Why do we need to detox

That depends totally on our lifestyle. A child for example would have no need as their bodies are still pristine. A truck driver living on caffeine to stay awake and fast food for nutrition would have physically stressed organs, so would need it. Most of us are somewhere in-between.

Purists of the detox-way say pollutants are all around us, especially since the industrial revolution. Our food now has chemicals, heavy metals and hormones (before the industrial age it was almost all organic). Our air is polluted with exhaust and factory emissions, our homes are built with toxic material (plastics, asbestos, foam, paints, etc…all releasing small amounts into our air) and our lives are more stressful due to financial burdens, relationships, work and the hustle and bustle of living in a city. In fact studies have shown the air in our homes is actually worse than the quality outside so shutting our windows only locks us into a trap.

All these factors cause weight gain, a lack of energy, allergies and sickness to enter our being. Due to our fast-paced life we accept it and look for medical pills to counter the effects causing even more long-term health issues. If we have a good sustainable lifestyle, our bodies can cope with small amounts of toxins; it was designed to. But if our lifestyle is not sustainable and/or we consume too many pollutants then we will need to detox. It’s not just foreign matter we must remove, fat, water retention, plaque all build up over time. Arthritis effects some, poor flexibility, clotted arteries, blocked up veins, kidney stones, etc, etc, etc.

Do you remember being sick with the flu, cold or something viral. Were you able to eat or perhaps just give chicken soup!!

The reason for the lost of appetite is the body’s way of redirecting all energy to healing instead of digesting. The same thing happens during a detox, we reduce the digestive engine to low gear and ramp up the immune system.

What are the types of Detox, How to Detox and how long does it take to detox

A quick search on-line will come up with God-zillions of results related to detox-diets. Everything from water only (water-fasting) to eat what you like and pop some pills (we could call that wishful thinking). Some detox therapies can be performed in retreat center’s but mostly we should detox at home where we are comfortable and also where its more cost effective to do often. When we cannot detox at home or would like a holiday, spiritual retreat and detox/fast cleanse all in one, then there are some wonderful places all around the world to do that. Here are a few types of detox diets or regiments:-

What are the results and benefits from detoxing

Detox diets produce many benefits depending on the method, the length of time, the individual and the degree to which the method was undertaken. Some of the may benefits include cell cleansing, younger and fresher looking skin , improved vitality, colon cleanse and liver flush. The main beneficiary organs are skin, liver, lymph, kidney, circulatory system, pancreas and gallbladder. When these are restored to better health, the rest of our being also recovers.

A good detox helps to improve the efficiency of filtering organs (liver & kidney) hence improves the quality of blood.  With cleaner blood, nutrients and oxygen can be delivered to where it’s needed more readily giving a feeling of more energy and vitality. In addition, the raw-vegetable detox-diets are considered support foods for many of our organs.

The benefits which have been reported are endless. Common are increased vitality, clear-headed (during the detox phase especially), weight lost back towards normality, less sleep needed, clearer skin and brighter aura. Depending on the ailment you are doing the detox for you may also experience healing in that area.

What happens during a detox (for side effects see also fasting)

Before starting make sure you have a strong determined mind to complete the detox. If its your first then try to do it with friends or family, anyone you trust and can rely on. If you are doing something not easily acceptable by society, then tell your doctor and partner, but few others.

Once the body recognizes its been given the order to detox, it will start a self-cleansing process automatically; somehow between the mind/body connection the cleanse is initiated. Of course the effects are different for each person based on many factors such as degree of impurity, intensity & length of detox and body type. These are just general signs, if you experience something you cannot understand then please go see a health specialist. Also, some methods allow you to continue normal life/work, others may require you to detox at home. The main problem is the need to pass stool very often during the day.

Once the body starts to clean our tongue may be coated with white muck, our body odor may be putrid as our skin glands start to excrete toxins, we may feel tired and lack of energy, we may need to pass stools many times per day, we may be bedridden for a short time; these negative side effects may last a few days, or couple of weeks for some people; it is not a sign of sickness, it is a sign of sickness being removed. Some people may feel nausea.

After the removal of the easy stuff, parasites and mucoid plaque from the intestines may be expelled (you can see those in stools), followed from deposits which impair joint movement and poor vision. Feeling of wellness should start to emerge.

After a medium course of 10-15 days, the tongue should turn pink, the body odor gone, vitality returned, immune system boasted and in many cases diseases cured.

Some medical experts warn about taking laxatives too often which can develop a habit, we are also in agreement with this. Only during the cleanse should you take a mild laxative, before and after please avoid using them.

What science says on how to detox

Modern medical science does not acknowledge these results saying more studies are needed. Despite the numerous testimonials from people who have done a detox, in theory science says it could have worked liked a placebo (sugar pill). So, if a detox is not real why do so many people feel the benefit; how does science explain this. They say the benefits could come from people drinking more water, eating less food (particularly less highly processed foods) and cutting out caffeine and alcohol from their diet during a detox. But dah, that is exactly what a detox is supposed to do. Remove heavy foods from our diet and promote elimination thereby allowing organs to rest and cleanse themselves. Science argues that the detox process itself has not been proven to remove toxins.