Detoxification And Fasting

Our immune system can do an amazing job in keeping us well, until it gets over-burdened by toxins. The first obvious step is to reduce the amount of toxins you take in. And beware of apparent “healthy” alternatives, especially if they come from the pharmaceutical industry like Aspartame (see the “Healthy alternative” myths and Health Alerts section below). Mercury from tooth fillings and household cleaning agents on our skin are also sources of harmful toxins. There are many ways to aid the elimination of toxins from the body. One of the most overlooked ways is our body’s largest organ, the skin.

Skin Brush

A dry skin brush is one of the best treats we can give it. Alternatively a wet skin brush or sauna are also very good, but consult your doctor in case of high blood pressure. There are other methods regarding the skin you can research like salt baths.

Fasting

Secondly, before thinking of taking something internally for detox, consider not taking in anything at all i.e. fasting. There are actually some good food fasts as well, if you don't do well on liquids only. Plus some juice fasts are far too high in sugar, and also make your body too yin (see the Macrobiotics page for more on yin/yang). If you are not used to fasting, do it under supervision at first. Start slowly and drink lots of water to help flush out the toxins. And excellent food fast is the Brown Rice Fast. (See http://www.wholesomebalance.com/Brown_Rice_Fast.html)

Cleansing reactions

Before going further into detoxification, it is important to emphasize that the when the body gives off toxins, those stored and hidden toxins come to the surface. If it is not done gradually, it can make you feel ill or make an illness worse. This cleansing reaction, also known as the healing crisis, does not only affect you physically, including getting old symptoms of things you had before and thought were gone, but can also upset you emotionally. Even if you do a slow cleanse, a cleansing reaction is still likely, depending on how much toxic build-up you have. It is therefore very important to do this slowly and under supervision at first.

This cleansing reaction can also arise when you change to a more healthy diet. It has to do with our body cells resisting new intercellular fluid after several months on a new diet. It is this resistance to change that can sometimes cause a temporary worsening of conditions. This subject is covered in more detail in the Faith chapter of the book 7 Basic Macrobiotic Principles by Herman Aihara. If this happens, remember to take it slowly, be kind to your body, and drink lots of fluids. Also, get informed before you start, and consult a professional. Your long-term health is worth it.

Other Methods

Good foods to help detox are chlorophyll-based products, either liquid chlorophyll or powdered products from algae or dried vegetable juices. There are many on the market, including the green “superfoods”. Also excellent for cleansing your intestines is psyllium seed husks and Bentonite clay. Beware of laxatives. They usually do more harm than good, but are tempting because they seem like a quick-fix. Homeopathic and herbal cleanse programs are much better. These are best done together with enemas, or much better still, colonics. See colonics or colon irrigation in the Yellow Pages for one near you. Some colonic therapists complement this with lymph massages, which helps drain our lymphatic system of toxins. There are also many good books on colon health, including those by Dr Bernard Jensen.

Dr. Karach's Oil Therapy is a rather unusual method, but there is an abundance of testimonies to back it up, and it's simple and easy. In essence, you swish vegetable oil around in your mouth. If you can get it, the best oil to use is Hain Sunflower Oil or Spectrum Natural Peanut Oil. In the morning before breakfast on an empty stomach you take one tablespoon in the mouth but do not swallow it. The oil is slowly swished in the mouth and drawn through the teeth for fifteen to twenty minutes. It is thoroughly chewed and mixed with saliva as it is done in the Mayr cure. Chewing activates the enzymes and the enzymes draw toxins out of the blood. Thus, the oil must not be swallowed, for it has become toxic. As the chewing process continues, the oil gets thinner and white. You then spit it out. If the oil is still yellow, it has not been masticated thoroughly or long enough. After the oil has been removed from the mouth, the oral cavity must be thoroughly rinsed several times. It is preferable to use a cup of pure warm water to which has been added one-half teaspoon of salt and one-half teaspoon of baking soda. The teeth, gums and tongue must be brushed carefully. It is recommended that salt and soda be applied directly to the brush.

Toxins also come to the surface of our tongue while we sleep. It’s a good habit to get into when you wake up to scrape the top of your tongue with a tongue cleaner or with your teeth and spit it out.

The Best Way

The slower the method, the deeper and more complete is the process. The best way to detoxify your system is therefore to slowly change your diet to one that has a minimum of preservatives, pesticides, artificial flavours and other synthetic additives or GMOs (genetically modified organisms). The macrobiotic diet is very well balanced, and has good guidelines on toxin elimination and organ healing. But the bottom line of all of it is: Do not be impatient! To detoxify too quickly can make you sick and put you off doing it again. If you want to rush it, you have more of an emotional or spiritual problem than a physical one. (So fast slowly!!) Also, as the physical world is a manifestation of the spiritual, there are spiritual techniques for the purification of our physical body. See the violet flame section http://www.wholesomebalance.com/Balancing_Our_4_Bodies.html#vf).

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