Detoxification therapy is a completely natural and necessary process to get you healthy and feeling your best! If you've never done an official detox program, you are long overdue for a cleansing experience that will renew your energy, reduce food cravings, improve your metabolism, give you radiant skin, better your sleep, and strengthen your immune system.

What is detoxification?

Detoxification is the process of either clearing toxins from the body or neutralizing them. There are several organs involved in cleansing your system: The colon, liver, gallbladder, lungs, kidneys, bladder, blood, and skin. Each one needs to be stimulated to clean out clogged tissues and suffocated cells from the cumulative damage of alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, prescription drugs, sugar, pollution, chemicals and hormones in our food.

Why detox?

The primary cause of disease is the accumulation of waste and toxins, which are not eliminated from our body. Some symptoms of toxicity include headaches, fatigue, skin problems, frequent colds, aching joints, cravings, digestive problems, allergies, and sensitivity to smells or chemicals. Given the right herbs, nourishment, and some rest, your body has the power to heal itself and return to a renewed state, functioning more efficiently than ever before.

Who should detoxify?

Although everyone can benefit from a detox cleanse, those of us who are overweight, have unhealthy diets, take medications, drink alcohol, have health problems, or are exposed to chemicals in the workplace, need it more than others. I personally have a very healthy diet, drink purified water, take supplements, and exercise regularly, but the amazing benefits I get from doing a complete internal cleanse continues to convince me that all of us are suffering from the toxins around us and in our food, no matter how healthy we think we are.

Even with a healthy lifestyle, the body forms mucoid plaque, a rubber-like lining throughout the walls of the intestines. This plaque is filled with toxic waste and prevents proper absorption of nutrients leading to poor digestion, skin problems, sluggish metabolisms, and headaches. During a good cleanse, this mucoid plaque is actually eliminated from the intestines and is quite visible and disgusting to see. My clients are sometimes disturbed by this event, but thereafter convinced to keep doing their complete Internal Cleansing Kit by Blessed Herbs each year with some mini detox in between.

What's the best way to get started?

First, if you have any medical condition, check with your doctor to find out if doing a detox cleanse is safe for you. There are a few levels of detoxification ranging from beginner to advanced. The beginner can do a simple one or two day fast on fresh vegetable juice and water once a month, supplementing with a Toxin Absorber made of bentonite clay, apple pectin, and psyllium seed which draw out and eliminate toxins from your intestines.

Those ready for an intermediate detox can do a whole body cleanse such as with the Internal Cleansing Kit by Blessed Herbs which contains herbs to targets all the body's organs of elimination and lasts for 21 days. During a longer intermediate cleanse, it's a good time to clean up your diet, eat plenty of green vegetables, drink good water, breath clean air, and exercise.

An advanced detox program includes a five day liquid fast during which you are resting from work and exercise. In addition, a complete herbal cleansing program or kit should be followed for 21 days to thoroughly scrub and remove mucoid plaque off the intestinal walls, and detox all organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin. Colonics are always a good idea during any level of cleansing. Read a good book on juice fasting and cleansing. Some good ones include "Internal Cleansing" by Linda Berry, D.C. and "Juice Fasting and Detoxification by Steve Meyerowitz.

In conclusion, we all need to detoxify our bodies regularly to eliminate the toxins and congestion causing poor health, low energy, and disease. It's a time for the body to regain vitality and rejuvenate its cells. Fasting is also a time to reevaluate things in our lives, remove negative energy or abuse, eliminate addictions, and be more open to spiritual and emotional energy. The physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of detoxification are proven throughout our history and are invaluable for good health.

She completed her B.A. at Swarthmore College, PA, in a Psychology Pre-Medical curriculum. She later attained her Nutrition Certification (CN®) through American Health Sciences University, CO. Since 1995, she has been working in the nutrition industry and as a nutritionist.