Ever wonder what the big hype is about cleansing? The number one reason why we cleanse is – Toxins. So what are toxins? Dr. John Douillard says this about toxins:“ Some of the pollutant molecules we are exposed to are fat-soluble, while others are water-soluble. Our bodies are pretty good at detoxing water-soluble toxins. The kidneys typically flush them out with our liquid waste.
Fat-soluble toxins are trickier and require multiple phases of detoxification by the liver. Often the liver is already overwhelmed and diverts these fat-soluble toxins into the blood. Since they are lipophilic – meaning attracted to other fats – they pick fat cells around your belly, hips or even your brain to bind to and store in – in some cases for decades.
All cleanses hope to pull toxins out of the fat cells. The question is: where do the toxins go from there? The body stores toxins in the fat when it cannot digest and process them properly. If you do not reset your digestive strength before you cleanse, you risk just moving the toxins from one fat cell to another and feeling worse.
Toxins come from a variety of sources:
- Man-made chemicals (mercury filling, pesticides, fluoride, etc)
- 90% of toxins come from our own body/mind/Spirit
- Bacteria=fungus, yeast, respiratory infections
- Foods
- Stress
- Sickness or injury
- Emotional (Trauma or Beliefs or attitudes)
- Undigested food (gas/bloating/constipation)
- Too much sugar, fat, alcohol, smoking, drugs, food allergies.
- Seasonal changes – changes in the temperature
We all have toxins in our bodies. In Ayurvedia, we call toxins AMA. Chronic toxins get stuck and clog the lymph and blood, adhere to the GI tract which all creates an increase of bacteria and fungus which then flourish and create more toxins in our bodies. Basically, these bacteria are eliminating in our bodies leaving behind more toxins. Okay, gross I know, but TRUE. Some of the signs of chronic toxicity would be:
- Smelly breath, sweat, feet, gas
- Constipation or Mucus in the stool
- Acnes, rashes or eczema
- Distorted tastes
- Ear wax
- Coating on the tongue (AMA)
- Puffy skin, especially red puffy skin
- Nausea
- Heaviness in the body or mind
- Foggy thinking
- Decrease appetite
Various ways to cleanse toxins from our body:
- Skin = exercise/sweat
- Intestinal tract = laxatives, cleanse, colonics, herbs
- Urine = diuretics (such as dandelion, celery and parsley)
- Lymphatic System = sweat, lymphatic massage either self of from a professional, hot bath, warm water (dilates blood vessels and stimulates digestive tract), ginger, cumin turmeric tea,
- Elimination diet (Seasonal Cleanse)
- Oil pulling
- Heavy metals = Chelation Therapy
- PunchaKarma which is a more advanced Ayurvedic practice
Lastly, we can store emotional toxins mentally and Spiritually. All beliefs are toxic. Many are sacred and holy but sometimes attitudes and beliefs creep into our psyche. Beliefs that we think are good but turn out to be faulty. Beliefs are the way we interpret and react to certain situations. They can become hard coded responses instead of approaching a situation with new response we have a predetermined response to certain situations. This could be helpful or hurt us. So, we want to cleanse these mental/emotional/Spiritual beliefs as well. Every belief you have is a part of your identity. We need to recognize those limitations of those toxic beliefs.
Ayurveda isn’t about taking a pill or herb to solve a problem it’s about identifying our weaknesses and signs and symptoms and working from a place of Whole Body Wellness. I want to not only coach you through the 14-day cleansing process, but also coach you through lifestyle and dietary habits that will take you beyond the 14 days into deeper, longer lasting healing. We can’t just cleanse every time we feel bad and then go back to our poor habits. We need to start developing healthier habits for a life time.
Go to Renew for more information on the Fall Cleanse
In Health,
Lisa
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