| The case for ridding the body of accumulated waste | | | | Super-Green Foods- chlorella, spirulina, and blue-green |
| is a strong one. Powerful natural healers over the | | | | algae help detoxify and build the entire body. |
| years have pointed to internal cleansing time and | | | | A colon friendly diet is largely vegetarian with lots of |
| again as a cornerstone of optimum health. Natural | | | | high fiber vegetables, fruits, whole grains, cereals and |
| health giants including Dr. Bernard Jensen, Dr. Norman | | | | salads. |
| Walker, Ph.D., Dr. Jon Matsen, author of Eating Alive, | | | | Channel #2 - The Lungs |
| one of the best natural health primers ever written, | | | | Every time you exhale you are eliminating waste. |
| Dr. Paul Bragg, Dr. Herbert Shelton, Dr. Paavo Airola | | | | Therapeutic Herbs |
| have all emphasized the need to cleanse our internal | | | | Black Cohosh helps to loosen and expel mucous from |
| bodies. The list of advocates goes on and on. The | | | | the bronchial tubes. |
| question no longer is whether to detoxify, but how. | | | | Fenugreek helps expel phlegm, toxic waste, and |
| At the end of the nineteenth century, Dr. John | | | | protects against infection. |
| Harvey Kellogg, of Kellogg's cereal fame and subject | | | | Ginger Root is a cleansing agent for the lungs. |
| of the film The Road to Wellville, offered his guests | | | | Licorice Root reduces excess fluid in the lungs. |
| a variety of cleansing programs at the Battle Creek | | | | Mullein loosens mucous. |
| Sanitarium. Later, Dr. Jensen helped thousands of | | | | Marshmallow removes mucous. |
| patients relieve a wide assortment of ailments | | | | Slippery Elm is soothing and healing to the lungs. |
| through internal cleansing at his ranch retreat in | | | | Lobelia relieves bronchial spasms and congestion. |
| Escondido, California. But these days it isn't practical | | | | Health Food for the Lungs |
| for most of us to drop everything for days, weeks, | | | | A diet for lung health should be high in vegetable |
| or even months at a time to "clean house". We may | | | | proteins, whole grains, and low in refined |
| no longer have the time, but our need to detoxify is | | | | carbohydrates and starches. Pitted fruits like apricots, |
| greater than ever. | | | | peaches and plums are good for the lungs, as are |
| Today, toxins from every direction bombard our | | | | cultured foods like yogurt, kefir and miso. |
| bodies. Poisons pollute the air we breathe. They seep | | | | Channel #3 - The Lymph System |
| into the water we drink and infiltrate the food we | | | | This circulatory system removes cellular debris from |
| eat. There's just no avoiding them. In 1993 over 271 | | | | all over the body and is home to a large part of your |
| million pounds of toxic chemicals (phosphoric acid, | | | | immune system. |
| ammonia, sulfuric acid, methanol etc.) were dumped | | | | Therapeutic Herbs |
| into our water supply. Agribusiness uses 33 times | | | | Black Cohosh stimulates secretions of the lymphatic |
| more pesticides today than 50 years ago. The simple | | | | system. |
| truth is your filtering and eliminative organs were not | | | | Echinacea improves lymphatic drainage. |
| designed to process such a heavy load. Eventually | | | | Fenugreek promotes the expulsion of toxic waste |
| they become overworked, sluggish and toxins begin | | | | from the lymph. |
| to accumulate throughout the entire body. | | | | And because liver exhaustion and stress weakens |
| Staying inside won't work either. The EPA reports | | | | lymphatic function, support your liver with: |
| that levels of pollutants inside buildings can be as | | | | Dandelion Root is a powerful liver detoxificant. |
| much as 100 times greater than outdoor pollution | | | | Milk Thistle is very protective and cleansing to the |
| levels. Time magazine, December 21,1998, in an article | | | | liver. |
| titled This Place makes Me Sick, reported on the | | | | Health Food for the Lymph System |
| escalating problem known as sick-building syndrome, a | | | | Too many saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and |
| disease of modern architecture in which sealed, | | | | insufficient water intake makes lymphatic flow |
| energy conserving buildings have become breeding | | | | sluggish. A colon friendly diet is also good for the |
| grounds for some particularly insidious stuff. These | | | | lymph. You'll also want to add some potassium rich |
| include out-gassing of paint, vinyl flooring, insulation | | | | foods like broccoli, bananas and black olives. Fresh |
| and furniture; chemical contaminants oozing from | | | | vegetable juice made from carrots, celery, spinach |
| copy machines, fax machines and laser printers; | | | | and parsley is great for the lymph system and the |
| molds, fungi, bacteria and dusts belching from dirty air | | | | liver. Buy it freshly made at the health food store or, |
| ducts and inadequately maintained air conditioners. It's | | | | if you are feeling particularly motivated, get a juice |
