Generally, scientist and researchers do not reveal
that they go to nature and plants for inspiration as they design medications.
Researchers attempt to isolate significant compounds in plants that they can
then attempt to mimic in the laboratory. After they isolate the compound, which
has the identified action in the body they are searching for, they create a
patentable formula. They follow scientific procedures to verify their
hypothetical formula and its usefulness. However, scientist and researchers often
cannot replicate the perfect bioactive synergy of the plant itself; this is why
many medications have such terrible side effects.
From my mind-body-spirit philosophy, I prefer the
holistic healing action of herbs just the way God made them. I have tried various
cleansing herbal teas and have consumed many of the herbs discussed in this
article some as teas and some as supplements. When studying herbs I learned that herbs are synergistic in
their make up—I consider this a kind of spiritual purity. The whole is greater
than the sum of the parts.
Purification, cleansing, of the body has been a part
of our rituals for good health and well being for ages. I had a great
conversation with a Native America woman who grew up on a farm. Her culture
included twice yearly parasite cleansings. That is just what one did when you
live closely with nature and animal husbandry. She told me the story of how her
people learned by watching the nature around them.
Previously, I have written about detox baths and
introduced the idea of breathing processes that help cleanse by maintaining the
appropriate blood ph. The biological science of the body is very complex. Each
of us has been given a body to inhabit—we can choose to keep a clean house (a
metaphor for the body), or we can choose to live in a dirty house. A dirty
house encourages bugs, disease, mold and deterioration. I know many people who
spend much more time on the up keep of their house or car than they spend on
the upkeep of their own body. Perhaps they would take more care of their body
if it came with an owner’s manual.
As with any other activity, how you incorporate
cleansing and detox into your life is individual to your needs and preferences.
Natural body processes, environmental toxins, parasites, unclean foods, and
processed foods can create biochemical threats to your internal systems. These
accumulated biochemical toxins and waste products put us at risk for chronic
and degenerative diseases. Proactive actions we can take are cleansing and
detox. Cleansing and or detoxing activities are part of a wellness lifestyle.
Often the words detox and cleanse are used
interchangeably but they are very different processes. Both processes have
several similar advantages by helping the body to get rid of toxins. However
they focus on different areas of the body and different toxins.
Detoxification is the body's process of eliminating
or neutralizing toxic materials from the blood stream, body organs, skin, liver
and kidneys. A detox includes ingredients added into a person's daily diet,
which are meant to eradicate toxins. A daily detox regimen would target
chemicals, smoke, metals, pollutants, stones (kidney, or gall), and even fat
deposits which accumulate in the body. Adding a few detox ingredients in your
daily diet has benefits for better health, skin, aches and pain relief,
hormonal imbalance, and helps with anxiety or depression.
Cleansing targets the digestive tract from the mouth
through the colon to the anus. Cleansing targets waste matter, fungi (like
Candida), parasites and harmful bacteria inside your bowels. Typically
cleansing uses a particular program or component for the procedure i.e. teas,
fiber supplements, etc. Cleansing tends to incorporate a more complete process
which some times includes fasting or a special diet. A cleanse is short term
and has a specific procedure.
The digestive tract is actually a
continuation of our skin, but just internally. If you look in a mirror
you will see how the skin of your face runs into your lips, then rolls into the
tissue and gums of your mouth and down into the throat through the esophagus
into the stomach. The gut, digestive tract, is our internal skin, however
compared to our external skin the digestive tract is fragile.
Specific strains of bacteria, lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium
bifidum and Lactobacillus bulgaricus grow as colonies in our digestive tract
and form a protective layer above the cells lining our gut. These
bacteria, often called beneficial flora, inhabit the small intestine and large
intestine. When we use prolonged courses of antibiotics the beneficial bacteria
(flora) are killed off leaving us vulnerable to malnutrition, a weakened immune
system, or build up of yeast and fungus in the gut.
It
is essential to maintain the proper balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. You
should include a good probiotic as part of your cleansing protocol. These
healthy bacteria when used as a health supplement are called probiotics.
Probiotics are live the bacteria, which replace or
add to the beneficial bacteria usually present in the gastrointestinal tract.
