detoxify

detoxify

Cleansing with juices is an optimal way to 

Slideshow

Click here for a slideshow visually showing elements that help a detoxification process along.

Water For Detox

As we all know, water is essential to life.  We can survive without food for months, but without water we last only days.  In the U.S. we are lucky enough to have access to clean water as well as, in fact, ANY kind of water you can think of– distilled, purified, bottled, enhanced and flavored.  Despite our options, many of us don’t drink enough water each day, falling short of the recommended 8 glasses or 64 oz. per day.  Maybe this is because the most common beverages available are diuretics like coffee, tea, and caffeinated soda; these actually dehydrate your body even if your thirst feels quenched.  It’s easy and common to not drink enough, but what we don’t realize is that even minor dehydration negatively affects our cellular functions.  Some of the ways water works in our favor are listed below:

– water dilutes toxins and waste products in the system as well as helping flush them out

-water regulates and maintains body temperature

-water helps transport nutrients and other vital substances throughout the system

– water provides our brain and joints with fluid protection

Simply drinking enough water is one of the easiest ways to detoxify your body.  Doing so will make you feel drastically better within a matter of days.  Some of the benefits felt will be better digestion, more energy, less cravings for certain foods, and clearer skin.

To go a step (or several) further, you can do a water cleanse or even a water fast.  A water cleanse consists of drinking about twice the amount of water recommended every day for 3 or 4 days, helping to quickly flush out toxins.  The dangers from this cleanse involve actually drinking too much water, so it’s important to consult a physician first.

A water fast, however, is much more intense, and I’m not sure I’d personally recommend it to anyone.  Water fasting usually consists of abstaining from all foods and other substances other than water for a period of several days, however, in the cases of extreme difficulty fresh fruits or vegetables can be consumed alternately.  Like other forms of detoxification, it is important to prepare your body both physically and mentally to do this fast.  A pre-cleanse diet should be implemented at least a week beforehand, and meditation on the subject should be practiced as well.  The most important preparation step for this cleanse is knowledge about what steps to take and what to expect.  There are many resources on this subject online; to briefly read up on water fasts, click here.

Living For Your Liver

The liver is a very popular organ to target for detoxification purposes.  Why is this?  The liver is extremely busy! Many of us don’t realize that the liver performs at least 400 to 600 jobs daily to support four basic functions.  These functions include:

• aiding in digestion by allowing the absorption of fats and vitamins like A,D,E and K, and producing bile, a digestive substance
• distributing nutrients found in food
• acting as a filter for the blood, removing toxins from the system like chemical materials and waste products
• producing vital proteins for the blood such as those needed to make blood clot during an injury

Additionally, the liver is responsible for converting carbohydrates into glucose, which the body uses as fuel.  The liver stores it and regulates its release into the bloodstream.  The liver also has a lot to do with the way our hormones are regulated, which has everything to do with how we feel on a daily basis!

Obviously all organs are vital to our bodies, but the liver does more jobs than any other organ.  It becomes taxed quite easily and has to work extra hard every time a toxic substance is ingested- think alcohol, refined sugar, prescription drugs and/ or any kind of drug.  When the liver is taxed, other bodily functions are impaired.  The liver can become so taxed by alcohol and other substances that a condition called cirrhosis sets in.  End-stage liver cirrhosis causes the liver to shut down completely and the body dies soon after.

However, as long as end-stage cirrhosis is not what the body is dealing with (and it takes a lot of abuse to get to that point!), the liver is incredibly resilient, repairing itself remarkably quickly once given a chance.  There are many foods and herbs one can eat/drink in tea to help cleanse the liver, including:

• milk thistle
• dandelion root
• nettle
• parsley
• ginger
• beets
• turmeric
• cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts
• fresh, organic, raw vegetables

Focusing on cutting out toxic foods (the usual suspects: white flour, refined sugar, red meat, dairy, and alcohol) and ingesting the above foods and herbs along with plenty of water is a great way to give the liver a rest and allow it to cleanse itself.  A healthy liver means a far healthier existence.

Click here for a quiz that will help you decide whether it’s time to do a liver cleanse.