| enough to make you sick...and it does. | | | | extractor and make it yourself using 3 carrots, 3 |
| But if this toxic monster seems unbeatable, don't | | | | stalks of celery, ½ a bunch of spinach and |
| despair. Therapeutic, internal cleansing can take the | | | | ½ a bunch of parsley. |
| load off your eliminative organs and free them up to | | | | Channel #4 - The Kidneys |
| do their work. Remember that these poisons are | | | | Regulation of water and electrolytes, maintaining |
| hiding all over your body, in all the soft tissues, | | | | normal acid-base equilibrium, retention of vital |
| organs and systems. Avoid the mistake of | | | | substances and the elimination of metabolic waste is |
| concentrating solely on the colon. A colon cleanse will | | | | the kidneys' responsibility. |
| do you some good, but improvement will be marginal. | | | | Therapeutic Herbs |
| The large intestine is only one of your body's five | | | | Burdock Root helps detoxify the kidneys. |
| channels of elimination, albeit the most obvious one. | | | | Ginger Root detoxifies the kidneys. |
| The lungs, lymph system, kidneys and skin each have | | | | Horsetail tones the kidneys and bladder. |
| crucial roles to play in the cleansing process, and you'll | | | | Health Food for the Kidneys |
| need to address them all to get maximum results. | | | | Emphasize garlic, onions, papayas, bananas, sprouts, |
| The liver, the primary filter for the blood stream, will | | | | leafy greens, cucumbers, and watermelon- all are |
| almost certainly need detoxifying. However, unless it | | | | healing to the kidneys. Try to avoid heavy starches, |
| is especially weak or toxic, cleansing the liver should | | | | red meat, dairy products (except cultured), refined, |
| wait until you've lowered the toxic load on the rest | | | | salty and fatty (fast) foods- they all inhibit the |
| of your body. | | | | kidneys' filtering ability. In general, a healthy diet that |
| Fortunately, modern herbalists have formulated some | | | | includes plenty of water will support healthy kidneys. |
| excellent cleansing products you can use to great | | | | Channel #5 - The Skin |
| effect, without putting your life on hold. Keep in mind, | | | | The body's largest organ also happens to be the |
| different herbs target different organs and systems. | | | | largest organ of elimination, removing over 20% of |
| A cleansing product's design should be comprehensive | | | | your body's waste. If you want to detoxify you're |
| enough to do a thorough job. The best cleanses | | | | going to have to sweat. |
| activate all five channels of elimination and promote | | | | Therapeutic Herbs |
| the release of toxins from every nook and cranny. | | | | Herbs that cleanse the blood have a beneficial impact |
| Here's what to look for. | | | | on the skin. |
| Channel #1 - The Colon | | | | Black Cohosh neutralizes poisons in the blood. |
| Unless you are having 2-3 good bowel movements | | | | Yellow Dock a great blood builder. |
| every day you are constipated and invariably toxic. | | | | Burdock Root one of the best blood purifiers. |
| Therapeutic Herbs | | | | Dandelion Root detoxifies the liver and the blood. |
| Chickweed to strengthen the bowel. | | | | Yarrow opens the pores to permit free perspiration. |
| Fennel seed to relieve gas by improving digestion. | | | | Health Food for the Skin |
| Ginger Root which acts as a cleansing agent. | | | | Foods for healthy skin include: mineral rich foods like |
| Marshmallow removes hardened mucous from the | | | | leafy greens, bell peppers, broccoli, sunflower and |
| intestines. | | | | sesame seeds, fish and sea vegetables. Cultured |
| Peppermint cleans and strengthens the bowel. | | | | foods like yogurt and kefir supply friendly bacteria. |
| Plantain is one of the best herbs for neutralizing | | | | Eat lots of high water content foods; fruits and |
| poison and breaking up intestinal mucous. | | | | vegetables, and drink plenty of water, 6-8 glasses of |
| Slippery Elm heals and soothes the bowel (and the | | | | bottled or filtered water every day. |
| lungs). | | | | Turbo-charging the cleansing process with herbs and |
| Fenugreek lubricates the intestines and dissolves | | | | lifestyle modification has helped thousands of my |
| hardened mucous. | | | | clients relieve digestive problems, lose weight, |
| Health Food for the Colon | | | | improve poor skin, eliminate allergies, constipation, |
| Flax Seeds- a gentle bulking agent. | | | | fatigue, headaches, brain fog, menstrual problems...the |
| Miller's Bran- a fiber to help restore peristaltic action. | | | | list goes on and on. Chances are, it can help you too. |
| Whey- to acidify the colon. | | | | Sam Rose, CN MS is a licensed and certified |
| Brewer's Yeast- supplies B-complex vitamins, amino | | | | nutritionist and owner of Rose Nutrition Center in |
| acids and minerals to support nerve supply to the | | | | West Los Angeles. He can be reached at or |
| colon. | | | | 310-473-8835. |
| Yogurt- supplies friendly bacteria. | | | | TheBestDetox. |