What to Look For in a Cleansing Program
There are many types of cleanses one can do. Health food stores and the internet are teeming with many dozens of cleansing products, kits and supplements. Wading through this dizzying array of choices can be confusing and lead to the selection of a detox program that is not right for your needs. The greatest mistake made by those who undertake a detox program without the supervision of a health care professional is to piece together a system that causes an imbalance in the detoxification process that you are literally forcing on the body.
The body naturally detoxifies itself through an elegant and complex process that involves several major organ systems. A good detoxification program recognizes the need to stimulate and support each system to perform its specific detox function in concert with the others. In other words, we want to follow the body's natural method of cleansing itself and simply amplify it.
There are three phases in the body's natural detoxification process:
Phase 1: Metabolization
The first stage of body detoxification is carried out in the liver, the organ responsible for detoxifying toxic and harmful substances from our body. Enzymes in the liver transform toxins into water-soluble molecules that can be excreted by the kidneys. Bile produced in the liver binds to fat-soluble toxins that can then be discharged into the intestines and eliminated from the body. We can think of Phase 1 as a process of modification, transforming toxins into a form that can be carried out of the body through one or more eliminative channels.
Phase 2: Binding
Bile in the liver plays an essential role in this stage of detoxification. Once toxins are modified into water-soluble or fat-soluble molecules, these molecules need "escorts" in order to make their way out of the body. Bile binds to the fat-solubles and fiber binds to the water-soluble toxins that the liver has released into the intestinal tract. In order to support this phase of detoxification, a high quality blend of vegetable fibers is essential. Fiber can absorb a wide array of impurities from the intestines and colon, even those that the liver has not processed.
Phase 3: Elimination
We now want to encourage the eliminative channels of the body to properly move the trapped toxins out of the body with speed and ease. The colon is the central channel of this process, and so too are the kidneys and skin. To support the kidneys, be sure to drink ample amounts of plain, purified water throughout the day. Aim for 3 quarts to one gallon. Hydration also supports the skin as does exercise and hot baths or saunas (to promote perspiration). To support action in the colon, stimulant laxatives are often used. Many herbal detox kits, in fact, rely primarily on the stimulant herbs senna and cascara sagrada; some of these kits are really nothing more than overpriced, glorified laxatives. While these stimulant herbs can be effective for promoting peristalsis of the colon -- sometimes too effective --- they can be harsh and do little for colon cleansing.- The most ideal way to stimulate bowel movements during a detox program is to bring fiber and water into the colon along with mild colonurgics that gently promote movement of the bowel. The fiber, which as part of Phase II is already moving through your system, scrubs the interior of your colon lining, removing not only the newly bound toxins that have been released in your system, but also old layers of fecal matter that accumulate in the colon over time.
So what you want to look for in your whole body detox regimen is a combination of:
- Herbs that stimulate liver enzymes and bile production
- Soluble and insoluble vegetable fiber
- Mild colonurgic herbs
While it is possible to find and assemble these various ingredients, this approach will be time-consuming, expensive and hardly fool-proof. For all of these reasons, we recommend buying a detox program kit that is pre-formulated with all of the necessary ingredients in the ideal proportions and delivery method. I have researched and tested detox kits for years, and my hands-down favorite is Dr. Mercola's New StartTM. His formulation follows impeccably the body's natural detoxification process and works both gently and thoroughly. Believe me, the combination of gentle and thorough is very hard to find. Most detox programs can do one or the other, forcing a trade off that isn't very convenient or desirable.
Add to your detox program these daily detox therapies:
- 3 – 4 quarts of plain, purified water a day
- Mild exercise or yoga
- Daily sweating with a sauna, steam bath or hot bath
- Anti-oxidant foods or supplementation
- Time for rest