Local SLO Area Detox Map

Click here for a map of five places to either detox or buy detoxification products in San Luis Obispo County.

Quick Cleanse for the Holidays

As the seasons change and the holidays approach, I’m going to briefly switch my focus and talk a little bit about what one can do to speedily and effectively detoxify the body, for example, the day after going to a holiday party and consuming lots of heavy, sugar-laden treats and alcohol.  We all do this every once in a while, especially around this time of year, and sometimes it can be a little tough to know just how to get back on track.  Nothing can fully take away the next day hangover effects of a night on the town (or too much cake), but there are a few remedies to help the body  repair itself a little quicker and help you feel a little bit better.

The first remedy is instinctive: drink plenty of water!  Because alcohol is a diuretic, the body gets dehydrated as a side effect of consuming it.  Dehydration causes every function of the body to be impaired.  Emptying a packet of a product like Emergen-C will give the body extra electrolytes, thereby rehydrating faster, as well as vitamin C.  While vitamin C hasn’t necessarily been shown to immediately turn around the effects of  excess sugar in the body, it is a powerful antioxidant that stimulates cell renewal and repair; it may help to flush out toxins with the help of the water you’re drinking.  Adding fresh lemon or lime juice to hot water takes rehydrating one step further; the citrus helps to purge the body of toxins from alcohol or sugar by alkalizing the acidic environment in the stomach caused by what’s been consumed.

Exercise is another way to quickly purge the body of toxins, even though it might be the last activity you feel like doing!  Believe it or not, it WILL make you feel better, as sweating is one of the body’s quickest detoxification mechanisms.  Also, as alcohol is a depressant and sugar can have the mental effects of depressants, exercise (even a brisk walk) raises endorphin levels, providing mental clarity and a better mood.

As far as food, staying away from the greasy, sugary foods that taste good the next morning is an important step to any quick detox.  A balanced meal with protein, veggies, and some unrefined carbohydrates; for example, eggs with sauteed spinach and sprouted-grain bread, will provide your body with the fuel it needs to get back on track.

Additionally, after these steps have been followed, a rest or a good night’s sleep is the best gift you can give your body when it’s not feeling its best.  The body does by far the most repair work while sleeping, allowing you to awaken refreshed, revitalized, and sure you won’t party like that again until next year!

Juice Fast FAQ’s

Juice Fasts: Frequently Asked Questions

Just in case anyone wants to try a juice fast for detox purposes, I thought I’d overview this process with some frequently asked questions.

 

• What is a juice fast?

A juice fast is a type of detox diet that involves a short-term intake of raw vegetable and fruit juice and water only.

 

• Why are juice fasts considered to be beneficial for detox purposes?

When fresh juice and water are the only foods consumed, the body has a chance to rest and and release toxins that build up as a result of the intake of unhealthy foods and alcohol.  Plus, the concentrated vitamins and antioxidants are absorbed into the body at a faster rate, causing the body to detoxify faster and more completely.

 

• How long does a juice fast last?

A juice fast itself typically lasts one to three days, but it is usually necessary to practice a preparation diet for about a week beforehand.  A preparation diet consists of eliminating foods that contain toxins or take a long time and a lot of work for the body to digest; these foods include but are not limited to alcohol, dairy, meat and anything refined or processed .  By eliminating these foods, the body can begin to detoxify before the actual detoxification diet starts.  This eliminates many detox or die-off symptoms the person would normally experience without having done a preparation diet.

 

• What side effects or detox symptoms might a person experience throughout a juice fast?

Symptoms of detoxification present themselves in the form of side effects and include but are not limited to headaches, tiredness, digestive issues, acne or skin rash, increased body odor and bad breath.  Symptoms can range from mild to severe.

 

• What types of people should not try a juice fast?

Generally, people who are diabetic or hypoglycemic should not do juice fasts.  Pregnant women should not do juice fasts.  People with chronic conditions such as low blood pressure, cancer, or autoimmune disorders should not do juice fasts without strict medical supervision

What is Candida?

