Simple Methods for Detoxification

By Michael Cutler, M.D.

Simple methods of cleansing the body help support the immune system, speed up healing, rid the body of toxins, and even promote healthy circulation. In this article we will explore effective, low-cost ways to detoxify the body in the privacy of your own home.

Juice Fasting

Simple juice fasts are a great way to quickly purify the body and prepare it for healing. The three-day juice fast will clean mucus out the body and provide you with nutritious, vibrant foods and supplements that rebuild the system and facilitate healing.

Freshly extracted, raw, organic juices are ideal because they contain high amounts of valuable enzymes that not only help you digest the juice, but also exert a powerful healing influence on the body. If, however, you do not have access to a juicer you may use pure, organic, bottled juices that are purchased from local health food stores.

Do not use frozen concentrates or juices with added sugar. Use one juice for at least three days. Choose a favorite juice (apple, carrot, citrus, tomato, barley grass, grape etc.), but use only one for at least three consecutive days.

Do not eat anything during the three days if possible. If absolutely necessary, the matching fruit or vegetable from which you are making juice may be eaten. For instance, if you are drinking apple juice, then eat only apples if you feel the need to eat.

Take steps to prevent constipation. When you stop eating foods that contain bulk and fiber, the bowel may stop moving. Toxic mucus being eliminated from your system can also cause constipation. To prevent these issues from occurring, take 16 ounces of prune juice first thing upon arising in the morning. You may also take an herbal bowel cleansing formula each night before bed and throughout the day as needed.

If you are still having problems, you may introduce colon cleansing through the use of enemas. Chew your juice for proper digestion. Dr. John R. Christopher, noted herbalist, taught that we must eat our drink and drink our food. Chewing juice ensures proper digestion by mixing it with enzymes found in the mouth. Swish each mouthful thoroughly.

On the fourth day, introduce vegetable organic juices and raw fruits and vegetables. After the fourth day, you may also introduce steamed foods.

You will experience cleansing symptoms on your juice program. You may notice aches and pains, headaches, weakness, and other symptoms as your body eliminates toxins and poisons. Be strong since these symptoms result in faster cleansing and healing.

If these symptoms are unbearable, eat a small amount of food to slow the cleansing process.

Sweat Therapy -- A Healing Bath

This detoxification process is for people with strong constitutions who want to deepen their cleansing experience. When you become ill, you often develop a fever. This sweating technique combines hydrotherapy with herbal therapy to induce an artificial fever that helps rid your body of toxins and also boosts your immune function.

Prepare a hot bath with added herbs that are known to help a person sweat. Yarrow flowers and ginger are ideal choices. Fill a cloth bag or cheesecloth with dried or fresh yarrow flowers and leaves and a three-inch piece of grated ginger. Drop the bag into a bath tub and fill with water as hot as can be stood without burning the skin.

This hot bath will induce fever-like symptoms, including sweating. Stay in the tub for at least 20 minutes, but ideally 45 minutes. Make sure there is someone in the house who can help you out of the tub, as this type of therapy often causes the body to feel weak.

As you soak in the hot water, you will sweat. This sweating will greatly increase thirst. Refrain from drinking cold drinks as this will inhibit perspiration and the necessary increase in body temperature. Instead, drink hot herbal teas. This will help to open your pores even more to eliminate toxins. If you feel faint, have a helper place a cool washcloth on your forehead.

After getting out of the tub, quickly dry off. Get into bed and sweat all night. Prepare the bed by putting a plastic sheet on the mattress. Cover the plastic with a cotton sheet. Cover yourself with natural cotton sheets and blankets. Do not use synthetic fibers since they do not allow the body to breathe.

Lie as still as possible. Sweating will continue as long as you remain covered. The sweating will eliminate many toxins that cause chronic conditions.

You can expect to sleep soundly all night. Upon arising in the morning, you will feel refreshed and invigorated. The sheet covering your body may be stained with toxic residue secreted from the body. Be sure to shower thoroughly.

After this cleanse, eat only fruits and vegetables and drink pure distilled or spring water for a day or two. This may be a good time to start your three-day juice cleanse.

Healing Additions for a Therapeutic Bath

Variations of relaxing and healing baths are created by adding different ingredients to the bath. All are added to water as hot as possible without causing excessive discomfort. Stay in the tub as long as you can stand it. Choose one, or create a mix from the following ingredients that best suit your individual needs, or as directed by your health care provider.

Celtic Sea Salt: Most Powerful Detox--1 lb in the bath feeds and nourishes cells with sea minerals; induces sweat and is very healing.
Epsom Salts: Powerful Detox -- 1 cup in the bath helps open pores to release toxins; improves circulation.
Plain Chlorox: Increases Circulation -- 1 cup in the bath is very refreshing; (no additives or perfumes).
Hydrogen Peroxide: Releases Toxins -- 1 cup in the bath oxygenates the cells.
Natural Apple Cider Vinegar: Most Gentle Cleanse -- 1 to 2 cups in the bath aids in releasing lactic acid buildup; excellent after strenuous exercise or work.

A Natural Detox Treatment for Your Overworked Liver

Ancient Romans and Greeks often used the herb, milk thistle as a remedy for liver problems. Many modern medical practitioners also believe milk thistle is one of the most effective herbs for relieving liver disorders and related problems.
Your liver is like a "traffic cop" for many activities that occur in your body. For example, it eliminates or neutralizes toxins in the blood. It also plays a role in controlling infection.

