With Cathy Schram
What About A New Year Detox Cleanse?
Q: My New Year’s Resolution is to do a good detoxifying cleanse for my body. I ate way too much junk over the holidays and it is time to do something good for myself. What should I focus on?
A: What a great way to start the new year! Many people complain of feeling tired or run-down, unable to concentrate and have frequent headaches. These are a few of the most common symptoms of some type of toxicity in the body. When your body is toxic, these are some of its subtle ways to tell you and you need to listen. Your body is asking for help. Toxicity can impair your health to various degrees, ranging from decreases in energy to serious illness.
We can become toxic from many things; heavy metals (mercury fillings), working with chemicals, smoking, drinking, eating processed foods… the list goes on and on. Sometimes our body can produce too much of one thing (lactic acid, estrogen) and cause toxicity. No matter what the reason, we need to detoxify.
Fortunately, natural healing methods can help correct a toxic state. Cleansing, also called detoxifying or fasting, can help pamper your body’s cleansing organs while ejecting toxins that are causing discomfort. Following, are some of the herbs that can help the body naturally detoxify:
- Milk Thistle – This herb helps detoxify and cleanse the liver. Not only does it help build and restore healthy liver performance, it provides nutrients essential for proper liver function. It contains a powerful antioxidant, Silymarin. Silymarin has been shown in studies to help reduce and repair free radical damage. Milk thistle can also help to stimulate the growth of new liver cells to replace damaged ones.
- Burdock – Burdock is an excellent blood, skin and kidney purifier that helps to eliminate harmful acids. This herb also encourages sweating, which aids the release of toxins through the skin.
- Black Walnut – This herb has antifungal and astringent properties. It helps cleanse the body of a variety of intestinal parasites and yeast.
- Psyllium Hulls – Psyllium is bulk fiber laxative. The husks act like a colon “broom” cleansing the intestines and absorbing toxins that adhere to the intestinal walls.
Some good herbs for detoxifying the kidneys are Uva Ursi and Buchu. To strengthen, tone and cleanse the colon, Cascara Sagrada and Buckthorn are good choices. They are laxative herbs.
You can purchase many different types of detoxifying kits which contain many of these herbal combinations. Or, if you prefer, they can be purchased individually to design your own detoxifying program.
Fasting is another choice for detoxifying. It is best to speak to your physician or qualified health practitioner before undergoing fasting or detoxifying programs, especially if you have health problems.
This herb information is for health education purposes only. It is not intended to replace the services of licensed health practitioners. Consult with a physician for any condition that requires professional care.