Detox: A Good Spring Cleanse
Take time to do a thorough spring cleaning.
It’s time for a spring cleanse. Cleansing can be done any time of the year, but the best time is during the spring. This is because of the natural cycle of cleansing and re-growth that we see in nature at this time, which is in harmony with human cycles.
Detoxification or cleanses are one of the basic foundations of natural healing. A good detox program cleanses the intestinal tract, the urinary tract, the liver, the gallbladder, the blood and the lymphatic system. While doing a detox program, you should be eating a wholesome diet focused on alkaline forming foods, drinking lots of pure water and performing moderate amounts of exercise.
A detox regime that includes a cleansing diet is different than doing a fast and it is usually much more effective. In our clinic, we use detoxification diet programs on about a 500:1 ratio to fasting, since they are both safer and more thorough. Typically, fasting means to consume a liquid diet. Fasting is certainly not recommended during the cold Canadian winters and should only be done in warm weather.
The advantage of a detox diet or cleansing program is that you can eat like royalty (as much as you like), as long as you stick to an alkaline diet. All foods can be classified as acid forming, neutral, or alkaline forming. Since many health problems occur when our bodies are overly acidic, a good detoxification plan addresses the acid-alkaline balance of the blood. A detox regime does not include any flour products: cakes, cookies, breads, pasta etc., or any dairy products like milk, cheese or yogurt. Tropical fruits, dried fruit sweets, processed food or preservatives are not allowed. A complete dietary list should accompany any detox program that you purchase.
The liver, kidney and intestinal tract are the primary organs of detoxification. The skin and lungs will also participate in the elimination of toxins to some degree. The liver plays several roles in detoxification: it filters the blood to remove large toxins, it synthesizes and secretes bile (which is full of cholesterol and fat-soluble toxins) and it has an enzyme system that disassembles unwanted chemicals. This enzyme disassembly is done in two phases. Phase I either directly neutralizes a toxin such as caffeine, or it modifies the toxic chemical to form an intermediate compound that can be neutralized in phase II.
Some of the built up toxins will be neutralized in this way and excreted in urine and feces. Other toxins are stored in fat and bone tissue. The detox program should contain supplements meant to actively cleanse the blood, intestinal tract, kidneys, liver and lymphatic system. These supplements, along with the special diet, will encourage the body to release waste materials and toxins that have accumulated in the system. A full body cleanse should help to eliminate heavy metals, chemical toxins, microbial compounds and the breakdown products of protein metabolism.
This detoxification process is especially important to prevent several types of cancer. About 90 percent of environmental carcinogens can be handled and eliminated by a sound operational liver detoxification system. If toxins overwhelm the liver or the kidneys, they cannot function properly. Studies show that regular detoxification can reduce the body’s toxic load, thus keeping the natural detoxification mechanisms in good working order.
One important enzyme for phase I detoxification is called cytochrome 450. People who have compromised cytochrome 450 have been shown to be more susceptible to environmental carcinogens. By following a detoxification program two to four times a year, you can reduce the burden of toxins in your body and reduce your vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
Detoxification diets are preferable to fasts because they don’t overload these fragile processes. Eliminating too many toxins too quickly can overburden the system. A good detox diet will provide nourishment, the key nutrients to bind toxins, and the bulk fiber that will help move them through the system.
Detoxification programs are safe and can be done by almost anyone, though they are not recommended for pregnant or breast feeding mothers. It is important to seek professional assistance when beginning a cleanse to properly assess your body’s ability to eliminate and capacity to detoxify completely and safely.
