel and arterial damage
- decrease in growth hormone production
- trouble focusing or concentrating
- headaches
- unpleasant breath or body odor
- allergies and food sensitivities
- respiratory problems
- hemorrhoids
A detoxification program is critical to restore health and impede the deterioration of the body from all too common conditions or diseases like:
- premature aging
- osteoporosis
- arthritis
- fibromyalgia
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- arteriosclerosis
- Parkinson’s
- kidney disease
- candida
- chronic respiratory problems
- diabetes or other insulin-related issues
- cardiovascular problems like heart attacks or strokes
- abnormal cells which can lead to cancer
It is a matter of fact that it’s impossible to avoid the effects of modern day’s highly toxic environment that gradually contaminates and damages the body. While some people are more toxic than others (contingent on their eating habits, locale, product usage, activity level and body’s ability to methylate or detoxify), everyone is affected and at risk.
Exposure to anything on this list increases the need to cleanse:
- Regular consumption of commercial and conventional (non-organic) produce, meats, and dairy, white flour products, processed /sugary / fried food. These contain food toxins like antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones (rBGH), genetically modified organisms (GMOs), pesticides, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), artificial sweeteners, refined sugars, partially hydrogenated or basically any vegetable oils, monosodium glutamate (MSG), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA), sodium nitrates and nitrites, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), dioxins, nickel, mold and fungal toxins.
- Regular consumption of shellfish, farm-raised fish and large fish that survive for a long time in the water and may contain polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), mercury,
- Regular consumption of any drugs, pharmaceuticals, and alcohol.
- Use and intake of polluted tap water (including unfiltered shower water), which contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pharmaceuticals, chloroform, chlorine, fluoride, aluminum, etc.
- Regular consumption of commercial drinks and foods bottled and packaged in plastics or cans. They contain toxins like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates.
- Use of aerosols and/or (employment or consumption of foods with insecticides) VOCs, arsenic, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT),
- Use of commercial cosmetics and body care products, since they most likely contain phthalates, VOCs, fluoride, aluminum, mineral oil, lead and additional toxins.
- Use of commercial household cleaners containing chlorine, ammonia, formaldehyde, coal and petroleum- based products, propane, lye, butyl cellusolve, and others.
- Use of toxic dentistry products or have had procedures that contain mercury, nickel, fluoride, BPA, botulinum, etc.
- Living or working in polluted environments where there is asbestos, arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, radiation, etc.
- Exposure to EMF’s (dirty energy) cell phones, computers, Wi-Fi, satellites, etc.
- Just breathing! Per recent statistics, there are over 1460 metric tons of toxins in the air that travel the jet stream all over the world. Scientists conclude that there is no real pristine location left on the planet, but of course industrialized cities are considered the worst. For instance, in 2005, Chicago experienced almost 70 days when the air was actually too unhealthy for children or the elderly to breathe.
- Essentially, no one is exempt from cleansing if they want to attain or maintain a disease-free body!!
BENEFITS OF CLEANSING
The body is an amazing machine that has the ability to heal itself with the right building blocks, in a balanced clean environment – like with proper diet, lifestyle habits, and cleansing practices. Cleansing is a way to effectively eliminate the buildup of harmful toxins that interfere with your body’s ability to detoxify and thrive.
Here are some of the benefits of detoxifying the body:
- Can clear the toxic waste that adds extra pounds and increases disease risk.
- Can eliminate parasites and candida overgrowth, promoting healthy intestinal flora.
- Begins to heal leaky gut and other intestinal issues.
- Begins to release the acidic waste that prevents you from losing weight.
- Promotes radiant skin tone and strong healthy hair.
- Begins to restore growth hormone – imperative for anti-aging.
- Controls bad dietary and negative lifestyle habits through increased awareness.
- Decreases or eliminates cravings like sugar.
- Increases metabolism, breaking weight-loss plateaus.
- Allows for optimal nutrient absorption.
- Strengthens the immune system to prevent and even begin to reverse disease.
- Decreases sensitivity to harmless allergens.
- Reduces inflammation, as acids are released from the tissues.
- Boosts energy levels naturally by properly nourishing cells.
- Improves mental clarity and begins to eliminate brain fog.
- Begins to regulate proper sleep patterns.
- Begins to balance hormones.
- Begins to regulate blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
- Begins to normalize libido
- Begins to balance pH levels, returning the body to a state of homeostasis so it can begin to heal itself.
- Introduces you to a more pH balanced, anti-inflammatory, disease preventing diet
- Gives you a fresh start to a conditioned, consistent healthier lifestyle!