From the end of high school up until about a year ago, I had very low energy.  I couldn’t figure out why.  Having been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder at age 17 that landed me at Stanford Medical Center, where I received outpatient care for the next five years, I had become very aware of how to properly treat my body from a young age.   I thought the way I ate was very healthy.  I was an active athlete, swimming competitively from age 12 to 22, spending up to five hours a day in the pool.  I always did well in school, often pushing myself to the limit.  Was I just exhausted from my life?  At 23, that just didn’t make sense, especially since I got enough sleep every night and practiced an overall healthy lifestyle, especially compared to that of my peers.    Not to mention that I had had no dangerous autoimmune symptoms since age 21.  However, I still felt unwell.  In addition to low energy, I had severe digestive problems that no doctor could figure out, and my mind always felt foggy.  As you can imagine, this made getting through the day very difficult.  I was extremely frustrated; tired of feeling sick and tired.

It wasn’t until I began seeing a nutritionist last year that I started to learn about Candidiasis- the term used (interchangeably with Candida) to define an overgrowth of Candida Albicans- and how it affects the body.  I now believe that Candida is an epidemic in this country.  In this post I’d like to give an uncomplicated overview of what it is.

Candida Albicans (be thankful here that I didn’t insert a grosser photo….there are LOTS) is a naturally occurring form of yeast or fungus that normally lives symbiotically with other bacteria in the body, particularly in the digestive system.  Candida has a function in the body, but certain circumstances can cause it to grow out of control.   When candida becomes out of control, it can affect the body on many different levels.  Superficially (on the skin, in the mouth and in and around genitals), it can appear as thrush, which is another word for a yeast infection.  It can also externally appear as athlete’s foot or  nail fungus.  In the digestive tract overgrowth appears as many uncomfortable symptoms such as overall discomfort, gas, bloating, and weight gain (or inability to lose weight).   Systemically  it can be responsible for fatigue, mental fogginess, and depression.  For a full list of candida symptoms, click here.

In future posts, I will discuss what Candidiasis is caused by and how it can be detoxified from the body.

Colon Hydrotherapy; An Interview

Listen here for an interview with certified colon hydrotherapist Terrye Baker.  A transcript of the interview is included below.

 

Terrye Baker is a certified colon hydrotherapist in Atascadero, Calif.  Recently I went to her office to sit in on a colon hydrotherapy session—also known as a colonic—and to ask her a few questions about the process.  The noise you hear in the background is the massager Terrye uses on her clients’ stomachs during colonics.

 

Me:  Okay, so would you mind explaining to me how colon hydrotherapy works; what is a colonic, exactly?

 

Terrye:             The colonic is a gentle cleansing of the colon with warm filtered water.  It does help to remove excess feces and gas that is trapped in the colon, sometimes for years.  Upon detoxing the colon, it allows the body—all of the organs and the liver especially – to start working at a higher level, because it is the liver that tells the colon what to do.  So, when our liver is very toxic it does cause the colon not to work as well as it should be working.  By flushing out all of the old toxins that we carry around, most people will experience a higher level of energy; they’ll sleep better, feel lighter, cleaner; more of a feeling of well-being.

 

M:  Okay, so would you mind detailing what happens during a procedure for someone?

 

T:            Okay.  It is a very professional procedure; you are covered up the whole time.  There is a small speculum that is inserted into the rectum and you’re slowly filled with warm filtered water.  As soon as you started feeling pressure or fullness, I’ll turn the water off and open the release.  And, I do use a closed system so everything comes out through the tube, through the machine, and into the sewer.  It is not an uncomfortable procedure unless you have a lot of gas; and then it can be a little bit cramping but overall it isn’t uncomfortable.  You will most of the time feel a lot better afterwards; and, any cramping that does happen during the procedure stops immediately when we’re done with the colonic.

 

M:  If people do feel bad afterwards, you know, have die-off reactions, would you say that’s from the detoxification that’s occurred from the procedure, you know, from cleaning all of that out of the body?

