Why I Believe Detoxing the Body is Crucial for Optimum Health:
We wouldn’t think of going too long without a shower to wash toxins off of our external organ, our skin. In the same way, it’s crucial that we cleanse our internal organs from toxic buildup due to the water we drink, food that we eat, and medications we take, as well as pollutants in the air we breathe. For this purpose many nutritionists recommend detoxing.
Why I decided to try Detoxing:
When I first heard about detoxing my body, I wasn’t a real fan of the idea. The truth is, there is an equal amount of health professionals who warn against it as there are those who highly recommend it. So why did I decide to try it?
First of all, I came in contact with several people I know who had experienced physical cures and better health through detoxing in addition to changing their eating habits.
One of them was a pastor’s wife who at one time had been in excruciating pain from arthritis. She was unable to sleep at night or pick up her own grandchildren without great pain. However, she experienced a dramatic change in her physical health through a diet change, juicing, and supplements. In fact, she is now 100% pain free! That why I decided to purchase some books by respected doctors and nutritionists to do my own research.
The evidence was so convincing that I decided to give it a try. My husband did the same just to support me. At the time, I had miserable allergies, headaches, joint pains, brain fog and fatigue. After just 2 months I felt like my brain woke up and my energy level greatly increased. Two months after that, the allergies were gone, I no longer had constant headaches, and the joint pains had disappeared! I felt healthy!
What Happens when you Detox?
The detox I chose by Dr. Colbert is actually a liver cleanse. In other words, it helps to clean out your liver of toxic buildup. Why is this so important? I’m glad you asked!
- The liver is the largest organ in your body.
- It is designed to remove toxins from your body much like a garbage man removes the trash.
- It can become overburdened due to an unhealthy diet, environmental pollutants, etc.
- When you do a liver cleanse, which includes a juice fast, it relieves this burden so your liver can begin to function properly. (It will also aid in ridding the body of fat which is why I lost weight during the cleanse!)
- All of the nutrients, especially from the vegetables and fruit, help supply your body with the nutrients needed to detox your body.
- Energy increases because your liver is not only able to remove toxins, but it can now supply your body with the nutrients it needs to thrive. (These are the nutrients I list at the end of each healthy recipe I post on my site.)
An overview of the detox which helped cure me:
- I ate healthy for 2 weeks. My food choices are listed in detail in my “7 Steps to Better Health” which you will receive when you subscribe to my website. Or you can order a copy of my book, Eating with Purpose which details what I ate, along with a one week menu and shopping list.
- While eating healthy, I drank a freshly squeezed juice every morning. To keep it simple we chose one drink that we both liked (6 carrots and 2 apples along with a scoop of Barlean’s Green Superfood).
- I also and took the following supplements to boost my immune system: a comprehensive multivitamin, antioxidants, milk thistle, N-acetyl-cysteine, lecithin, lactobacillus acidophilus, and fiber (In his book which is pictured below, Dr. Colbert lists other supplements that can be included, but I chose what we could afford at the time and it worked for me.) I just went to my local health food store with this list and asked for their recommendations on brands to choose.
- At the end of 2 weeks of eating healthy, juicing, and taking supplements I slowed down my eating by consuming only fruits and vegetables for one day. I then did a juice fast for 2 days (drinking freshly squeezed juice 4 times a day, along with plenty of water).
- I then went through a 4 day process of slowly reintroducing 1 healthy food back into my diet each day (fruit, broths, vegetables, grains and chicken, in that order).
- Following these 4 steps, I continued to eat healthy while taking the above supplements until they ran out.
- When the detox supplements ran out, I chose a supplement routine recommended by my chiropractor and a certified health coach from our local health food store.
Notice I did not rely on a juice fast for an extended period of time for detoxing. And I do not make juice fasting part of my lifestyle. Instead, I now eat healthy and drink freshly squeezed juice just to make sure my body gets the nutrients it needs from vegetables and fruit to accomplish detoxing as God designed it to.
So why juice every morning? Unfortunately, the soil that plants are grown in is often depleted of the nutrients our body needs, and as a result, so are the plants we consume. In addition, many of them are picked before they are ripe and are in turn depleted of what our body needs for health.
Here’s a link to a One Minute Quiz to help determine whether or not you need to detox.
Sources:
Is this Detox Organ Working in your Body? by Beyond Diet.
Detox and Body Cleanse Liver Facts
Dr. Colbert’s Book, toxic Relief:
If you would like to simplify the process, Dr Colbert now has a 21 Day Detox Package that you can order (a link is provided at the bottom of this post). Just be sure to check with your healthcare professional before beginning any supplement regime or beginning a detox.
Juicing Appliances:
For a juicing appliance, in 2004 we chose one by Jack Lalanne which we purchased off Ebay for just $30.00. It was a juice extractor. However, it was an older version and very difficult to clean. Instead, I would recommend this updated version: If you chose to use this type of juicer (which is actually an extractor) it will extract the fiber from the juice. Some doctors feel that eliminating the fiber makes it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients. Others feel that removing the fiber removes a necessary ingredient for optimum health.
If you want an appliance that is super easy to clean I would go with a NtribulletRX which maintains the fiber but breaks it down so that our body can easily digest it (the best of both worlds!). I like that idea because God put the fiber in fruit and vegetables for a reason. Because we face so many toxins during the day, and may not always eat healthy, this helps to assist our digestive tract in processing all those healthy nutrients! We now use this juicer on a regular basis and I really like it!
If you don’t like the texture of the fiber, you can purchase nut milk bags to help squeeze it out. These bags are also helpful if you choose to go with a regular blender or less expensive juicer.
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Health Benefits of Detoxing:
On his website, Dr. Colbert lists the 12 Benefits of Detoxing the Body:
- Boosts Your Energy
- Rids the Body of Excess Waste
- Helps with Weight Loss
- Stronger Immune System
- Improved Skin
- Better Breath
- Promotes Healthy Changes
- Clearer Thinking
- Healthier Hair
- Lighter Feeling
- Anti-Aging Benefits
- Improved Sense of Wellbeing
I know it works! I experienced every single one of these health benefits. In fact, people closest to me could tell a difference and began asking me what I did to make such a drastic change in my health. It wasn’t long before I decided to write a book and was invited to speak at churches about my journey to wellness.
Here’s a link for a Quiz which will help you to determine if you need to do a detox: Beyond Diet Detox Quiz
If you are interested in more inforamtion about me coming to speak to your group please contact me. The seminar “Taste and See” is a lot of fun and lasts about an hour – or longer if you would like.
Spiritual Parallel:
Ps 51:2 says, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”
The spiritual process begins when we experience the saving grace of Jesus. But whether it’s keeping our spirit clean, washing our external body, or cleansing our internal digestive organs, the parallels of spiritual and physical cleansing are fascinating. When you do a spiritual fast (refrain from food and spend time in prayer) your spirit is cleansed. (I sometimes include juices in this process.) At the same time, your body is being cleansed of physical toxins.
Either way, what God has done for us and continues to provide us, helps us in the process! That’s one of the reasons why I like the products of Dr. Colbert – you just can’t go wrong with Divine Health!
Here’s the link for the 21 Day Detox on His website:
(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a percentage from any purchases made from these links All proceeds go the the support of our nonprofit organization: Twiford Ministries, Inc)
If you have any questions about the detox I chose, please leave a comment below.
