What is cleansing? It is a process of eliminating toxins, internal toxins, from the body. Every day our bodies are presented with environmental toxins, including pollution, airborne viruses and substances from the foods we eat. Normally our livers help us process these pollutants, but it is impossible over time for our bodies to completely eradicate all of the poisons we are subject to.
Consider for example your home furnace. It has a filter you place in it. In the beginning the filter works fine. Over time however you must clean or replace the filter or it does not work as efficiently. Our bodies work the same way. Since we cannot replace our bodies we must periodically cleanse them. When we do not, we become sick, we fall prey to immune system illnesses or digestive illnesses. We catch colds more easily or have difficulty getting over them.
Many people do not realize a simple cleanse can help them with these problems. Some people are less likely to have trouble with toxins including individuals on raw food diets or similar diets because they do not put as much pollution in their bodies from the foods they eat.
This does not mean however that they do not need to periodically cleanse. Some simple ways to cleanse include ingesting certain herbs that help bind or chelate certain chemicals or heavy metals out of the body. Some health food stores offer herb combinations that you can buy that help your body purge toxins. Other ways to remove toxins from the body include by fasting and by mono-diets, described below.
Fasting
Fasting is an opportunity like cleansing to help detoxify the body and heal the body. For many it is also an opportunity to heal the mind or engage in a period of spiritual cleansing. People can fast for a period of 2 to 7 days or more, although this is not recommended unless someone is supervised. Not all people should fast including those with chronic health conditions unless they are supervised by a health practitioner.
Often fasts are useful for overcoming health conditions, so it may be helpful after all. Many find fasting helps boost the immune system, and decrease the side effects of many health conditions including arthritis and asthma. In many countries fasting is quite a part of daily life and religious life, and in others used to treat conditions like allergies. Fasting may help you detect certain allergies especially food allergies if you eliminate them from your diet.
By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari
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