Detoxing
Roger Groos, B.Sc., D.H.M., - Naturopathic Colon Hydrotherapist

What is toxicity? The term is not recognised by allopathic medicine, except in cases of systemic infection. In naturopathic terms, a person is toxic when the body becomes burdened with substances, usually on a cellular level, which impede its proper function – symptoms may be generalised or specific and can include fatigue, poor sleep pattern, skin problems ranging from spots to psoriasis, poor blood glucose regulation and frank illnesses. If you feel “sluggish” the bet is you are “toxic”.
The reasons a body may become toxic are legion:

• through diet, such as too much fast food, smoked foods, pesticides residues from food, additives, or specifics like eating too much tuna which has a high mercury contamination level.
• through environmental toxins such as air and water pollution, household cleaning products, paints, heavy metals, electromagnetic radiation and geopathic stress.
• through habits e.g. smoking, drinking too much alcohol, coffee or strong tea.
• through some medications.
• through stress and negative thoughts.

De-toxing the body is quite simple in theory: promote the release, the breakdown and the elimination of the built-up toxic substances. This may be done in several ways over long or short periods of time depending upon individual circumstances and opportunity.
The key body organs to help are the liver which is responsible for breaking down many toxins and the bowel, the skin, the kidneys and the lungs which must all be kept working efficiently to eliminate the wastes.

De-Toxing Essentials
Whichever level is chosen, there are some essentials:

• Stop any bad habits contributing to the toxic burden.
  Consume only fresh wholefoods, preferably home-grown or organic. The best are alfalfa sprouts, globe and Jerusalem artichokes, beetroot and leaf beets, all the cabbage family, all the edible lily family (garlic, leeks, onions), parsley and radish. Keep meat and dairy to a minimum or exclude completely.
• Take at least 20 minutes gentle exercise daily in an unpolluted environment.
• Drink plenty of filtered water – at least 2 litres daily.
• Avoid negative influences and people.
• Ensure you have a light workload or are off work.

Active De-Toxing
The simplest, but slowest, way to de-tox is to eat ONLY raw fruit and vegetables (some of which may be sprouted); raw food needs little energy to digest, it rests the liver allowing this important organ to break down toxins, and contains chlorophyll – a highly beneficial substance in cleansing the body. The associated fibre keeps the digestive tract flowing.
Another more intensive method is to half-fast: have 2 - 3 freshly extracted juices daily and one solid meal, emphasising vegetables. Even more intensive is a juice fast conducted over a shorter period of time, but ideally not less than 5 days. This involves consuming 5 juices daily with added psyllium husk powder (to provide bulk) and clay water (which helps eliminate heavy metals).
The most intensive method, which is not recommended except in extreme circumstances, is water fasting – just consuming filtered water without anything else.
After any fasting, it is important to “break the fast” slowly – start to add some soups and stewed fruit slowly, then tapering off the juices. Over-indulgence too soon can undo the benefits.
For all intensive methods, it is vital to keep channels of elimination open, and there are number of adjunctive therapies which help:

• Colonic hydrotherapy keeps the bowel working well (consult an ARCH registered therapist who will be able to advise and guide you fully on fasting and de-toxing)
• Various forms of massage including Manual lymphatic drainage and aromatherapy.
• Dry skin brushing.
• Saunas, steam or salt baths. Epsom salt baths are excellent.
• Castor oil packs over the liver area.

Juicing
Fruit juices are the most eliminative, and may provoke greater reactions; vegetable juices are best, and a good base to use is carrot (which must be organic) plus either celery, beetroot, courgette, fennel, peppers or tomatoes or a big mixture of all of them!
They should be freshly extracted – bottles or cartons of juices are a poor second – and this is best done using either a centrifugal or preferably a macerating juice extractor. Drink within 30 minutes of extraction to ensure good enzyme levels.
No supplements should be taken during intensive periods of fasting, but there are a number which can offer liver support and promote de-toxing before and after the elimination phase: B Complex, Lecithin, Vitamin C, the amino acids L-cysteine, glutamine, glycine, methionine, carnitiine and taurine, a multimineral and some including herbs milk thistle, dandelion and berberis.
The benefits of de-toxing are usually seen quickly: more energy, brighter eyes (especially the white sclera), clearer complexion, weight loss, fewer aches and pains, improved digestion and absorption – in fact that “healthy” feeling we all seek!
Is there any group of people who should not de-tox? Some people should not consider active fasting: diabetics, ME/chronic fatigue syndrome, those with eating disorders, low body weight or anaemias or during pregnancy; if in doubt, consult an experienced therapist.
Practitioner resources:

• www.colonic-association.org
• www.naturopaths.org.uk
• www.naturopathy-anp.com