Replenishing the good bacteria in our gut protects us from dangerous pathogens
and reduces our vulnerability to infection.
Generally,
one begins with a digestive tract cleanse to be certain you are absorbing
nutrients and eliminating waste efficiently. Undigested food, debris, parasites
and bad bacteria can accumulate in the digestive tract leading to reduced
efficiency in the absorption of nutrients and elimination of waste. The first
step in a cleansing protocol is a basic fiber cleanse. One increases
fiber intake to remove the build up of debris from the walls of the digestive
tract.
I would choose to add
more fiber through diet by increasing my intake of cereal, beans and raw fruits
and vegetables. The pectin found in apples is a dietary fiber that helps to
bind toxins and expel them from the body. Many of us do not eat enough fiber,
however if you feel bloated, or have excessive flatulence you may be over doing
the fiber. It is recommended you consult pharmacist before buying an over the
counter fiber product. When doing a fiber cleanse be sure to add daily
probiotics to protect the exposed areas of your digestive tract, then you will
be running efficiently. A detox would be the next step for removing toxins from
the blood.
Stanley Burroughs, a self-taught healer, developed
The Master Cleanse in the 1940s. The Master Cleanser is a lemonade diet. The
book The Master Cleanser was published
in 1976 and recommends a cleansing diet as essential to the heathing process.
Typically the Master Cleanse is used to detoxify the body of toxins and
chemicals.
Check with your physician, or health care provider if
you have certain health conditions (such as anemia, diabetes,
and kidney disease) before starting a detox regimen. Detox is not appropriate
for pregnant or nursing women. Be sure to purchase organic teas from
reputable manufacturers and suppliers. It
is not helpful to buy teas that have been sprayed with fertilizer or
insecticide—read the box.
In Western medicine, research to support for the use
of teas as detox aids is limited. However, there is a long tradition of the use
of herbal teas for cleansing as mentioned in historical
documents from Egypt, Ayurveda (the holistic science of wellness from
India), and China.
It is generally recommended to drink detox teas one to
three times a day. One can use 2 different kinds of tea bags at a time but
avoid using more than ten tea bags in a single day. Purchased detox tea
combinations should always be used as directed. Detox teas should not be taken
for more than 30 days consecutively. Teas made from the roasted roots of the
herb generally have a stronger earthier flavor, for example dandelion. One
might choose to take the supplement with a more pleasant tasting cleansing tea
such as cranberry, or elderberry (sambucus nigra).
Detox teas are not
recommended for use by women who are pregnant or nursing.
Detox herbs:
(I have tried all of these)
1) Milk Thistle—rich
in an antioxidant known as silymarin, has been
found to boost liver function, shields the liver from the toxic effects of
chemicals such as alcohol and acetaminophen, milk thistle may promote
regeneration of liver cells
2) Burdock---protects
liver cells from alcohol- and acetaminophen-related damage, it is rich in
inulin and mucilage, fibers that are essential for healthy digestion and elimination. It may be necessary to eat burdock root as a
whole food to obtain the potentially detox-promoting benefits of these two
fibers. (Cooking with burdock might be an interesting experiment www.gardenguides.com/90618-cook-burdock-root.html)
3)
Dandelion---stimulate
the flow of bile, which helps transport toxins away from the liver to be
eliminated from the body---dandelion may guard against liver damage induced by
environmental toxins--- Dandelion Extract – used as a remedy for hepatitis C,
stimulates the liver and gallbladder to release toxins, is a natural diuretic
4) Artichoke---contains
caffeoylquinic acids, antioxidant substances that increase the flow of bile, it
displays toxin-fighting effects and is believed to trigger regeneration of
liver cells
5) Echinacea Pururea Leaf---is an immune system strengthener, has
anti-viral properties, assists the body in detoxification and eliminates toxins
6) Juniper Berry---detoxifies and flushes
the kidneys and liver, has powerful detoxification and blood cleanser
properties, aids digestion and fights urinary tract infections.
7) Turmeric Root---detoxifies and cleanses
the liver, lymphatic system and blood
http://holheal.com/ayurved4.html
