Spring Cleaning - April 2012 - Volume 4 Issue 1
/ |
|
With spring comes spring cleaning – for most of us this is a time of year to clean our homes, reorganize our wardrobes and make a fresh start as the weather gets warmer, and the days, longer. But my focus this month is on cleaning ourselves. Just as spring cleaning means more than a quick vacuum and dusting around the house, our spring body cleaning should be more than a long, hot bath. We should cleanse ourselves both externally and internally. |
|
Just as dirt builds up in our homes over months, so toxins build up in our bodies. Our environment is full of pollutants, and the food we eat is full of additives. Inside our homes, household cleaners, solvents, cigarette smoke and air fresheners can all contribute to a toxic environment. Outside the home, there are automobile exhaust fumes, smoggy air, industrial fumes, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes some 4 million toxins. The food we eat can also bring us toxins. There are at least 2,800 substances that have been recognized as food additives by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are used to make foods more tasty, and to make them last longer. Even foods with no additives can cause toxins. Eating refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and flour, is like eating paste or glue – it does not slide easily through the intestines and colon. This results in a build-up of waste that decays and produces bacteria and toxins. Toxins are also created by the body in the metabolic process, usually in response to unbalanced conditions. Emotional stress, an unbalanced diet, and consuming too much food can all contribute to toxic conditions. |
|
Very simply, toxins undermine our health. Toxins have been defined as, “any substance that creates irritating and/or harmful effects in the body, undermining our health or stressing our biochemical or organ functions.” A body overloaded with toxins can result in a number of symptoms. These include constipation, stomach bloat, poor digestion, gas, fatigue, weight gain, excessive mucus, poor concentration, headaches, poor skin, poor memory, depression, body odour, and bad breath. Some health practitioners relate toxins to specific diseases. For example, chronic fatigue syndrome may be related to toxin exposure. Multiple chemical sensitivity and fibromyalgia (muscle and joint pain) may also be environment-related diseases. In fact, there is a relatively new medical category, clinical ecology, which deals exclusively with how toxins in the environment affect our health. |
|
The body does have a system in place to remove harmful toxins. The most important cleansing organ is the liver. The bowels (the digestive system), kidneys, skin, lungs, and lymphatic system also help eliminate toxins from the body. When the body is doing its job and is not overburdened with toxins, the blood carries toxins to the liver, which uses enzymes to detoxify the harmful substances, rendering them harmless or converting them into a water-soluble form, which is then eliminated via the urine or feces. Unfortunately, this system can handle only so many toxins and was built for “natural” toxins, not the man-made ones we have to deal with today. For example, protection against an age-old toxin – alcohol – is built into our genes. One gene, expressed in the liver, codes for an enzyme that converts alcohol into substances the body can use or excrete. Our body does not, however, always know how to handle the new toxins in our lives. It cannot understand how to excrete them, and they may then accumulate to harmful quantities or be converted to odd, unknown substances that can interfere with metabolism. This can potentially result in cancers or birth defects. |
|
When our bodies are exposed to unfamiliar toxins, are producing too many toxins, or are not eliminating toxins effectively, the toxins build up and can cause health problems. Then it is time for a detoxification program – supporting the body’s natural elimination process and preventing the day-to-day buildup of toxicity. The key to detoxification is knowledge: understanding the link between feeling sub-par and toxicity, understanding where toxins come from, and understanding what you can do to help yourself.
|
|
A number of health professionals have developed detoxification programs. These programs usually combine the previous factors in a set schedule, and prescribe specific foods and herbal and fiber supplements. If you follow a program, or simply take the previous factors to heart, you may initially notice that your overall health appears to worsen. You may experience acne, fatigue, headaches, coated tongue, cold extremities, intestinal and digestive stresses and mood swings during detoxification. These are positive signs that mean the elimination process in the liver and other organs is occurring. The toxins in your body have been building up for years! It can take much more than a few days, or even a few weeks, to flush out the toxins and to begin to feel better. Most people experience a cycle; at first they feel somewhat worse, and then better. As they continue the detoxification program, toxins buried deeper come out, and symptoms reappear, only to disappear as they are eliminated. With each cycle, the feeling of being healthy is longer, and feeling worse is shorter. Eventually, you feel better all-around. |
|
Bod-E-Klenz is a 30 day cleansing program. This easy to follow method of cleansing provides individually packaged doses for morning, afternoon and evening, and can be especially beneficial if taken prior to taking a new diet or detoxifying program. Bod-E-Klenz is an essential first step in tuning up the body before beginning a weight management program. Features and benefits:
Tiao He Pak is designed to support the mechanisms of the body by targeting the intestinal, digestive and circulatory systems. Cleansing herbs help cleanse the body of impurities and accumulated toxins. This toxic waste finds its way into the bloodstream if the organs of elimination, the liver, the skin, the lungs, the colon and the kidneys, don’t work efficiently. Tiao He Pak gradually restores the functions of these organs to insure they perform to their full capacity. Para Pak is a cleansing program designed with herbs known to help eliminate parasites from the body. While using the pak, it is suggested that fresh fruits and vegetables (especially leafy green vegetables) and whole grains be used abundantly in the diet. Avoid red meats, coffee, alcohol, sugary and fried foods. You may wait 10 days and repeat the program as needed. The Tiao He Pak should be taken before the Para Pak to clear out old, hardened fecal matter, which makes a perfect breeding ground for parasites. Some herbalists recommend taking a second Para Pak 10 days after finishing the first cleanse. This allows time for any parasitic larvae to hatch and be destroyed during the second cleanse. For additional information, please email ramila@ramilas.com; or call Ramilas Healing Arts Clinic at 613.829.0427 for an appointment. Please continue sharing our newsletters with friends and family. Visit our web site at http://ramilashealingartsclinic.com/index for back issues of this newsletter, for additional information about products and to order products, and for information about our Clinic. |
|
|
The suggestions and recommendations in this newsletter are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic. The information is accurate and up to date to our knowledge, but we are not responsible for any errors in our sources of information.
|
|
These newsletters will help you make better choices for better health. The choices that you make today can either have a positive or negative impact on your overall health. Begin by choosing better. It is a step toward longevity. Sincerely, Ramila Padiachy |
