Aids to Easier Cleansing

7 Tips for a Gentler Cleanse and Why Not to Cleanse Only Your Liver

May 1, 2007

7 Tips for a gentler, more pleasant internal cleanse; why you should never cleanse the liver alone; how to support and nourish your skin during while cleansing.

Cleansing is controversial simply because some people do it wrong. Doctors and naturopaths who advise against cleansing have usually experienced or heard stories about adverse reactions while cleansing. These are the exception rather than the rule: people who attempted to cleanse too much, too fast, and got in over their heads. Cleansing done right is done gradually. You should not be running to the bathroom all day, and unless you are fighting a serious condition, you should feel great for most of your cleanse.

The following seven pointers can make cleansing easier and more pleasant:

1. Drink lots of water - maybe twice what you usually need. Water helps to flush toxins out of your system and can prevent headaches, skin breakouts, and other cleansing reactions. How much water do I need when I’m not cleansing?

2. Do your best to make your diet cleanse-friendly. Eat lots of fruits (cleansing) and vegetables (rebuilding), and avoid heavily processed or sugary foods as much as possible. Lemons support cleansing. So do spicy foods.

3. Do your first major cleanse in spring. Cleansing in spring is easier because it is in tune with the earth and the season’s tendency toward shedding the old and refreshing the new. (Completely optional. Cleansing at other times of the year works, too!)

4. Do your research. Don’t simply take the advice of a stranger in a health food store. Make sure that you are getting a cleansing supplement or protocol that is effective and safe - and that is right for you.

5. Don’t hurry. Cleanse slowly and give your body time to ease into each phase of cleansing. If you feel unwell or that the cleanse is being rushed, decrease the intensity and slow down.

6. Avoid perfume and other synthetic personal care products for the duration of the cleanse, if not permanently. Your body may be more sensitive to environmental poisons during a cleanse.

7. Make sure you know what you’re getting into. Some cleanses can be harmful if aborted midway through. Make sure you’re committed to a cleanse and that you’re doing it right.

Why You Should Never Cleanse Just Your Liver

Supplements that cleanse the liver alone are generally not effective. Why? Because the human body is an integrated system. Material that is cleansed from the liver has to go somewhere, and its only exit from the body is through the skin (acne, breakouts) or the colon.

If the colon is not operating at peak efficiency, a liver cleanse can do more harm than good as toxins expelled from the liver sit and are not flushed out of the colon. For this reason, a thorough liver cleanse will cleanse the colon first, or the colon and liver simultaneously, so that toxins are properly removed from the body and do not result in illness or shock reactions during the cleanse.

Cleansing the Skin

Skin outbreaks are not uncommon during cleansing. Usually they are small and disappear within a few days. They occur because the skin is one of the primary organs for the body’s detoxification - anything that affects or stresses the liver is likely to show up in the skin. For this reason, thorough cleansing will often result in beautiful, blemish-free skin.

Paying some attention to the skin may improve cleansing and ease detoxification. Simple procedures like dry brushing or the oil cleansing method can ease cleansing and will also yield flawless skin.