{Other Detox 101 Posts}
Why Detox
Full Body Detox: Juice Fasting Method
Detox: Staying Hydrated
Heavy Metal Detox: Bentonite Clay
Liver Detox: Herbal Cleansing Method
Skin Detox: Dry Brushing Method
Colon Detox: Best Methods

Are you interested in starting a cleanse and detoxifying your body? Awesome!

Before you get started, I think a few guidelines are in order. It’s important to make a detox choice wisely…  only you know your body and only you can make the final decision on how you detox. But you don’t have to make a decision blindly!

When I did my cleanses and detoxes, a lot of research went into my decision. I asked questions like:

• How long will I detox?
• How will it affect my daily routine?
• Will I need to eat anything special?
• How will my body react?
• Is the method safe for me?
• Will it poorly affect any medical conditions I have?

You may have other questions of your own.  I whole-heartedly encourage you to research until you have found what will best fit you and your family’s needs. To get you started, I have put together a small list of FAQs.

{Please remember, I am not a professional. I am simply a wife who loves taking care of her family naturally. These suggestions are based off of my personal experience/research and should not be used as a final authority but as a starting point for your own research!}

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I really need to cleanse? I don’t feel sick.

A. Yes. It’s much better to cleanse BEFORE there is an issue rather than wait until you don’t feel well. Your body will respond better to the detox when it is healthy which means you will have fewer reactions to toxin release. While detoxing can heal chronic toxic symptoms, the point of detoxing is to keep your body in tip-top shape.

Q. What is the best way/place to get started?

A. If you feel good, now is the time to cleanse your body. Your body will respond better to a cleanse when the immune system is not compromised. If you are fighting an acute illness, it’s best to wait until you are feeling better. Also, for women within the child-bearing age… wait until you are off your menstrual period before starting a cleanse. Your body is in a cleansing period of its own, there is no need to add stress during that time.

Q. How long does a detox/cleanse take? Is a quick cleanse just as good as a full, long cleanse?

A. Each body system requires different amounts of time for full cleansing. A basic “reboot” for your whole body could take as little as 10 days. A fatty liver could take months to fully detox. Just as each body system has different needs, each person will vary in time and needs as well. Do some research on the area you are looking to detox. When in doubt ask a professional.

I don’t recommend doing quick, harsh cleanses. While they may do their job of cleaning you out, they certainly lack in nourishing your body and do not allow time for your body to recover. Doing cleanses like that can cause more damage than good if you aren’t careful. I prefer to start slow and work my way up to where I can feel my body making good improvements. Yes, it takes longer, but my body has ample time to recover and heal itself without making me sick.

Q. Can I do a detox/cleanse while I am pregnant or nursing?

A. NO! It is certainly not wise to expose your unborn or young baby to toxins your body would be trying to get rid of. Toxins evacuate through your blood, sweat, urine, stool and breast milk! Detoxing stirs up too many toxins, and those toxins would be going directly to your little one. No bueno indeed!

A better option would be to support your body’s natural cleansing functions and make sure you are avoiding toxin build-up. Eat lots of fiber to help elimination, eat dark, leafy greens to support a healthy liver, drink lemon water with a dash of natural sea salt to keep happy kidneys and add great electrolytes to your system. By aiding your body’s natural detoxifying systems, you will feel great and your baby will be healthy as well.

Q. Can I do multiple system detoxes at the same time?

A. It depends. Adding too much to a toxic body could be devastating. But, doing a liver cleanse with a juice fast and a fiber blend would actually be great. You would be healing and cleansing you liver while nourishing it with raw, wholesome nutrients and providing a consistent way to remove the toxins from your body.

Doing a parasite cleanse and a liver cleanse or heavy metal detox would not work. As parasites die-off they leave too many toxins that your body has to remove… add liver toxins or heavy metal particles rushing around and your body has to work overtime to keep up with everything. Too much toxin stress can make you feel worse.

A good rule of thumb is to add a lot of water and a fiber blend to any cleanse to help evacuate toxins easily. Once one cleanse is almost complete, you can slowly introduce a new one.

Q. Is there a gentle, more pleasant way to cleanse my body? In the past I have done a harsh, quick cleanse and I felt awful.

A. When doing natural, herbal cleanses, less is usually best! Herbs are very powerful… they are medicine and should be treated as such.  Start slow and work your way up. You may find that you only need a small amount to get the job done, or you may need to take more than you thought or take them longer than you thought. Everyone’s body chemistry is unique… there is a reason doctors practice medicine.

Also, if you do your research well, you will find a detox method that not only detoxifies your body, but also nourishes it. If a cleanse claims to detox your liver it should also include something to help with blood flow and elimination as these systems go hand-in-hand to creating a healthy liver. When you have a cleanse that covers all the bases, you’re less likely to feel sick during your cleanse.

Q. Why do I feel worse than before I started the detox? I feel like giving-up and it’s only been a few days, when will I feel better?

A. This is actually a sign that your detox plan is working! It is often referred to as a healing crisis, a detox reaction, or die-off syndrome. Basically, your body is dumping toxins faster than your immune system can flush them out. This short-term reaction can result in flu-like symptoms including headache, body aches, sore throat, sweating, chills, nausea or other symptoms.

It is important that you get plenty of rest and stay well hydrated during this period. The more toxic your body is… the more ‘die-off’ symptoms you may experience. If you know your body is pretty toxic, consider taking a week off work, or SAHMs consider having some extra help around the house so your body can get some much needed TLC!

And of course, use common sense… Any serious symptoms such as cardiac irregularity, breathing difficulties, significant swelling or other severe symptoms should be given immediate medical attention.

Q. I can’t afford all these expensive cleanses, what can I do to get healthy?

A. While doing full body cleanses can be expensive, you really can’t afford not to cleanse. However, I totally understand that when a cleanse doesn’t fit into the budget, you just won’t be able to do it at that time. There are a few things you can do to help support your body’s natural detoxifying system.

First, be sure to drink at minimum, eight glasses of water daily. Water is crucial for natural toxin elimination. Second, add dark green vegetable into your daily diet. These help support a healthy liver and colon. Third, look into small cleanses like the ”Master Cleanse” aka the lemonade cleanse, oil pulling, rebounding, and dry brushing. All of these cleansing methods have proven effective for many people and are frugal options if you need them.

Q. Once I have completed my detox, what comes next?

A. Once you have completed a whole body detox, it is best to keep that new, healthy body in great condition by rebooting regularly. Consider doing a 7-10 day juice fast every 6-8 weeks to give your whole body a boost. A quarterly colon cleanse will help your body stay disease free. A 3-week liver cleanse added to your daily supplements every 4-6 months will allow your liver to perform in excellent condition. Plan ahead and mark these small cleanses in your calendar… your body will thank you!

Okay, now that you have the basics down, I think you are ready to take the next steps towards a healthier you!

Be sure to stop by tomorrow, we will be covering the most important part of detoxing and there will be a great giveaway too!

What about you? What questions do you have about detoxing? What advice would you add?

 

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