 

T:            Well, because it is a really fast detox and everybody is different, there are different feelings afterwards.  Some people will feel a little bit of gas afterwards and that happens because the stirring up of toxins from the water in and out can cause a lot of gas that is trapped along the colon wall to escape, and when that happens there is some gas after the treatment.  Usually when that happens I’ll advise they take some activated charcoal, and usually that’ll absorb the gas and it’ll be gone by the next morning.

 

M:  So, why would somebody want to get a colonic, exactly?

 

T:            Well, I see a lot of people who are on cleanses of their own, and anytime you do a colonic along with a colon cleanse, or a liver cleanse, or any kind of a systemic cleanse, a head to toe kind of cleanse that will treat parasites, or the liver or kidney, heavy metals, anything like that, (the colonic) will actually take that cleanse to a deeper level.  Just by detoxing the colon, it allows everything else to move out a little more freely.  Another reason, even if you’re not on a cleanse, what happens is that as we carry around—most people are carrying around about 15 lbs of excess poop in their colon on average, and lot of people are carrying around much more than that—but what happens is that everything is detoxed through the liver and put into the colon to be eliminated.  If it doesn’t get eliminated, if you have a little bit of chronic constipation or if the colon just isn’t working in a timely way, what happens is that those toxins will back up into the liver and as our blood is circulating through the liver, now the blood is dirty.  So it circulates through the body through the other organs, and eventually it does compromise the immune system.  So when they say that all disease starts in the colon, that’s what they’re referring to; when we’re not keeping our colons working in a good way– so that last night’s dinner should be the next morning’s bowel movement—when things aren’t working in a timely way, it does cause a lot of toxins to build up in are bodies.  There are a lot of complications that occur because of that, so just by hydrating the colon with the water and moving the toxins out, it does help everything to work at a higher level, which helps the aging process; and– you know I don’t promote it as a weight-loss tool– but it can, if people will make the lifestyle changes and cut back on their constipating foods and increase their salads and fruits and vegetables and all of the good things that we need to eat everyday, weight loss is just something that happens…. But it’s not something I promote.  It’s just more of a wellness treatment.

 

M:  Well, thanks very much for answering my questions and agreeing to be recorded.

T:  It was my pleasure.

M: I’m sure!  (Laughing)  Thank you.

Using Clay

Certain types of clay have been used for centuries to aid in the process of detoxification, as well as a treatment for digestive issues (heartburn, stomachache, gastritis, bloating, diarrhea), gingivitis, mouth ulcers, bad breath, colds, hepatic dysfunction, and intoxication, to name just a few!  Clay can treat a variety of conditions because of its biological and chemical makeup, which allows it to absorb huge amounts of toxins into even a very small amount, much like a sponge.  An article such as this one explains in scientific detail how exactly clay works.

Externally, clay is often used to draw impurities from the skin, particularly the face.  For example, for someone suffering from extremely oily skin, an application of a mask containing french green clay or kaolin clay will soak up excess oil and calm redness from breakouts.  Additionally, clay applications will draw the toxic inflammation from bug bites and also rashes such as poison oak, clearing up lesions in surprisingly quick amounts of time.  Try it the next time you have a spider bite or poison oak; bentonite clay works very well for these issues.  Clay baths are also very popular for these maladies, some claiming to draw toxins and impurities out of pores of the skin.  This may sound like a tough claim to believe, but clay baths (also called mud baths) have been used for thousands of years in many different countries.

Clay is also used internally and makes for a surprisingly gentle way to clear many types of toxins from the body, including heavy metals, and it also can be used to treat several types of maladies such as stomachache, heartburn, bad breath, colitis, flu or cold, and even food poisoning.  To begin a clay detox, experts usually suggest introducing clay into the body slowly.  This can be achieved by drinking a solution of clay mixed into water, once or twice a day for several days.  This may sound, well, disgusting, but clay actually has a very mild taste, if any at all.  After drinking clay water for several days, other forms and different types of it can be introduced into the body.

In our society, a clay detox may sound strange or dangerous, but before dismissing it, it is important to understand that clay is a substance that has been used for this purpose for a very, very long time.  There are benefits as well as contraindications, and it is important to research these before attempting a clay cleanse.