Bring On The Cleanse

After the feast and foibles of the holiday season, and the aftermath of too many cookies eaten too quickly, many of us feel the need to clean out and recalibrate our internal reality. One of the most effective ways to do this is detoxification. Cleansing enhances your body’s natural healing mechanisms by giving them a break
from the substances that depress them, and it is an inherent aspect of preventative health. Preventative health is a practice of consciously choosing a lifestyle
that supports your overall immunity, well-being and thus longevity. When we seasonally or annually cleanse, we increase the likelihood of feeling good and thriving.

A detox program can help the body’s natural
cleansing process by:
1. Resting the organs through fasting;
2. Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the
body;
3. Promoting elimination through the intestines,
kidneys and skin;
4. Improving circulation of the blood;
5. Refueling the body with healthy nutrients;
6. Remove the old debris from the colon.

Any of these approaches on its own will help to facilitate greater health for your overall system, and yet a program that includes all of them is ideal. This
is why dietary changes, fiber supplements or colon hydrotherapy, and specific herbs and nutrients are helpful in this process. One of the misperceptions around cleansing is that it has to be intense, hard, and painful to be effective. Cleansing can be challenging because our bodies are removing toxins and in that process we can feel slightly ill. This does not usually mean that anything is “wrong”. If one
has a compromised immune system, cleanses should be done under the guidance of a professional.

Originally Published in the Kootenay Country Store Co-op January Newsletter 2011 www.kootenay.coop