Milk thistle contains a chemical substance called silymarin, which is believed to help:

• Cleanse and detoxify your liver
• Relieve inflammation of liver cells (hepatitis)
• Treat symptoms of a scarred liver (cirrhosis) from excess alcohol consumption

Research suggests milk thistle may also help protect your kidneys from damage caused by chemotherapy medications.¹ It can even play a role in protecting your prostate from abnormal cell growth!²

References

1. http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/NCI_Cancer_Bulletin_100405/page6
2. http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/NCI_Cancer_Bulletin_100405/page6

[Ed. Note: Michael Cutler, M.D. is a Board-Certified family physician with more than 17 years of clinical experience. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Tulane Medical School. Dr. Cutler's practice focuses on integrative solutions to health problems, and behavioral and nutritional medicine. For more information visit www.truehealth.com.]

Positive Thinking: How Psychology has De-Souled the World By Matthew Anderson, D.Min.

As a minister, I have always had great interest in soul. As a child, I was told that my soul needed to be saved. I took that message to heart and though I expanded and deepened my idea of what soul meant and means, I never lost my belief in its central importance to my life. Therefore, I want to continue my series of articles on the subject of soul by focusing on how it has been treated by the "new religion" of psychology. (More about "new religion" in later articles.)

When making radical claims, it is best to begin by quoting an expert. Here is a statement by Dr. James Hillman, author of 50 books and renowned Jungian analyst (Re-Visioning Psychology, 1974).

"Psychology, whose very name and title derives from soul, (psyche), has stopped soul from appearing in any place but where it is sanctioned by this modern world view....Psychology does not even use the word soul: a person is referred to as a self or an ego. Both the world out there and in here have gone through the same process of depersonalization. We have all been de-souled....and so we must free the vision of the psyche (soul) from the narrow biases of modern psychology."

My own interpretation of what Hillman is saying is that modern psychology has become a victim of materialism and scientism -- and has invalidated the appearance and experience of soul. By reducing all phenomena to physicality (brain waves, neurons, etc.) psychology has gutted soul of all its spiritual meaning and power, and made it the property of the ego.

How does this psychological de-souling of the world affect each of us? To de-soul the world makes this universe a place of dead matter. It takes away our belief in and connection to Divine Presence in every area of our lives. Love, the most powerful and life-transforming of all Divine attributes is reduced to chemistry. Dreams, for millennia a source of Divine guidance and healing, become the brain's reactions to activities of the prior day. Synchronicity (the meaningful, non-rational connection of special events) is downgraded and ultimately trivialized to coincidence.

In spiritual reality (which I believe is essential to healthy lives), soul draws us to love, to the wisdom of dreams, and to an awareness that all that happens to us has meaning and purpose.

We are not merely rats rushing through a maze, as we all learned in Psychology 101 in college. We are soul-filled and led beings who are here on a soul's journey to growth, full expression of our gifts, and a celebrative acknowledgment of the wonder of life.

How can you resist the de-souled perception of life and find soul-filled meaning in all that you do? A thorough answer to this question would take an entire series of books. However, you can begin with this simple advice: Look for soul and trust it when you find it.

Soul will appear when you open your mind and heart to its presence. It always has and always will. That is the most soulful truth I can imagine.

[Ed. note: Dr. Matthew Anderson is an author (The Prayer Diet), counselor and national columnist/expert on weight loss, motivation, self-management and relationships.]

Healthy Recipes: Spicy Chicken Salad In Cabbage Wraps By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Sandwich wraps have been an American favorite for years thanks to the popularity of Greek and Mexican cuisine. These cabbage wraps provide a low-carb way to enjoy a warm, healthy sandwich with a South of the Border flavor.

Serves: 6

Time to Table: 60 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight

• Excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, niacin, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, selenium, manganese
• Good source of calcium, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, zinc, copper, iron, thiamin

Ingredients*

1 lb. ground chicken breast (or process 1 lb. cubed chicken breast in food processor until consistency of ground beef)
1 T. light olive oil
1 1/2 T. fresh ginger root, minced
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
8 medium green onions, thinly sliced
2 T. Asian fish sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp. lime rind
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, chopped (seeds added to taste)
2 tsp. sesame oil
3/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/2 cup raw or roasted unsalted cashews, chopped
1 small head green cabbage, cored and leaves separated
6 small red radishes thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped cucumber
Soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, to taste

*Select organic ingredients for optimum nutrition.

Preparation
Cook chicken in olive oil in a non-reactive skillet over medium-low heat until done, stirring often. Drain and place in a large bowl. Stir ginger, red onion, half of the green onions, fish sauce, lime rind, lime juice, serrano or jalapeno pepper, sesame oil, and ground red pepper into chicken. Stir in cashews just before serving. Spoon chicken onto cabbage leaves, sprinkle with soy sauce and top with shredded vegetables as desired before gently rolling them.

Nutrition
290 calories, 12 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 6 g monounsaturated fat,
3 g polyunsaturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 20 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber,
8 g sugar, 30 g protein, 5500 IU vitamin A, .2 mg thiamin, .2 mg riboflavin,
11 mg niacin, 1.2 mg pantothenic acid, .7 mg vitamin B6, 120 mcg folate,
2.1 mg vitamin B12, 75 mg vitamin C, .4 mg copper, 120 mg calcium, 95 mg magnesium, .45 mg manganese, 840 mg potassium, 3 mg iron,
25 mcg selenium, 560 mg sodium, 2 mg zinc

Adapted from Southern Living magazine.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention.]

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 07-08-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/