A Fresh Start

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A Fresh Start

 

Warmer weather invites spring cleaning. After being cooped up indoors all

winter, we’re anxious to open the windows to fresh air, clean out the dust and

cobwebs, and prepare to spend more time outside.

 

Spring is also the perfect time to cleanse your body. Did you know that after a

winter spent bundled up next to the fireplace your body could be carrying up to

10 pounds of toxic wastes? A spring detoxification plan is a great way to shed

some of winter’s heaviness.

 

Toxins build up in your body from various sources. There are environmental

toxins like cigarette smoke, pesticides, and household cleaning products;

dietary toxins such as trans fats, additives, and refined carbohydrates; even

medicinal toxins from prescription, over-the-counter, and recreational drugs.

“Your body uses the colon, skin, lungs, and liver to eliminate toxins as quickly

as possible,” says Linda Berry, DC, the author of Internal Cleansing. “If these

systems are sluggish or overburdened, the toxins back up into your body and

cause headaches, loss of energy, fatigue, aches and pains, and a host of other

maladies.”

 

The Liver Is Key

Traditional (TCM) teaches that different organs are affected by

the changing of the seasons. In spring those organs are the liver and the

gallbladder. These two organs—particularly the liver—are key when it comes to

detoxifying the body. “Giving your liver special nurturing during the spring

helps you attain better health and beauty,” says Ann Louise Gittleman, MS, CNS,

author of The Fat Flush Plan.

 

The largest gland in the body, the liver carries out a number of functions. The

body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins depends on this

organ. It also stores vitamins and other nutrients. But the liver’s most

important job is to rid the body of toxic substances. It filters bacteria,

hormones, and the body’s own waste products, and converts synthetic chemicals

alien to the body into material that can be eliminated by the kidneys. It’s the

liver that also processes most drugs.

 

Keep Your Liver Happy

It’s important to keep your liver functioning at peak efficiency. First, avoid

fried and greasy foods, which are hard for your liver to process. Alcohol places

stress on the liver, as do artificial ingredients found in processed foods.

Cutting these three items from your diet will allow the liver to rejuvenate and

work properly, as will eliminating refined carbohydrates like sugar and white

flour.

 

“Dandelion root tea is the premier springtime herbal tea because it has a long

history of gentle, effective liver cleansing and decongesting,” says Gittleman.

Dandelion root reduces liver inflammation by stimulating the production of bile,

which carries many toxic substances from the body. Brew a cup of dandelion root

tea once or twice daily while you detox.

 

Other herbs for spring cleansing include:

 

Milk thistle has been used since the first century as a liver tonic. This herb

is a potent antioxidant; thus it protects the liver from free radical damage as

it cleanses by promoting the secretion of bile.

 

Gentian increases secretions from the

gallbladder to flush out bacteria.

 

Yellow dock root also supports the flow of bile in the liver and gallbladder.

Plus, it acts as a gentle laxative in the colon.

 

Oregon grape root is another herb that cleanses the liver and acts as a

laxative. Since it works as a blood purifier, it helps fight skin conditions

such as acne and psoriasis.

 

More Detox Tips

While supporting your liver is your main goal in a spring detox plan, you may

want to take other steps to increase the amount of toxins eliminated from your

body.

 

Cleanse the colon. It is important to clean out your colon before you begin a

liver detox. The colon can be full of toxic substances, and when liver toxins

are added, toxic overload can make you sick. By cleansing the colon, you will

also decrease the amount of toxins that your liver has to process in the first

place.

 

If your diet is already rich in fiber and you drink at least eight glasses of

water each day, your colon should be working just fine. If not, try adding fiber

in the form of psyllium seed husks or ground flaxseed, along with probiotics to

support the other beneficial bacteria in the intestines.

 

Water, water, water. Getting enough pure water while you detox is key to

flushing toxins from the kidneys, colon, and skin. If you drink water only when

you’re thirsty, you’re not drinking enough. While you detox, drink half your

weight in water (in ounces.) For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, drink 60

ounces of water. Don’t substitute juice for water. “When you drink juice, you

are requiring the digestive machinery and the pancreas to fire up and work,”

says Dr. Berry. “Pure water allows your body to flush out toxins without

mobilizing your digestive system.”

 

Exercise. Now that the weather is improving, get out and get moving. Exercise

increases blood circulation and perspiration, both important in moving toxins

out of the body. Walking, biking, or swimming in the fresh air are great ways to

enhance your detox experience.

 

Sleep. During detox, you may find you need more sleep than usual in the first

few days. This is normal since it takes a great deal of energy to eliminate the

toxins in your body. Aim to get at least eight hours of sleep each night, and

schedule nap and relaxation times throughout the day.

 

During the first few days of a detox, you may not feel at your best. Often you

will experience withdrawal symptoms as your body adjusts to no caffeine, sugar,

or alcohol. Also, toxins are entering your bloodstream to be eliminated, which

taxes your body. You may experience headaches, joint and muscle pain, fatigue,

and irritability. The good news is you should begin to feel better within three

or four days. Best of all, you will be spring cleaning your way to a healthier

body.

 

 

SELECTED SOURCES

Internal Cleansing by Linda Berry, DC ($15.95, Prima Publishing, 2000)

 

The Living Beauty Detox Program by Ann Louise Gittleman, MS, CNS ($24,

HarperCollins, 2000)

 

Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-to-Z Guide to Supplements by Phyllis

A. Balch, CNC, and James F. Balch, MD ($9.95, Avery Publishing, 2002)

 

The Seasonal Detox Diet by Carrie L’Esperance ($14.95, Healing Arts Press, 2002)

 

Total Renewal: 7 Key Steps to Resilience, Vitality, and Long-term Health by

Frank Lipman, MD, with Stephanie Gunning ($24.95, Tarcher/Penguin Putnam, May

2003

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http://www.tasteforlife.com/feature.springdetox.tfl

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We have made every effort to ensure that the information included in these pages

is accurate. However, we make no guarantees nor can we assume any responsibility

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