Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Spring Cleaning for Your Body

Spring is the time people clear the clutter in their homes.  It is also an opportune time to clean the garbage from your body!  By cleaning the body we are not talking about soap and water or external apricot scrubs.  We are talking about cleaning the body from the inside--cleaning the vital organs, tissues, and cells so they can function optimally.  Toxins accumulate from food, drinks, and the environment and by removing these obstacles we can enjoy improved health, vitality, and longevity.

Detoxification is commonly abbreviated as detox and it may mean many different things to different people.

For some, it is associated with enemas, colonics, and herbal fiber supplements or intestinal parasite cleansers.  Others might think about the Master Cleanse which involves drinking lemon water with maple syrup and cayenne pepper and not eating for days.  Other people associate detoxing with liver cleansing juice fasts and green supplements such as spirulina and chorella.  Some may conjure up the image of foot baths with nasty colored water.  Some people think about heavy metal chelation and intravenous vitamin therapies.  And some may think about all the gimmicks and plethora of detox services and products and write-off the entire industry as a scam.




Let’s break it down.

Who: We are all exposed to toxins in our food, water, and environment.  If you are breathing, you have toxins.  Period.  Some people are more sensitive to toxins due to their genetics and individual tolerance levels.  Even at low level exposures, they may suffer signs and symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, depression, body aches and pains, weight gain, digestive issues, irritability, allergies, auto-immune disorders and much more.  Other people can be very toxic yet not manifest any problems until the toxic burden is so heavy that they develop cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, or another chronic health care concern.

What: Detoxing can take many forms as mentioned above.  So the consumer may feel overwhelmed and not know where to start.  The best advice is to see a naturopathic doctor or other holistic health care professional.  Based on the individual’s history, signs and symptoms, diet, exposure, and lab test results, we can determine which approach is best suitable for the person.  For example:  Bob who suffers from migraine headaches and has four amalgam (mercury) dental fillings might start with a provoked heavy metal urine test to determine his levels of mercury and other heavy metals.  He may be advised to see a holistic dentist to replace his mercury fillings and then start a chelation therapy protocol.  While Tina who has been suffering from gastrointestinal complaints since her trip to India and the far East, feels fatigue and has some mental fog may do a stool analysis test to determine if she has intestinal parasites or a candida overgrowth and if so she may be prescribed an herbal parasite cleanse and recommended a course of colonics.

When: Because we are all exposed to toxins, it is wise to detoxify at least once per year.  Some say once every 6 months, depending on exposure to toxins.  The best time of year to detox is the Spring.  Spring is the season for letting go of everything (and even everyone--negative influences) that doesn't serve your highest good.  It makes sense to clean the home, and the home of the soul in Spring.

Where: When it comes to detox naturopaths know best.  Find one in your city at:


In Miami Beach visit www.mibaso.org

WhySince the body is a temple of the soul, keeping it clean is very important!  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Get rid of toxins before the burden creates a malady because you deserve to enjoy optimal health, wellbeing, and longevity.  

What else: We mentioned the body and the spirit but what about the mind?  Decluttering the mind is also of paramount importance.  Read positive books, listen to motivational MP3's, lectures, or subliminal affirmations, to achieve your goals and to think positively.  I would also encourage and support counseling, life-coaching, or other therapeutic activities that can help a person to clean their head out from negative thoughts and emotions which are also toxic and the source of dis-ease. 


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