Background:
Virtually all ancient cultures respected the necessity of fasting and
detoxification.
In Nature, the animal kingdom fasts when ill. And humans who regularly clean their bodies,
enjoy much greater
vitality, less chronic degenerative disease, shorter illnesses and
increased longevity.
After all, we clean our homes on a regular basis, wash our clothes and
our car.....so why not our bodies?
Unfortunately, this practice has almost been abandoned in our
fast-paced society,
where pills and junk food appear more attractive.
From teething on through adult life, we've eaten several meals a day,
usually various combinations of only 10 or 20 foods.
During our lifetime, drastic changes in processing that food has led to
it being more refined and laden with sugar, fat and preservatives.
There is a tendency to overeat in our culture like in no other on
earth.
The result: a digestive system that is overburdened and in need of a
good house-cleaning.
In reality, a detox or supervised cleansing program is an excellent
opportunity for you to clear your body of
toxic metabolites, find out
which foods (if any) may be creating problems, become more aware of
your body and
observe your relationship with food.
Designing a detoxification program
The success of such a program is largely dependent on the selection of
the proper program for your body type.
Since there are a variety of body types, not one program works for
everyone.
Jesus may have been able to fast 40 days on water in the wilderness
2000 years ago, but the pressures of todays' living
and environmental
pollution require us to take a different approach.
Some people have hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, making them shakey,
irritable and sick if they miss even a single meal.
Others have iron stomachs and can go all day without even noticing
their hunger level.
Still others are overweight and process food very slowly.
Each one of these people would benefit from a different program, all
aimed at the same goal: better health.
During a detox, metabolism changes from a catabolic phase (where food
is constantly being broken down by
the process of digestion), towards
an anabolic phase (where rebuilding occurs).
For some, a brief juice fast is appropriate to accomplish this rest and
its resultant cleansing effects.
For others, careful selection of certain fruits and vegetables will
best support elimination.
Still others may require the addition of beans and grains or
UltraBalance (a hypoallergenic protein supplement) to
stabilize their
metabolism and allow detoxification to occur.
There are several organs of elimination which can be supported for
optimal detoxification.
The skin is our largest organ of elimination, but the lungs, liver,
intestines and kidneys do most of the real work.
While we are targeting the digestive system in our detox programs,
these other organs benefit by the addition of
specific nutrients and
herbs, psyllium bulking agents and special practices such as massage,
steam baths,
skin-brushing, and possibly enemas. A program specific for your needs can be designed.
During my years of practice, I have seen some profound improvements in
the health of many patients as a result of
detoxification. Chronic irritable bowel often clears and does not return once the
offending food is identified,
eliminated and the irritated tissue
allowed to heal.
Chronic eczema, so severe the patient had taken cortisone for years,
cleared in days and the patient was able to be
weaned off this potent
drug.
Arthritis also responds well to the detoxification process.
These and many less severe conditions improve when the body is given
the opportunity to be cleansed.
Summer is the perfect time for a cleansing
program.
During the summer, the body is naturally warmer and can better cope
with an extremely light diet.
If you're interested in feeling more energy, regulating your weight and
exploring how the experience of detoxification
may improve your health,
I would be happy to design a program best suited for your lifestyle and
body type.
